'Morbid', 'creepy' and 'disturbing' - Underwater statue in Kent river sparks controversy
ITV News Meridian's Joe Coshan has been speaking to locals for their reaction.
There are calls to remove a new sculpture submerged in a river, showing the lifelike figure of a woman lying underwater.
Critics have called the artwork, in Canterbury, Kent, "offensive and insensitive" because it is reminiscent of a drowning victim. Those behind the statue, however, have defended it and described it as "thought-provoking".
The artwork was formally gifted to the city at a special ceremony on Sunday (22 September).
The statue provoked mixed reactions from passers-by in Kent.
It is known as Alluvia because of the deposits of alluvial sand left behind by changes in the river flow.
The new statue replaced similar underwater statues of women, who lit up at night. They had become damaged and were covered in algae.
Artist, Jason DeCaires Taylor, said: "If there was no reaction, it would mean the work was benign and insipid.
"When Antony Gormley made his Angel of the North, initially it was looked at as a Nazi symbol, a thing that was going to cause multiple deaths on the motorway, that it was going to kill birdlife.
"Now it’s a symbol of the UK, it’s on our banknotes and it’s highly regarded. I think it takes time for sculptures to be adopted by the surroundings, for people to appreciate them and feel at home with them."
The controversial statue is inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia.
Lab Cllr Charlotte Cornell, Canterbury County Council said: "We think it’s a really fascinating piece of art and there’s a huge beauty in the cacophony of comments.
"Some people love it, some people find it upsetting, some people find it celebratory, for others it triggers memories, that’s the power of art."
Stewart Ross, Canterbury Commemoration Society said: "Art is exciting, challenging, art makes you think. Also, she has sensors that measure the quality of the water, the flow of the water, so she has an environmental purpose as well as an artistic one.
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