Long Description:This statue is described as follows:
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'The faces, located in Silver Street, cost £100,000, and are the
work of artist Rick Kirby, who has named the piece Reflections Of
Bedford.
The design work has been influenced by references to Bedford
and, in particular, the history of lace-making locally, as well as
recognising Silver Street as the historical site of a mint in the
10th and 11th centuries.
At night, the sculpture will change in appearance through the
use of coloured spots with lights set in the ground, illuminating
the piece.'
The article describes the uproar when the Trevor Huddleston bust
was moved to make way for this new art:
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'Think Floyd?
BY CHRIS GILL
All in all . . . there’s not really that much difference between
these two statues.
One is the controversial new structure in Silver Street, Bedford
– while the other appeared on the front cover of a Pink Floyd album
issued 15 years ago.
The new £100k statues in Silver Street, Bedford
Sculptor Rick Kirby, who won a Public National Art exhibition to
design the unique statue for the town, said any likeness to the
image on ‘Division Bell’ was just a “major coincidence”.
He said: “I used to be into Pink Floyd but I have never heard of
this.
“My work is unique and represents the diversity of ethnic
backgrounds in the town, its links with bricks and lace and is
silver to represent Silver Street.
“It is two individuals looking at each other in harmony.” Peter
Lawrenson of Poplar Avenue, Wilstead, said: “They look like
over-sized dustbins. They suddenly appeared one day out of
nowhere.
“I think what has got up people’s noses most is that the council
spent all this money and there was no public consultation.
Now all the town has is a memorial to a Pink Floyd album cover.”
There has been a mixed response to the statues which have relegated
the bust of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston to near the toilets in
Silver Street.
The album cover of Pink Floyd’s album ‘Division Bell’
Some people have said they are incensed by the project, which has
cost around £100,000, while the faces have been described by
another as “two heaps of rubbish.” The Pink Floyd version will be
commemorated as one of the greatest album covers of the past 40
years as part of a new set of postage stamps.
Altogether there are ten designs which will be issued in
January.
A Bedford borough council spokesman said: “The process to
introduce the new works of art to Silver Street began in 2007, as
part of a national art competition.
“While some may consider that the statues resemble existing
works of art, from the Easter Island moai to more popular culture
images, the work was commissioned as a unique and iconic piece
reflecting the many faces of Bedford, to provide an exciting new
focus for shoppers and visitors to the town.” '
Many comments about the statue can be found here:
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