"It’s destructive, it’s likely to suffer wear and tear and depending on how subtle it is it may not be noticed at all!"
We live in charged times, as you know, but statues, or other public art, celebrating important surf figures have mainly been spared from wild polarization. Those both left and right appreciate the Duke Kahanamoku monument there fronting Waikiki and also the Kelly Slater one in Cocoa Beach. Yes, notable surf figure statues have a way of bringing us all together, or rather did until somebody carved an image of Bernard “Midget” Farrelly into a Sydney rock thereby breaking all hell loose.
But let us sally forth to Palm Beach where sides are dug in and dug in deep.
The piece setting everyone off was commissioned by Northern Beaches Council and produced by local stonemason Newton Bishop after “lobbying from the Midget Farrelly Recognition Committee (MFRC).
Beautiful though some are calling it vandalism. A rage-filled mob descended upon the a shire forum, spewing things like, “Whilst my wife and I both support the idea of a sculpture commemorating Midget Farrelly, we are totally against defacing the rock. We believe this would be an act of vandalism to a natural rock which itself is a Palm Beach icon.”
And also, “I agree that Midget Farrelly should be recognised at Palm Beach, but carving a statue into the natural environment doesn’t seem the right way to do it. It’s destructive, it’s likely to suffer wear and tear and depending on how subtle it is it may not be noticed at all! Surely a sculpture/statue etc next to Black Rock would be a more appropriate memorial?”
The council tried to ameliorate the populace by declaring, “(The tribute proposal) is supported by world champions Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley, Tom Carroll and Barton Lynch.
A who’s who, for certain, but tensions remain extremely high as none of the above are artists or environmentalists (save Lynch of course).
Where do you fall on the matter? Yay or nay?
Ready… fight!