Was this worth £450,000?
Wednesday 30th September 2009, 1:04PM BST.
By Andy Richardson
As unveilings go, it hardly rivals the moment when Florentines removed the hessian from Michelangelo’s David. Piece by piece, workmen were today withdrawing the scaffolding from Shrewsbury’s £450,000 Quantum Leap.
Quantum Leap is being unveiled in Shrewsbury
In a sense, it’s fitting that its arrival has been so sheepish. Quantum Leap has materialised like an uninvited guest at a swinging party, quietly creeping through the back door in the hope that nobody will notice it.
And quite right too, it’s already caused more embarrassment than celebration, with councillors and the public universally disdainful. Phrases like ‘the most hideous thing ever created’ and ‘an appaling waste of money’ have rung out over Mediaeval Shrewsbury, as peoples’ senses have been blitzkrieged by uniquely expensive slabs of concrete.
Shropshire Council has downplayed spiralling costs, insisting the price rose only from £350,000 to £450,000. That assertion conveniently obscures the former Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council’s original plan to spend just £250,000.
Costs aside, the abominable appearance of Quantum Heap (of concrete) is impossible to ignore. The artists’ impressions suggested a real looker, but the gleaming, cream-coloured ‘slinky’ did not evolve on the river bank. What we have instead is a dull, grey, contorted stack of ugly concrete planks.
There is, of course, a beautiful statue to Darwin nearby and it would have been unthinkable that the new design would have surpassed the sumptuous bronze sitting outside the town’s library.
Then there’s another point to consider, the name. Quantum Leap originates in physics, a division of science that has little to do with Darwin. Oh, and who could forget the fact that the builders got it wrong first time, and had to reinstall it.
In a recent interview, Anthony Gormley, the nation’s foremost creator of public artworks, was deliberately indelicate about public sculptures that have followed his trailblazing Angel Of The North.
In a formidable, pull-no-punches, Gerald Ratner-style denunciation of the genre, he described most modern public artworks as ‘crap’. Whatever would he say about the county’s £450,000 concrete carbuncle. And would we be able to print it?
Do you think Quantum Leap was a waste of money, or does it beautify the banks of the River Severn?
Send us your views.
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I like it.
The Shropshire Star obviously doesn’t seems as they have nothing better to report on than whip up hysteria over this
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Hysteria, Pete? It’s a bleedin’ monstrosity and a total waste of money. The Star is just encouraging folk to have their say. And, of course, anyone is welcome to post a comment on how lovely and enriching it is.
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it’s hideous. what is it supposed to be anyway? it looks like a crane (not the bird) has vomited up lumps of concrete. HIDEOUS
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How many injuries is it going to cause
with drunken idiots on friday /saturday night
climbing and falling off
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I saw it still surrounded by scaffold on saturday. This is a complete waste of money, and even more so in these financially difficult times. It should be removed immediatly.
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Nice to see some impartial reporting for a change.
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I like it but it cost far far too much and is the wrong colour – it should have been white
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The Article is entitled:
Was this worth £450,000?
Answer:
NO !!!
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What a complete and utter waste of money.It does not look anything like the original drawing.this has got a twist in it,the drawing has not?
Come the weekends all the drunken louts will be climbing all over it.
Its just a waste of money, that could of been spent somewhere else.
Good old JUDITH WILLIAMS what a good idea,She wanted it,I bet she does not want it now!!!!!
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Also ..
The article reads…
“Then there’s another point to consider, the name. Quantum Leap originates in physics, a division of science that has little to do with Darwin”
How Damn TRUE…
Actually …
Have a look at Quantum Physics (Mechanics) –
This is all about how matter behaves at the atomic and sub-atomic level… and …
An interesting thoery evolves …
And that is the “uncertainty principle”..
Viz:
In the quantum mechanics of a subatomic particle, one can NEVER specify its state, such as its simultaneous location and velocity, with COMPLETE certainty (this is called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle)
Well … everything is uncertain about this construction .. except the cost ( rising costs!)
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Trash.
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Andy Richardson, what quality reporting from someone only his mother could love. Has the star lowered itself so low into the gutter to allow this drivel to be printed in its name.?? Sorry but this is a rant from a fool not a report.
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I love it…. it reminds me of how much of my money got wasted on it, so i can take my anger out on the punch bag at the gym, it’s motivating my fitness etc….
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Its looks nice and would be more appreciated in any other economic climate. People find it hard to be impressed when it cost so much money and to add insult to injury – it went over budget!! The money could have been spent elsewhere in the town!!
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Perhaps The Town Centre Residents Association should take some of the flak aswell. They seem to put the boot in against every other project or business that is proposed to enhance the town. In this case they also agreed to this white or ‘grey’ elephant!
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its an embarrassment to Shrewsbury…..
just think that money could of gone towards road modernisation…
oh yeah we don’t like that as well… Shrewsbury will be stuck in the middle ages forever
and the people of telford have to trust the Shrewsbury Councillors to provide good hospital facilities…!?! Questionable
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The people of Shrewsbury have got of lightly – their art monstrosity cost only about 1% of £52,000,000 price of The Public in West Bromwich.
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It is just typical arrogance of the art establishment to pretend that their tawdry gimmicks are an enhancement of the area on which they are imposed.
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A bargain at £450k, but i’m sure a local builder could’ve done better with mixer. Somebodies laughing all the way to the bank at Shrewsbury’s expense.
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Have to agree with NJ’s comments. Located opposite hotspots for drinkers. Think of added NHS costs that will be incurred by drinkers thinking it will be funny to climb all over it and most probably fall off and hurt themselves.
£450,000 is far too much to spend, regardless of current economic situation in the UK.
It will always be regarding with discontent.
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Could we get better Public Toilets for £450k than those in Town or are the Council proud of the filthy and disgusting facilities that we currently have.
God only knows what will evolve one day from the depths of the Butchers Row
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It sure looks like a wood louse.
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I do not think that drunks will climb all over the Quantum leap – because it will be covered in bird mess. I think the birds are going to really love the new council inspired bird facilities
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Is it part of the flood defences?
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philistines, art is great and this is a nice peice
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How could it go over price ? & where will the extra funds come from
oh i know put the council tax up next year no one will notice (think not)
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At time when there is talk of moving the A&E from Telford to Shrewsbury due to financial reasons its sad to see so much being spent on slabs of concrete.I hope its money well spent.
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I liked the scaffolding! The concrete bit is rubbish though…
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Give me my money back!! Proof that we have much too much money taken off us in tax. Put another policeman on the beat instead perhaps! Aaaarrgghh!
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At least when they snap open the blinds every morning across the river they will have this wasted opportunity to gaze on as they ponder how they are going to explain next years council tax hike to us.
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” This is how it’s done lads” – a worker in the photograph gives a demonstration on how to climb up the ‘climbing frame’. So far he has only made it to the third rib, flange whatever they are called. Will any others make it higher? I’m sure they will before falling off!
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what a terribly biased article. I hope that the writer wasnt paid for it because that would have been a waste of money.
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When it floods what’s going to happen…. Leaves, logs and branches all collecting in the spines making it look a right mess! Also in flood where are the tramps going to sleep, the tramp multistory hotel will be closed for business as the slots will be green and slippy… A serious health and safety issue as they may fall off whilst swigging their sherry!
With money tight in all areas who really thought that this was a good idea.. I know, lets not put an extra 1/2 million into schools, hospitals or encouraging trade back into the town centre we’ll spend it on a heap of concrete to act as a public playground to the drunk.
Well I really hope the people spending our taxes are brought to account for their frivolous disregard of common sense! I suppose the upside is the cash hasn’t gone into the hideous pension pot of fat cat councilors!
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Quantom Leap does depict Charles Darwin’s theory of the evolution of life and man. It shows how we have evolved from being lovers of nature to materialistic wastrels.This so called piece of art is an appalling waste of Shrewsbury tax payers money and an indication of our councils continuation to do this. I cannot believe our councils willingness, by erecting this monstrosity, to make us into a laughing stock. Anyone who finds this so called piece of art wonderful, really needs to get their eyes tested and ideas of value for money checked out.
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For the sake of transparency and accountability, we the Public demand to know what’s the reason for the additional £100,000 to the original project cost. You could buy 30,000 bags of cement for that amount of money. Full breakdown with details printed in the Shropshire Star – please
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“How many injuries is it going to cause
with drunken idiots on friday /saturday night
climbing and falling off”?
IT isn’t going to cause any; the injuries will be casued by the drunken idiots, so perhaps IT is serving a purpose after all
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Surely all those (now backtracking ) councillors who approved this saw a model if it and did not rely on an artist’s impression? Was a model ever tested in a wind tunnel, I can see this vibrating itself to pieces in a strong wind,and was an assessment ever done as to how it would behave in an earthquake?
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dreadfully sensationalist article – aimed at selling newspapers only, the reporter and editor should be ashamed of blatent abuse of the freedon of speech
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is it finished?
Blimey , i got a tin of white paint at home.The council can have it for a fiver….
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Quantum Leap? … More like the Origin of Feaces.
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Nice impartial article….not! Personally I’d like to go back to medieval Shrewsbury, as Andy Richardson seems to be suggesting, and put him in the stocks. Hey, lets go back to burning witches at the stake on a Friday night in the square as well? What is it with you people? Do you think they have conversations like this in London, Manchester, Glasgow?! So, SABC decided to spend a miniscule amount of money, in comparison to whole annual budget spend, on a piece of public art. Good for them! Somebody needs to put their head above the parapit sometimes and do something out of the ordinary and try to make a difference to our mediocre surroundings. Great, it’s got people talking and engaging, but to have it blastered all over the TV, papers and radio – get a life! Oh how predictable ‘disgusted of Shrewsbury’ blah, blah, blah, whinge, whinge, but don’t actually do anything to positively change things around you. I think it’s magnificent – looks like a great big dinosaur skeleton has been found on the banks of the Severn. Bloody marvellous!
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Interesting article from another website about initial public reaction to the Angel of the North.
http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/angel/biography/public-reaction
Lo and behold what’s that at the bottom of the article? Amazingly and coincidentally enough it’s a quote from our very own Shropshire Star, commending the people of the North East for showing, via a piece of public art, that some of those old preconceptions about the North and Northern folk should be set aside.
Not sure what this article, or some of those responses to it, would suggest about Salopians, although judging by some of the thought processes, grammar and spelling in many of them I’d say that outsiders could be forgiven for thinking that we are an insular, uneducated and uncultured bunch.
Why has the Star seen fit to run a poll or ask for people’s views on this? The third paragraph would suggest that “with councillors and the public universally disdainful” there wouldn’t be any need, as surely such a comment was made after thorough and objective research of people’s views? It wasn’t? Oh, you do surprise me…
Finally, as for the people who wonder how many injuries Quantum Leap will cause, I’d say ‘none’. If people climb on it when drunk and fall off that’s their responsibility. How far would any of the complainants on here take this spurious argument? Should the Welsh Bridge be taken down in case anyone who is inebriated or suicidal decides to jump off it into the Severn?
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It’s one heck of a climbing frame, i can’t wait to have a go after a night out this weekend !
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Extra nurses, police, care for the eldery, community services – or a stupid bunch of concrete bits that satisfies the ego of some art fanatic councillor. Whoever was responsible for this should be ashamed.
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‘Swinging party’? (line 6). Was that the best wording to choose?
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Personally I dont like it!! What a waste of money, it looks like an arthritic dinosaurs back bone!!
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