The Throne

I should have taken a phone photo last Monday night as I'm sorry I don't have a picture to display of the art piece which it is proposed to erect at the Bilberry Road side of Rice Bridge - the location of which I am totally against (although I have no problem with the piece in another less high profile location).

Imagine, if you will, a 6 metre high (big as a house!), stainless steel bar chair - with the high legs. It has a shelf on either side of the chair which is laden down with various types and shapes of bottles (stainless steel also I guess). At the moment it seems to be titled 'The Throne'. A fine piece, no doubt to commemorate the brewing activity which has taken place in our city over generations. No problem there.

Where I begin to have a problem is with locating this sculpture at the entrance to our city - in an extremely visible and prominent place which will no doubt make a statement about the city and how we see ourselves and how we want others to see us. And for me, this sculpture is not that piece.

Outside of this entirely I also have a problem with how the piece was selected - to the exclusion of the elected members of the Council and through them, the public.

Now before you go commenting that art is subjective and meant to stimulate debate or that I'm an old fogey or a tree-hugger or what-not; or even that I should have better things to be worrying about; please don't. I'm not and I have. But the small things make up the big things and I don't think the people of Waterford would thank us if we allow this to go ahead. I think the Council would be ridiculed by the Waterford public and I think the people of Waterford would be ridiculed by visitors to our city.

So, for what it's worth I will objecting to this particular piece in this particular location. If I can get a copy of the sculpture I will post it here and you can let me know what you think.