Shrewsbury garden sculpture that divided opinions set to be removed
Shrewsbury Dingle's colourful and controversial sculpture will be removed this week as the town's Art Trail comes to a close.
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Almuth Tebbenhoff's five-metre tall 'RedHead Sunset Stack' attraction has been on display since June as part of the Shrewsbury Arts Trail. But, it will be winched out of its position inside Percy Thrower's garden on Wednesday.
The sculpture sparked debate amongst the county town's residents, and was described as a "Mecanno set gone wrong" by one visitor to the Dingle. The sculpture is said to be inspired by a sunset, and displays a journey through life.
A 'complete, exact' metal cube frame sits at the bottom of the sculpture, representing how we start in life, before dented and wobbly metal frames stacked on top represent how people are battered and broken, but that we pull ourselves together and heal.
The German artist, who moved to the UK in 1969 and studied ceramics at the Sir John Cass School of Art, responded to criticism saying: "Like everybody else I look for beauty.
"Life is as full of kinks and crumpled stuff as well as smooth and shiny things. For me it is important to combine the two.
"I sometimes wonder if it's the emptiness inside the sculpture that bothers people."
Funded by the non-profit organisation though local sponsorship and grants, the Shrewsbury Arts Trail CIC is in its forth year on existence and has a mission to 'bring unique and high-quality contemporary art to be enjoyed by the public for free'.
The organisation run by volunteers celebrates the vibrant arts community, and hopes to boost the reputation of the county as a 'vibrant and welcoming cultural destination'.
Halima Cassell MBE's 'Hurricane' piece that was also part of this year's Arts Trail, and featured at St Mary's Church, will also be removed this week, on Thursday.
The hand carved piece in fibreglass and jesmonite has been on display in front of the main altar and the 'Jesse' window, and demonstrates 'a captivating interplay of colour, light and shadow, evoking a sense of dynamic motion and fluidity'.
Shrewsbury Art Trail's founder and organiser Jessica Richards has set up a GoFundMe page to enable the 12-month loan of two sculptures by Halima Cassell MBE and support Shrewsbury Arts Trail CIC in 2025.
Further information can be found by clicking the link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jessica-richards-3
