The stunning new artwork, created to commemorate Medmerry’s tenth anniversary, has already been featured in the Sun Newspaper because of its likeness, in shape, to a poo emoji. But the publicity surrounding the sculpture is being embraced by residents who regard it as positive for the area.
“I find the Periwinkle absolutely stunning – a beautiful and thought-provoking symbol of our unique coastline, blending art, nature and conservation in one of the UK’s most celebrated environmental projects,” said Izabela Mayne, referring to the creation of Medmerry, which was Europe’s largest coastal realignment scheme, when it opened in 2013.
“If some see it as resembling a poo, this only makes it a fitting metaphor for our community’s ongoing fight against Southern Water’s failures and the broader neglect of our coastal environment by the water companies. Far from ridicule, it should be a wake-up call to appreciate and protect our precious coastlines before they are overwhelmed by both rising tides and poor governance,” Izabela added.
“Medmerry is a tranquil and beautiful area, and the Periwinkle is a stunning and remarkable addition to this amazing place. The windows through it, including the one in the shape of the Marsh Harrier, provide spectacular views of the changing skies and wetlands. It is a place to listen and watch nature in peace,” said Diana Strange, whose family farmed the area for decades.
“As Rodin said “all in nature is beautiful” and all publicity is good! The Sun commenting on art is like Gardeners World commenting on Crypto Currency. Art is decisive and should evoke emotive response of some kind. Good or bad, it gets people talking,” said resident Melissa Sharp, who is studying for a master’s in fine art at West Dean College.
“Medmerry was created as a response to the threat of climate change to our low-lying coast. By breaking through the shingle banks and creating wonderful new wetlands we provided a more sustainable form of coastal defence, provided new habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, and a tourist attraction to help the local economy,” said Carolyn Cobbold, Project Leader for the Manhood Peninsula Partnership.
“If one of the community-based art installations created to celebrate its anniversary has inadvertently highlighted another major threat to our area, the issue of sewage pollution in our coastal waters, then that may be a good thing,” she said, pointing out that the structure is “sublimely beautiful.”
Another resident pointed out that many new artistic installations which attract early controversy and criticism often become much-loved features of our landscapes such as the Angel of the North, the Scallop of Aldeburgh, Anthony Gormley’s tidal figures and the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth.
“I have no doubt that the Medmerry Periwinkle will become a treasured local landmark,” she said.
The Sun described the artwork, which cost £6000, as a waste of taxpayers money. However, while the Culture Spark project was administered by Chichester District Council it did not cost residents anything, with part of the sponsorship provided by Southern Water.
The Periwinkle Shelter is located at the southwest edge of Medmerry, allowing visitors to survey the whole nature reserve. Woven from Sussex willow by environmental artists Rebecca and Mark Ford, of Two Circles Design. The inspiration for the design were the periwinkles found in the remains of an ancient medieval fish basket, part of the Middle and Bronze Age discoveries made by archaeological excavations during the creation of the Medmerry Nature Reserve.
One of the other installations is a Soundscape made by Splodge Designs, in which walkers can scan a QR code and listen to the sounds of the nature reserve with stories and descriptions from residents, including those involved in Medmerry’s creation. Nearer to Selsey is a Timelapse Installation by Jakub Bors which encourages visitors to upload photos from one spot onto a website to create a timelapse record of how the new wetlands area develops through the years. Leaflets describing the art installations and a map are available at the RSPB Pagham Visitor Centre.