Verity (statue)

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Coordinates: 51°12′39″N 4°06′42″W / 51.21088°N 4.11158°W / 51.21088; -4.11158
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Verity
fibre glass
LocationIlfracombe, Devon
Coordinates51°12′39″N 4°06′42″W / 51.21088°N 4.11158°W / 51.21088; -4.11158

Verity is a 2012 stainless steel and bronze statue created by Damien Hirst. The 20.25-metre (66.4 ft) tall sculpture stands on the pier at the entrance to the harbour in Ilfracombe, Devon, looking out over the Bristol Channel towards South Wales.[1] It has been loaned to the town for 20 years. The name of the piece refers to "truth" and Hirst describes his work as a "modern allegory of truth and justice".[1]

The statue depicts a pregnant woman holding aloft a sword while carrying the

foetus clearly visible. The stance has been described as a reference to Little Dancer of Fourteen Years by Edgar Degas, a c. 1880 work that previously inspired Hirst when he created Virgin Mother, another massive sculpture of a pregnant woman with her foetus exposed.[1]

The sculpture was cast in stainless steel and bronze in 40 separate sections by the Pangolin Editions

fibreglass piece.[2] Measuring 25 cm (10 inches) higher than the Angel of the North, Verity became the tallest statue in the UK when it was put into place,[3] but is now surpassed by The Kelpies
, near Falkirk, Scotland, at 30 metres (98 ft).

Members of

North Devon Council referred to the controversial nature of the statue as a potential boost to tourism. In August 2013 councillors announced that the statue had a "tremendous effect" with people visiting the town solely to see Hirst's work.[4]

Hirst, who lives in Ilfracombe, has loaned the statue to the town for 20 years starting from its erection on 16 October 2012.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bond, Anthony (16 October 2012). "Damien Hirst's Verity". VisitIlfracombe.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Follow the fabrication and installation of 'Verity'". Damien Hirst.
  3. ^ Gussin, Tony (10 October 2012). "Hirst lifts the lid on Verity". North Devon Gazette. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Damien Hirst's Verity: Ilfracombe to build on statue 'success'". BBC News. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.

External links

Media related to Verity (statue) at Wikimedia Commons

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