Proposal for Rocket Sculpture at
Chiltern Sculpture Trail
This proposal is to build a 14-metre (46’) high rocket sculpture:
this is the actual size of a V2 rocket, which I have based my design on.
The initial idea came to me while I was walking
the trail itself; I recalled pictures I had seen of the V-2 launch sites, and I
thought how extraordinary it would be to chance upon one here, all freshly
painted and seemingly ready-to-go. It was almost there in front of me, an imaginary
presence.
Then, after last year’s terrorist bombings in
London, I started thinking about the bigger picture (again). Terrible as they
were, I imagined far worse scenarios: there are approximately 28,000 nuclear
missiles worldwide, 2,500 of which are on hair-trigger alert.
Most of the sculptures on the Chiltern Trail are
discovered in the process of walking; that is the nature of the trail. Because
of the rocket’s size I assume that it will be visible from quite a distance.
Even though it is surrounded by trees the viewer will be able to catch glimpses
of it as they approach, before their actual encounter with the sculpture.
As I continue to think about this project
inevitably I have doubts regarding the subject matter. There are issues
regarding the V2 that make me feel very uneasy, not least of which is the fact
that thousands of slave labourers were used to produce it. However, I think
this is one of the reasons that will make it a controversial sculpture. Having
said that, the sculpture is in no way intended to be a celebration war or a
monument to the fallen.
So, in essence the sculpture is a V2 rocket, but it can be viewed on
several levels:
·
First and
foremost it is an iconic image, which, even though it was a weapon of war, it
also has a terrible beauty.
·
It
represents a huge scientific achievement and is the ancestor of all modern-day
rockets, which have enabled mankind to leave Earth and venture into space.
·
It is a
reminder of the fragility of existence and the ever-present threat from the
skies: being the current top species with no natural predator, we have become
our own worst enemy.
·
It is a
monument to mankind’s ever-resourceful self-destructive tendencies, and is thus
— a folly.
