Hamlet-inspired Shakespeare underwater statue causes backlash as 'morbid' and 'tone deaf'

The Alluvia sculpture successful the River Stour successful Kent was inspired by Shakespeare's Ophelia and created by creator Jason deCaires Taylor but critics accidental it resembles a existent unfortunate of drowning

A caller Shakespearean statue successful a historical city's stream should beryllium 'bard', critics accidental - due to the fact that it looks similar a "drowning victim".

The artwork successful Canterbury, Kent - showing the lifelike fig of a pistillate submerged successful a stream - has been branded "offensive" and "disturbing". The work, called The Alluvia and inspired by Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet, was commissioned by the Canterbury Commemoration Society and created by award-winning creator Jason deCaires Taylor.

It was installed successful the stream Stour past week and is said to bring a caller modern twist to the city's thriving creation and taste scene.
Cllr Charlotte Cornell, of Canterbury City Council, said: "Combining modern creation with practice is astatine the forefront of our attack to nationalist creation and Alluvia is the cleanable portion for this location."

But it has sparked outrage connected the council's Facebook leafage wherever dozens of commentators are expressing their distaste of the h2o feature.

"I find this sculpture perfectly appalling," writes Craig Logman. "It's not conscionable offensive, it's downright disturbing. The imagery of a submerged figure, reminiscent of a drowning victim, is some morbid and utterly tone-deaf fixed the tragic drownings that hap on our coastlines. "Frankly, it should beryllium removed immediately."

Samantha Bowen says: "I can't beryllium the lone idiosyncratic who finds this profoundly offensive. "She looks similar a drowned woman. How did the assembly not spot the nexus to women arsenic victims of transgression oregon the bittersweet information truthful galore drown disconnected the Kent seashore arsenic refugees? I'm stunned astatine the naivety of those who approved this."

Ben Godden says: "Given that idiosyncratic was recovered successful the stream a fewer years agone this is not truly due -.less truthful erstwhile determination are galore different services which are successful hopeless request of finance. "There volition beryllium radical who study this to the constabulary and this volition adhd an further load to them successful dealing with the enquiries that travel arsenic a result. It's wholly unnecessary and successful beauteous mediocre taste."

And Louise Elizabeth adds: "As a caregiver who years agone treated a mediocre unfortunate who drowned successful this river, I americium offended and saddened by this. "I bash deliberation it's profoundly upsetting for radical of each ages for assorted reasons. My 10-year-old girl would find this terrifying.
"I bash bask 'controversial' creation but unluckily I don't hold with this astatine all. I consciousness that evoking this benignant of effect is inappropriate and irresponsible."

But immoderate constitute successful enactment of the artwork. "Well done Canterbury and the creator for creating this sculpture," says Neil Carter.
"I look guardant to seeing it successful person. It's surely doing a good occupation of provoking thought, treatment and opinion, which is so wherefore creation is specified a portion of the quality spirit."

"I deliberation it's marvelous and those who remark negatively don't cognize astir art," adds Michela Gusso. The caller artwork replaces 2 previous, akin statues of women successful the h2o that Jason DeCaires Taylor created and installed 15 years agone but had go damaged.

He had hoped to reconstruct his archetypal pieces aft being told astir their information by the Canterbury Commemoration Society. But erstwhile helium recovered the mediocre authorities they were in, helium offered to make a replacement alternatively for the aforesaid cost. And the project, led by the society, was approved aft 2 businessmen, Paul Abbott and Paul Roberts, stepped up to sponsor the work.

Stewart Ross who chairs the Canterbury Commemoration Society, admits members did not spot the enactment earlier it was installed.
"The overwhelming effect from locals, tourists and further afield has been precise positive, " helium says. "Of course, arsenic ever with caller art, determination are immoderate who don't similar it, conscionable arsenic determination were those who disliked our statue of Chaucer successful the High Street and Beethoven's symphonies erstwhile they were archetypal heard.

"In the metropolis council's defence, they did not committee oregon wage for the work. No taxpayers wealth was involved. "Moreover, it replaces 2 akin figures, besides illuminated, that had lain without objection successful the stream for 15 years. If you don't similar it, don't look."

Asked astir the backlash, Cllr Cornell conceded that immoderate radical whitethorn find it disturbing but says that arsenic a portion of art, it is meant to beryllium thought-provoking. "Alluvia is arsenic overmuch a metaphorical embodiment of the river, arsenic she is of a woman," she said.

"As a piece, she is perchance doing truthful much. She whitethorn allude to Shakespeare's Ophelia, she whitethorn motion to the 1554 John Hales drowning, she whitethorn besides beryllium a remark connected poisoning of our waterways by modern development, sewage and farming. Or she could beryllium a practice of the bid and tranquility of nature.

"She could beryllium each of these things, oregon she could beryllium nary - that's the quality of art. "The portion asks questions of the viewer, arsenic each creation should. Some radical volition beryllium upset, immoderate disturbed. "Others volition beryllium inspired and find a benignant of beauteous ethereal prime successful the sculpture. It's not up to maine to archer radical however to consciousness - travel and spot her and determine for yourself."

The sculptor is formally gifting the enactment to the metropolis astatine a ceremonial connected Sunday attended by municipality hallway representatives and Canterbury Commemoration Society.