Scallop (2003)

Scallop is a 2003 work by British artist Maggi Hambling. It is located on Aldeburgh beach, Suffolk, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten.[1]

Scallop
ArtistMaggi Hambling
MediumStainless steel
SubjectBenjamin Britten
Dimensions3.7 m (150 in)
Weight3.5 tons
LocationAldeburgh, Suffolk
Coordinates52.16053°N 1.60587°E / 52.16053; 1.60587

Creation and unveiling

Hambling commissioned local business J. T. Pegg & Sons LTD to create the sculpture.[2] It is made from stainless steel and is 3.7 metres in height and weighs 3.5 tons, appearing as two halves of a seashell. The sculpture features a quote from Benjamin Britten’s opera, Peter Grimes:  “I hear those voices that will not be drowned.”[1]

Hambling was not paid for her time working on the sculpture and funded manufacturing costs with her own money and sales of her artwork.[3] Hambling intended the piece to be interacted with, climbed on, sat on, "made love" under, and used as a shelter.[3]

The sculpture was unveiled on Saturday 8 November 2003 by former culture secretary Chris Smith.[4]

Reception

Reaction to the sculpture was mixed. Scallop was named the best public sculpture in Britain and received the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture in 2006.[5][6] However negative criticism has arisen surrounding the sculpture’s position in an area of outstanding natural beauty with critics claiming that it has ruined views of the seafront. Following the unveiling of the sculpture, some Aldeburgh residents formed a campaign group calling on Suffolk Coastal District Council to have the sculpture removed to another location.[7] Hambling defended her sculpture as made “for that particular place in juxtaposition with the sea, and that is where I want it to stay.”[7] The sculpture has also been the target of repeated vandalism.[7]

References
  1. "The Suffolk Coast's Intriguing Statues". The Suffolk Coast. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. "Aldeburgh Scallop". J T Pegg and Sons. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  3. Hills, Maggie (8 February 2021). "The Great British Art Tour: a blot or a beauty on Aldeburgh beach?". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  4. Kennedy, Maev (3 November 2003). "A word in your shell-like: get that monstrosity off our beach". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  5. Robinson, Craig (27 January 2011). "Aldeburgh: Is The Scallop the most controversial piece of art in Britain?". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  6. "Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture". Marsh Charitable Trust. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  7. Chambers, Sarah (10 June 2004). "Scallop group wants council to rethink". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
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