Outcry ensures sculpture will have a home in city

The sculpture has been part of the cityscape for 25 years. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The Auckland City Council is backing down on plans to tear down an Aotea Square sculpture.

The artist, meanwhile, is withholding another sculpture in Newmarket until he is reassured something similar won't happen.

Sculptor Terry Stringer's 25-year-old Mountain Fountain was to have been removed in a planned redesign of Aotea square.

But public outcry has resulted in the council opting to find it a new home, either in the redeveloped square or somewhere else.

The news delights Stringer, although he's taking no chances with his new sculpture, which is due to be sited on Broadway opposite Remuera Rd.

The World Grasped, a 2.4m- high bronze figure, was commissioned by the Newmarket Sculpture Trust to complement council upgrades to the area.

Stringer wants to clarify the sculpture's stewardship and its fate if it ever has to be moved.

Sculptor Greer Twiss says the council's track record with artworks and historic buildings deters him from making any more public artworks.

"I'm just fed up with it. I would never do another public work and I know there's a lot of other sculptors who would never try to do another public work.

"Not because of the people, and not because there aren't good sites, but just because of the general attitude of the city's fathers towards the whole thing."

Newmarket Sculpture Trust chairman David Haigh said Stringer had not given any indication that he was holding off on his sculpture, and a formal agreement between the council and artist could prevent any misunderstanding.

He said the sculpture was still going through the consent process.

The council's arts, culture and recreation committee chairwoman, Penny Sefuiva, said early consultation with Stringer and the arts community should have taken place.

"We regret that the initial brief for the redesign of the square did not take the future of the sculpture into consideration.

"Significant sculptural pieces should be assumed to be permanent and not subject to the swings of fashion or personalities."

Mrs Sefuiva said the city valued its art, and money had been set aside in the annual plan this year to ensure maintenance and repairs were carried out.

The council will meet Stringer this month.

He has spoken to an engineer who believes the sculpture can be moved, but he would prefer it to remain in the square, for which it was designed.

"It's been a bit of a grieving process for me to feel that that part of my life was going to disappear," Stringer says, "but I think that it is an opportunity to value not just this work, but all the works that are in the city."