13 May 2008

Youth of the 'The River'

The water feature I introduced yesterday was installed in 1993 when Victoria square was pedestrianised and remodelled.

The feature contains four works by Dhruva Mistry, although I don't know whether or not he designed the rest.

Around the rim of the upper pool is a quotation from Burnt Norton, one of the Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot:

And the pool was filled with water out of sunlight,
And the lotos rose, quietly, quietly,
The surface glittered out of heart of light,
And they were behind us, reflected in the pool.
Then a cloud passed, and the pool was empty.

The four works by Dhruva Mistry are as follows:

The River
This is a large 1.75 tonne figure of a woman which is supposed to represent the life force and is located in the upper pool. This is the part which has been nicknamed The Floozie in the Jacuzzi. The River is also a fountain - one of the largest in Europe - with a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute.

Youth
The two figures shown in the photo represent youth.

The Guardians
Also part of the installation are two sphinx-like animals made from the same Darley Dale stone as the Council House and carved by the carving workshop in Cambridge.

Finally, there are two abstract pillars with lamps which were also designed by Dhruva Mistry's design but he has declined to comment on their meaning.

4 comments:

Louis la Vache said...

"Louis" enjoyed looking at your new blog and he appreciates your use of the quote from T.S. Eliot, one of "Louis's" favorite writers!

"Louis la Vache"

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

Gorgeous shot. Like the difference between the wet and dry on her back producing new colours.

Gerald (SK14) said...

O what a gorgeous looking fountain.

Jane Hards Photography said...

Ah I see louis has discovered you.
Feeling of nostagia wafting over me with feeling of not a clue where that is. Brum certainly has changed. I agree with Lynn re the jewellry quarter. My grandad used to work there so again nostalgia.

Ilike the composition you chose on the pic, off centre. Works really well with the light off the water.

 
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