Sculptor defends controversial artwork as residents say: ‘She needs cleaning!’

A unique underwater sculpture in a Kent river should be left to ‘weather’ with the flow of the river and the seasons, says its creator. It follows concerns about the state of the Alluvia artwork submerged in the Stour in the centre of Canterbury, which was only installed six months ago. Algae and silt have already covered the sculpture, leaving it barely visible from the bridge at the Westgate Towers.

The figure, which lights up at night, is the work of world-renowned sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. It sparked controversy when first revealed last September , with some critics describing it as “creepy and disturbing” and claiming it resembled a dead body. But others say the figure of the woman is beautiful and ethereal.



Mr Taylor created it to replace a pair of his previous figures, which became damaged and broken. It is inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia from Hamlet and was commissioned by the Canterbury Commemoration Society. A recent photo posted on social media sparked numerous comments, with the work clearly still dividing opinion.

But some are concerned about its apparent deteriorating state. “It’s just about visible due to neglect of cleaning the moss etc - shame,” says Shirley Harper. “She needs cleaning, she's beautiful when she lights up at night,” adds Vicky Watson.

“I saw it today and wasn't really impressed, as it's covered in algae,” says Tracy Seal. The Canterbury Commemoration Society told KentOnline the sculpture is now in the care of Canterbury City Council. But the group has bought a broom and staff at Canterbury Punting have now brushed her off, as requested by the society.

The sculptor, however, says the intention is for the figure to be “left to her own devices”. “Like all of my sculptures, it will go through changes,” he says. “It will disappear and reappear at various times of the year, like my previous works.

“The brown patina it has at the moment will change on its own accord.” A spokesman for the city council said: “Alluvia was a gift to the city and as such is now our responsibility. "We do not intend to put in place a regular cleaning programme but will carry out an annual condition check.

"Discussion online has seen views ranging from suggesting we should clean her regularly to telling us to leave her be and let the natural world do its thing. “Therefore, we fully accept we are in a no-win situation but are happy with the approach we have decided to take. "A new, permanent plaque will be installed at the site in the next few weeks.

".