Critical Comparison Essay

A critical comparison of how symbolism has been displayed in two public sculptures; one by Damien Hirst, and one

by Lou Hamilton.

By

Annabel Gladman

In this essay I aim to:

- Discover what public art is and the effect that it has on local communities - Look into sculptures by Damien Hirst and Lou Hamilton, and discover how symbolism is present within both of their sculptures.

- Analyse and Compare Damien Hirst’s sculpture with Lou Hamilton’s sculpture, focusing on their visual appearance, their symbolism, materials used to create them and also hidden meanings within them.

Art can be used to celebrate or to remember something or someone; it can be used to express people feelings or ideas through the art itself. Art can fill an area and give it an empty area a significance and an importance.

In hard-to-each rural areas and in landscape locations you are more likely to find art/ sculptures that are land art.

Land art is a style of art which uses elements found in nature to build a sculpture that works in harmony with a given location. The process is meant to work totally within the environment; therefore it becomes the subject to all natural forces. This means that the weather and natural environment can either alter a sculpture or destroy it.

Public art has important impacts within many local areas. Public art can be used to give local areas an identity, to bring local people together and also to celebrate a community.

One artist that has created a piece of public art is Lou Hamilton; she created a piece of art called ‘Wish Hounds’ that is located in Swindon.

Source 1

Source 2

Wish-Hounds has many other names, one of these is Yeth. The word ‘wish’ is from a Sussex word meaning marsh.

Ghostly black dogs, usually with glowing red eyes, have been reported for hundreds of years, these are often seen in a ‘marsh’, reports probably date back to the mists of time. Wish-Hounds are generally linked to Satan, said to be his pets, they are known to hunt the souls of un-baptised babies. It is generally reckoned not to be a good thing to meet one, therefore when this sculpture was first placed in Croft Wood there were protests from some local Christians, who felt that this was pagan imagery and therefore, undesirable.

Lou Hamilton was the sculptor of ‘Wish Hounds’, in 1993 she was awarded a Masters Degree in Public Art from the University of London. Lou Hamilton has created many items of Public Art over her years of work, but she did not only work in the Public Art sector but she also worked in film, television and photography.

Swindon Borough Council’s ‘Public Art Policy’ was put in place in 1988, this policy uses a principle called ‘Percent for Art’. This policy was created to recognise the role that artists can have in enhancing and improving public areas.

This policy aims to encourage developers to allocate a percentage of the capital costs of any new building, refurbishment and landscaping scheme towards the production of items of public art.

The construction of the ‘Wish Hounds’ sculpture was funded when the Nationwide Building Society was built on Pipers Way, Swindon. The Wish hounds is located in Croft Woods where it could be seen from a distance before trees grew surrounding it. Wish-Hounds by Lou Hamilton was created in 1993, it has been created using powder coated scrap metal, concrete lettering and earthworks. It is located in Croft Wood, a public area near the Nationwide Building Society’s cricket ground in Swindon. Viewing the three black dogs from different angles is quite intriguing as their positions appear to change according to the angle from which they are viewed.

The three Wish-Hounds can either be viewed as three separate dogs that are in a row, leaping one after the other.

They can also be viewed as one, as it appears that Lou Hamilton has conjoined the dogs to represent one dog, to show the movement of the dog. This helps to create creatures that look like they have been captured during movement, it enhances the effect of the wish-hounds and their meaning. The different level stands help to link the three wish-hounds together as well as making them appear at different heights to differentiate to movement and the appearance of the sculpture.

The first hound, at the highest point of the sculpture, looks as if it is in mid-movement as its legs are grouped together. This is not normally how a dog stands therefore suggesting that the hound is moving at a fast pace. Its legs are all touching at one-point, both the back and front legs look straight with no bends in which implies that this hound is running or in some form of movement. This hound appears as if it is the leader of these three dogs as the other dogs are following this dog, and are creating a train of the three of them.

The second hound, the one in the middle, is facing up-wards and is joined to the hound above it. Unlike the first hound, this hound has its legs spread out as if it is leaping.

This implies that it is moving but at a different pace to the one in front. This hound is important as this is the dog that joins all three dogs together and makes them one. The two front legs are at a very different height to the back two legs, showing the different levels Within the sculpture itself.

Source 3

The third hound, at the lowest point of the sculpture, is outstretched and is leaping upwards as if it is trying to keep in contact and keeping up with the two hounds in front. The back legs go straight down to the ground which helps to finish the sculpture and show that it has ended as it appears as if it stops. Its front legs are spread out either side of the hound above, stretching as if it is reaching up to the next hound and trying to keep in contact with it.

The sculpture herself has written a poem, the last two lines of which read: They are the Guardians of the Earth’s secret; Wish-Hounds of the Old Land. This line of the poem by the sculpture mentions the ‘wish-hounds’ in which she based her sculpture upon. She has described them as being ‘guardians of the earth’s secret’, this makes you believe that wish-hounds are strong and important creatures and have a meaning to being on earth. It suggests that they are important when it comes to the earth itself and the truth behind it.

This plaque that is found near the sculpture states what the sculpture is made of and the details about the sculpture itself. It states when the sculpture was unveiled and who it is supported by etc. It also says how it was commissioned

by Thamesdown Borough Council as part of their art scheme.

Symbolism of the hounds is represented in through the poem as it helps viewers to Source 4 understand why the hounds are part of the sculpture and what they actually mean. They symbolise guardians of the earth, as these hounds can be seen from a vast distance it suggests that they are looking over Swindon and are guarding Swindon as a town.

A second artist that has created a piece of public art is Damien Hirst; he created a piece of art called ‘Verity’ that is located in Ilfracombe, Devon.

Source 5

Source 6

Source 7

Damien Hirst is an English artist, but as well as being an artist he was also an Entrepreneur and an art collector.

Damian Hirst is an artist that creates pieces of art that are controversial and create debates. He was also awarded the ‘Turner Prize’ for his outstanding and unique pieces of work that are very different from other artists.

Verity is a stainless steel and bronze statue created by Damien Hirst and was erected on 16th October 2012 in Ilfracombe, Devon. Hirst lives in Ilfracombe and has loaned the statue to the town for 20 years starting from its erection in 2012. It is 20.25 metres in height as stands on the pier at the entrance to the harbour of Ilfracombe.

The sculpture was cast in stainless steel in 40 separate sections, then these were joined together to create the final sculpture.

This statue is of a pregnant woman who is holding a sword whilst carrying the scales of justice and standing on a pile of law books. This sculpture appears different from two different sides as Damien Hirst has created two very different sides to the sculpture. One half of the sculpture shows the internal anatomy of a pregnant woman, with the foetus visible to the public. Then the other half can be seen with the woman's skin on, as if the artist was trying to show people what people look like without the layer of their skin, with all their insides visible.

The sword that the woman is holding adds extra height to this piece of public art, this shows her power and what woman are capable of. It suggests woman’s extremely important role in Source 8 Procreating. The side showing the internal anatomy shows how thin the layer of skin is between the unborn baby and the outside world. It shows how precious human life is and how easily it can be destroyed and hurt. The muscles add to this effect as it shows the strength within a woman and the energy that she uses to produce young and to carry on bringing generations into the world.

Members of North Devon Council believed that this public art sculpture may help to boost tourism. Local people in the surrounding area had very mixed views on the erection of Verity. Some believed that it “isn’t suitable for a Victorian seaside town”, whilst others believed that this would strengthen the town. Before planning permission was granted, the council received 100 letters from people who didn’t want this sculpture to be granted permission, and 177 letters supporting the sculpture.

The name of this piece ‘Verity’, refers to “truth” and Hirst describes his work as “modern allegory of truth and justice”. Symbolism in this sculpture ‘Verity’, is represented through the scales of justice and the law books. These items within the sculpture symbolise equality and law and how the justice system is important in society and for woman. As woman now have the right to do what they please thanks to new laws and justice, rather than have restrictions on what they can do.

Both ‘Wish Hounds’ and ‘Verity’ are very different from each other and both symbolise different things. But both of these sculptures also have many similarities that link to each other.

The materials used to create both of these sculptures are different, therefore altering their appearance to the public and their effect from the outdoors. The Wish Hounds consists of three dogs that are linked together to create the final sculpture, whereas Verity consists of two humans one within the other. This shows the relationship between the same species, humans have a close bond that is linked through genetics, whereas dogs stick together as a pack and grow closer together over time and their relationships are also based on authority. Humans do have authority, but this is based on age, whereas dogs authority is based on their experiences.

The main similarity between these two sculpture ‘Wish Hounds’ and ‘Verity’ is that they both represent form of life. Verity represents this through the idea of birth and procreation, as the foetus within the woman portrays the idea of life. It represents how someone can have control over the life of another human and how they can grow and change over such a short space of time. Wish hounds portrays the idea of life through the symbolism of being guardians of the earth, as they are watching over people, animals and also nature. The Wish Hounds help to protect life whereas Verity is producing life, this shows the different features within life and the elements that are involved within it.

Another difference is that Verity has more than one symbol behind it, as they also represent law and justice which is important throughout different ages of life. Whereas Wish Hounds only symbolises one main thing of protecting life.

Source 1

Source 8

The darkness of the Wish Hounds sculpture creates a mysterious and creepy atmosphere, especially as this sculpture is known to look its best later on in the night. On the other hand Verity is very light and is best seen in the day as you are then able to see all of the details that are present. The lightness of this sculpture also helps to represent the idea of life and the brightness that people to bring into the world.

Both sculptures have been questioned for their purpose of being an item of public art, Wish Hounds was part of the Public Art Policy and has importance in the surrounding community. Whereas the sculpture Verity was very controversial between all people in the local area, as they had many different views on this art piece.

Damien Hirst’s Verity is at all heights, and items within it can be seen throughout all different levels of the sculpture, giving viewers more to look at and the artist also includes a vast amount of details to enhance the sculpture. Whereas Lou Hamilton’s Wish Hounds is all roughly at the same level that has been raised from the ground to make it more visually pleasing and interesting to look at. These different levels and different amounts of detail help to alter the overall appearance of both of the sculptures and the impact that they have on the surrounding landscape and on the surrounding people within g the local areas.

The Wish Hound sculpture is also spread out over an area within the Croft Woods due to its legs, as the poles that come off parallel from the dogs legs are spread out and disperse from various directions. On the other hand Verity is a slim line sculpture that is kept in a vertical line, this helps to keep it within a certain area on the end of the harbour, rather than being spread out as there is not the space for this within Ilfracombe's Harbour. The layout of both of these sculptures are very different but they work for them and for the locations in which they are situated, and this is the most important thing as this is what will attract people/ visitors/ tourists to visit the sculptures. The materials also needed to be deeply considered as they need to be weather proof to be able to last for the amount of years that they have been commissioned for, as it would not work if they did not last for this period of time.

There is a lot of thought behind the sculpture ‘Verity’, as Damien Hirst has thought deeply about how to portray the ideas of symbolism within this sculpture in a way that is visually pleasing and attract people to come and see at and discover these hidden messages. But Wish Hounds is simpler and does not contain as many messages or as much detail, which means that it is simpler. But in effect it still portrays the hidden messages that Lou Hamilton wanted to get across to viewers and people in the surrounding areas.

After studying these two very different pieces of public art I have come to the conclusion that Damien Hirst’s ‘Verity’ is very controversial and can be considered as insensitive to the surrounding people. This piece also has no link to the surrounding areas and has no significance or meaning behind it that links to Ilfracombe. Verity is not personal to this particular area and therefore could be placed anywhere and would still have the same effect on the area surrounding it. Damien Hirst's Verity also looks over the sea and into the distance which suggests her vital impact on surrounding areas as well as future humans that will be implemented by the scales of justice and the law as well as procreation.

This is very different to Lou Hamilton's sculpture Wish Hounds as this sculpture has a close link to the surrounding community and therefore encourages local people to come and visit it as it relates to them. Also surrounding people did not have a problem with this sculpture as it was not in the centre of Swindon, instead it is in Croft Woods and people then have the option to see it, rather than it being in the centre of the harbour like Damien Hirst's sculpture. Lou Hamilton's sculpture was also created using local waste materials, this linked the sculpture to the surrounding area even more and gave it another hidden meaning to link to Swindon.

Overall both sculptures have a variety of similarities and differences that people can look into to link them together and to look at the deeper hidden messages/ meanings within both Verity and Wish Hounds.

Bibliography • Source 1  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wish+hounds+swindon&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim47GkuvfMAhXL6RQKHZe1AWgQ_AUICCgD#img rc=dJA3rs-7moUXAM%3A • Source 2  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wish+hounds+swindon&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim47GkuvfMAhXL6RQKHZe1AWgQ_AUICCgD#img rc=HQHgFc6KppaUCM%3A • Source 3  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wish+hounds+swindon&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim47GkuvfMAhXL6RQKHZe1AWgQ_AUICCgD#img rc=cqE0aNF6ZC7ynM%3A • Source 4  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wish+hounds+swindon&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim47GkuvfMAhXL6RQKHZe1AWgQ_AUICCgD#img rc=2TTihy4ohwGTmM%3A • Source 5  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=damien+hirst+verity&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQ0JfUwPfMAhWFUhQKHU10A0kQ_AUIBigB#imgdii= 9mMxmfGgRKBz-M%3A%3B9mMxmfGgRKBz-M%3A%3Bktu1_spynBpwTM%3A&imgrc=9mMxmfGgRKBz-M%3A • Source 6  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=damien+hirst+verity&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQ0JfUwPfMAhWFUhQKHU10A0kQ_AUIBigB#imgrc= Hv53pygET_4PoM%3A • Source 7  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=damien+hirst+verity&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQ0JfUwPfMAhWFUhQKHU10A0kQ_AUIBigB#imgrc= 72f-Z7RqCcOtqM%3A • Source 8  https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=damien+hirst+verity&biw=1920&bih=986&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjy1siKxPfMAhWFvxQKHfYVArYQ_AUIBigB#img dii=CfWhyZ5ousqNnM%3A%3BCfWhyZ5ousqNnM%3A%3BjZuViLZRKHKHMM%3A&imgrc=CfWhyZ5ousqNnM%3A