New sculpture installed in Salisbury

'This Too Will Pass' celebrates the themes of movement and reflection and has been installed on the High Street

Created by local artist Tim Scrace it was originally meant to be part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of Salisbury Cathedral last year but that was delayed due to the pandemic.

The sculpture is in three parts and is made from contrasting materials including stainless steel, recycled paper and local Chilmark Stone from the Cathedral's works yard.

Each part focuses on three key areas, the past, the present and the future.

At weekends during the summer students from Wiltshire College will be on hand to encourage residents and visitors to interact with the work by responding to the questions in chalk.

The 'NHS' and 'family' have already emerged as key themes people are pledging to remember during the past 14 months.

Artist Tim Scrace told Greatest Hits Radio he's delighted to see people getting involved;

"It's brilliant to see the piece come to life, it was very static almost as a monument until people put their thoughts down. There are very moving stories in respect of the past and people are trying to make sense of where they are at the moment. The future was the one I struggled with but fortunately that's well populated at the moment too."

COST

The sculpture has been commissioned by Salisbury BID, with the project costing just over £19,000.

Three quarters of that, £14,500 has come from funding from the Arts Council England's National Lottery Funding Grant.

Robin McGowan of Salisbury BID said the team were delighted with the '"imaginative" design which will remain in place for the rest of the summer.

PIECING IT TOGETHER

You watch the installation of the sculpture on the video below created by Brunton Media.

Canon Treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral Robert Titley says it's 'wonderful' to see Cathedral stone used in the work.

"The builders of our Cathedral were driven by faith and hope, and they reached out for something beyond the everyday. We see that same spirit in this installation, and it’s a spirit we all need as we look forward from this hardest of years.”

SECOND SCULPTURE FOR CITY

This latest sculpture comes just weeks after another was installed in the Guildhall Square.

Turning Point, by John Maine, was also intended to pay tribute to Salisbury Cathedral's milestone anniversary.

The 4.2 metre high sculpture, is built in seven sections and represents a spire.

The City Council said it's intended as a 'marker of confidence' contributing to a sense of optimism for the future of Salisbury.