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Darwin sculpture gets go ahead
Wednesday 10th September 2008, 11:50AM BST.
A huge piece of public art to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth has been given the go-ahead as it is revealed Shrewsbury taxpayers are forking out £210,000 towards the development.At a development control meeting last night, councillors followed planning officers’ recommendations to approve the 12-metre high sculpture for Mardol Quay Garden, called Quantum Leap.
Members described the artwork as a “cracker”, “fantastic” and “beautiful” but it had also received objections from some residents who slammed it as an eyesore lacking relevance to the great naturalist’s work.
Dominic Wallis, who is project officer for Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, told last night’s meeting that the £350,000 scheme which includes a cast iron sculpture and associated “Geo Garden”, would see 60 per cent of the cost being met by the authority.
But he claimed it was an important development which had a symbolic link to Darwin and also Shropshire’s significance as one of the only places in the world featuring rocks from 10 of the 12 geological periods.
He said: “Without geology Darwin’s theories would never have stacked up.”
Councillor Charles Armstrong, portfolio holder for capital projects, said the artwork would help to propel Shrewsbury into the limelight during the 2009 bicentenary.
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It’s horrible!
How does this symbolize Darwin it looks like a giant slinky??
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A complete waste of money!!!!!
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it looks spot on to me a real gem for our town .
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what a total waste of tax payers money how does this so called piece of art benefit shrewsbury??? , it does not benefit shrewsbury in any way at all apart from massage the ego of the sculptor and the total idiots that have sanctioned it .
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I objected to this design and if you refer to Page 5 of last night’s Star and article was made with my suggestions on an alternative scheme. Something that actually represents Darwin’s work.
I’m disappointed that the council/Members allowed this design. what a waste of land, time and money.
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Don’t worry Doris’s Mum. Prior to developing his theories of evolution, it was actually the giant slinky that Darwin was most famous for inventing. He would be proud.
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oh dear….what a joke….albeit an expensive joke.
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Quote “Councillor Charles Armstrong, portfolio holder for capital projects, said the artwork would help to propel Shrewsbury into the limelight during the 2009 bicentenary”
How perchance, if slugs had a skeleton, this would be a giant one.
Its terrible and another waste of money that could go to a lot of better use, like bullets for the people who say that its a “cracker”, “fantastic” and “beautiful”
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Its a Health and Safety hazard as kids will be attracted to it and try climbing it!
Would never happen in Telford Town Park, anything that attracts kids and hence perverts is a definate no no for Telford and Wrekin Council.
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What about all the beautiful mature trees on the site? They look far more attractive than this expensive eyesore!
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Thanks Rob for clearing the matter up for me!
I must of missed that one in my history lessons, that’ll teach me to stay awake.
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As soon as this article was posted I braced myself for a volley of comments along the lines of ‘what a waste of money’ and ‘i don’t get it’. Here they come.
Please try to approach this with a spirit of open-mindedness.
To me, knowing nothing of the artist’s work, the sculpture has a skeletal appearance and an impression of forward motion. Both seem appropriate to Darwin’s work.
I like it, and I’m looking forward to seeing it first-hand. Probably visitors to the town will also find it impressive.
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I don’t believe this council.All the doom and gloom with credit squeeze and people struggling to survive the council deign it fit to spend more of our hard earned money on frivolous so called enterprises.
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I think it’s lovely, I’d be very happy to have that here in Shrewsbury. Would it be nice to have more bin collections? Yes. More CCTV? Of course. But money is going to be spent on public art, and as such, I think this piece is very aesthetically pleasing, reminding me of an ammonite. The Chicago Picasso sculptures were ridiculed when they were first unveiled but are now world-famous. I think everyone knew that most comments would be along the lines of ‘waste of money’ and the usual predictable reactions from most people. I haven’t seen the other suggestions and there may be better options, but rubbishing the whole idea is a backward thinking.
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Peter: We approch it with open-minds, but not open cheques!
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please can we have the statue back of fred dibnah or a copy made
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Confirmation that our elected officials are continuing to seek ever more creative ways of wasting our hard-earned money!!!
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ok all the ones for,
HOW does it benefit shrewsbury??, does it create jobs?? and dont tell me tourists will come to see it ,
will we have streams of people aghast at its beauty?
im sure there are people out there who find something artistic in a pile of rubbish , many of the ones that will appreciate it will be regarded as the odd social miss fits which they probably are and bat away critisism as the poor uneducated do not understand art , it is a waste of money that could have been spent on something that shrewsbury is lacking.
I believe it will be viewed as our other pieces of art in shrewsbury WHATS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE i have yet to see or here people be positive about the three what ever they are at the top of mardol .
Although i have heard many comments about them all negative .
We have a statue of darwin good enough,
good grief we have a decapitated queen mother head only in the quarry , another head only percy thrower, its only a matter of time before we have a head of judith williams and all the other councillors adournong the quarry and we could actually make it look artistic.
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Quantum Leap has the potential to be great for Shrewsbury. It does not need clutter around it explaining why it is there etc. Good sculpture speaks for itself. Look at the Iron Man by Anthony Gormley in Birmingham, wonderful.
The size of this sculpture will also help to block views of the terribly designed theatre from some angles. An extra asset!
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Its different thats all – think about it if it was a plinth with darwin it would be dull, and done, this is new and refreshing. It is expensive yes, but the money spent on this would have never made its way to the things everyone thinks it should – if everything always stayed the same we would only ever have the market hall brick clock tower as modern architecture! People reacted strongly when the gugenheim was built, and even selfridges in brum! just relax a little and you may even like it!
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I thought that abortion at the top of Marol was joke.I understand it is called Darwins gate.
It has nothing at all to do with the great man.
It is a pidgeons lavatory,drunken yobs vomiting point and a litter repository.
I am sure this thing will be much the same.
Saddly i will have no choice but to contribute to it.
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People will flock to Shrewsbury from around the World to see this incredible monument to Darwin. I’d better go into the hotel business.
Oh wait. Sorry – went mad there…
What a waste of money and what a rubbish “memorial” to Darwin!! Mardol will now have a rubbish monument at the top and at the bottom. Great. Can’t escape the trash.
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Greetings fellow Salopians. Please rest assured I am more then happy with this artwork.
So much so I would go as far and say “cracker”, “fantastic” and “beautiful”.
I thank you for your time…
regards,
Charles Darwin
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Agree with you Lucy W
Good views a girl after my own heart
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The point with the theatre is it will be used , a place of entertainment etc etc , this pile of rubbish will be looked at and then laughed at or ridiculed by the many, it will be appreciated by the few ie the odd social worker, councillor type and the silly oiks that thought of it.
The money may not have gone to what is essential to shrewsbury but that does not excuse a blatent waste of tax payers money as always the people of shrewsbury are ignored and the views of a few are listned too.
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Art is in the eye of the beholder.
Some people consider nature to be art.
Nature is God’s free art.
Spending 200K on something which maybe 20 – 30 people’s idea of art is a stupid waste of money.
I’m just glad I don ‘t live in Shrewsbury
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I like the idea of commisioning art work, but I really do feel that this has nothing to do with Darwin! Surely we could have found a better design???
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great news, its a beaut
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I think it is a great idea it will stop all the chip papers that blow down Mardol ending up in the river.
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I wonder how big the snail will be who habits that shell?
But good on Shropshire council providing homes for snails without shells.
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make it a bit bigger and it could bouble up as a useful bike rack
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is it a warped radiator,but seriously you are all paying for this monstrosity up there through your council tax. perhaps it could be housed in shire hall and staightened into a radiator. a statue of an iguana or giant tortoise would have been better
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i’m unsure here, but did the taxpayers of Shrewbury have a say?
Not being funny, we are in a time of economical crisis, recession etc, and the council want to waste £210,000 on artwork!
I appreciate history is important, but not at this present time.
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Has anyone seen the art work placed on a traffic island in Telford (see article on site). Well its excellent: By the people, for the people and not a penny from the tax payer! Surley a lesson that Shrewsbury folk could learn from Telford folk?
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I like it.
Public Art is very important. It stops every town appearing the same.
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I think it’s great. Ther usual moaners are out in force but most of them would not support ANY public art. They would rather our streets were as drab as their minds….
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Chunk: Your spot on. I don’t believe any public money should be spent on art – certainly not £200,000!
If art is so good, surley the wealthy would stump up the cash?
If you feel cuturally superior because you like it, the thats fine with me, as long as you and your art lovers pay for it!
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looks to me as if it will match the awful timber cladding on the new theatre !!!
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i really like it you negative cynics are wrong
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luddites and philistines who oppose this
hear me now
this is called public art
it will benefit your community
wake up and enjoy this master peice
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Mmmm, I’m a bit torn. It’s quite nice to have art in a town, as it stops it makes a place a bit more individual and the people who commisioned this, obviously know that not everyone will be happy with it…. However, I think from a financial point of view, this money could, right now, have been spent on better things, like housing people who do not have one or on adult education, or even towards helping people in dire crisis. My point is, I am for art, just not at a time of economical crisis…. although, for the record, I quite like it and if it brings in some extra visitors, even for curiosity, then that can only be a good thing for the economy of Shrewsbury.
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Why dont they get the kids at the locals schools to make something? Would be much nicer, by the communiy for the community.
So who is the so called “artist” behind this work? Readymixed Concrete Ltd?
But I’m suprised that Political Correctness has let this go ahead, or are they going to put up a similar sculpture to keep the Creationists happy?
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Is it a slinky or is it the pipe from the back of my tumble dryer??????????If it is I want compensation for it.????
I would’t like to pay 200000 pence for it let alone pounds. Why do they keep telling us money is short, when they can waste that much money on a pile of trash.
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