Sixty feet tall. Headless. Covered in coral.

Sixty feet tall. Headless. Covered in coral.

Sixty feet tall. Headless. Covered in coral.

Time for a tear-up?


(Extract from Pilgrimage: A husband, a wife and their dog roam the Thames Path)

'Demon with a Bowl' looms over the Greenwich Peninsula like it owns the place, visible from the cable car and about as subtle as a Terry Hurlock tackle (I realise some of you might have to look that up).

Love it or hate it, Damien Hirst has done what Damien Hirst does.

I look up the official line on it, which turns out to be exactly the kind of art-speak you'd expect. 

Juxtaposition.

Authenticity. 

Challenging your perceptions of what art is. 

The works. Standard Hirst. 

Still - for reasons I can't fully explain, possibly the good mood, possibly the cold - I like the thing. And as I stand there, my mind quietly rewinds a few centuries. 


In my hand I grip a sword forged by the gods themselves, its blade glinting with otherworldly light. At the demon's feet cowers a fair maiden, who looks a bit like my wife, her flowing gown tangled around her legs as she gazes up at me with hope-filled eyes.


'Fear not, fair damsel!' I cry, my voice echoing across the modern landscape of steel and glass. 'I shall vanquish this foul beast!' The demon, despite its lack of head, seems to sense my challenge.

Its massive form creaks and groans as it lumbers into motion. I dodge a swing from its enormous arm, rolling across the pavement, narrowly avoiding being crushed.


Leaping with my superhuman agility, I scale the demon's leg, my sword leaving scratches on its coral-encrusted surface. The maiden cheers me on, her voice weirdly mixing with the honking of confused cab drivers stuck in traffic due to my impromptu duel.


'What are you thinking about?'
'I was just risking my life to save you from the Demon and whisk you away to a castle on a hill to become my Queen.’
'Oh. How lovely,' replies my Queen. ‘Reminds me of Odysseus fighting all those monsters to get back to Penelope.’

Maybe, I think to myself, knowing that in any real duel my injured back will lock-up and leave me motionless inside five seconds.

I look around. Freya is at the base of the statue and spoils the mood by leaving it a steamy present.

‘Where are those poo bags?’ Pam says.

Other works in the series on the Greenwich Peninsula include The Mermaid, a sculpture depicting the mythical sea creature, and Hydra and Kali, a 17-foot-high sculpture showing the Hindu goddess Kali fighting a multi-headed serpent. Now, that is a proper statue for someone with a hero complex.

I'll save that for another day.

Best wishes

Roy

NOTE: New to Kickstarter? Just click the "Back this project" button (or open the Rewards tab) and choose the edition you'd like - hardback, paperback, ebook etc. It's very straightforward.

PS: I am delighted that Kickstarter have selected Pilgrimage to be featured on their very own 'PROJECTS WE LOVE' page.

 


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