Protection for works of art (From Echo)

Protection for works of art

2:38pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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May I correct any misunderstanding that may have arisen as a result of Max Orbach’s report on the new sign for St Martin of Tours Church, Basildon.

The “concrete wall”

referred to is a dressed granite monolith, part of the sculpture “Water Feature” by the worldrenowned sculptor Richard Huws, who designed the hydraulic fountain for the Festival of Britain in 1951.

Water Feature was commissioned in 1975 by the Basildon Development Corporation. It found itself on consecrated ground owned by the Church of England.

None of my research has uncovered any papers relating to the town giving up ownership of this work of art, so how it came to be on consecrated ground and under the jurisdiction of St Martin’s remains a mystery.

I have a letter which states BDC commissioned Water Feature from Huws, so if any readers can throw further light on what might have happened between 1975 and 2010 to cause a change of ownership I would be grateful to hear from them.

Our valuable public works of art must be protected, otherwise they can be defaced or removed at the whim of whoever decides to act in what they might assume to be the best interests of the artist or their work.

Vin Harrop
Director, Our Basildon
Rosslyn Road
Billericay