The Metal Mermaid
August 28, 2010 3:16 PM Subscribe
Meet Arria, a new sculpture which is also the new figurehead of Cumbernauld, Scotland. Links to the construction phases here and here. Via
I may have missed it in the linked pages, but what exactly happened between the two-armed "artist's conception of what it will look like," and the finished, inexplicably four-armed product?
posted by Gator at 3:43 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Gator at 3:43 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
I may have missed it in the linked pages, but what exactly happened between the two-armed "artist's conception of what it will look like," and the finished, inexplicably four-armed product?
"The mermaid is also intended to celebrate Cumbernauld's well known status as the world capital of Zany Blueprint Mishaps."
posted by theodolite at 3:47 PM on August 28, 2010
"The mermaid is also intended to celebrate Cumbernauld's well known status as the world capital of Zany Blueprint Mishaps."
posted by theodolite at 3:47 PM on August 28, 2010
Odd. I would think Arria would be a relatively light figure, but that's pretty dense work. Those arcs behind her don't read as water at all.
Meanwhile, Andy Scott's Heavy Horse is much more airy and open, even though it uses the same tiny steel rectangle technique. It reminds of Da Vinci's lost horse sculpture, but I like it better than the modern replica.
posted by maudlin at 3:48 PM on August 28, 2010
Meanwhile, Andy Scott's Heavy Horse is much more airy and open, even though it uses the same tiny steel rectangle technique. It reminds of Da Vinci's lost horse sculpture, but I like it better than the modern replica.
posted by maudlin at 3:48 PM on August 28, 2010
This would look pretty boss half- submerged in a random lake in the woods.
posted by The Whelk at 3:50 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 3:50 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah that horse looks like it's part of the landscape, kind of like wisps of hay and being all ethereal Ur- horse and all. The mermaid just looks kinda..plopped in
posted by The Whelk at 3:57 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 3:57 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ah, callipygian Cumbernauld!
If you look from behind, she has four butt cheeks, too.
posted by Faze at 4:06 PM on August 28, 2010
If you look from behind, she has four butt cheeks, too.
posted by Faze at 4:06 PM on August 28, 2010
What's it called?
posted by Olli at 4:10 PM on August 28, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Olli at 4:10 PM on August 28, 2010 [3 favorites]
Whatsitcalledcumbernauld is a good stopping off point for those who want to promote the place (including Arria)
posted by rongorongo at 4:25 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by rongorongo at 4:25 PM on August 28, 2010
No, seriously, what are those things coming out of her shoulders?
posted by Evangeline at 4:32 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by Evangeline at 4:32 PM on August 28, 2010
a poetry that bubbles
and gargles to the surface
All righty then.
posted by Gator at 4:32 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
and gargles to the surface
All righty then.
posted by Gator at 4:32 PM on August 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
So a 4-armed mutant mermaid with a 60's hairdo is supposed to spark an economic revival in this town?
*ponders*
Ah, now I get it - it's a roadside sign for a new fish & chips joint, kinda like the Doggie Diner dachshund.
posted by Quietgal at 5:06 PM on August 28, 2010
*ponders*
Ah, now I get it - it's a roadside sign for a new fish & chips joint, kinda like the Doggie Diner dachshund.
posted by Quietgal at 5:06 PM on August 28, 2010
Man, Cumbernaud looks depressing as hell. You can just smell the faint waft of desperation.
That does not explain why the statue has an extra pair of arms.
posted by Justinian at 5:41 PM on August 28, 2010
That does not explain why the statue has an extra pair of arms.
posted by Justinian at 5:41 PM on August 28, 2010
Why are all of these pictures from almost the same angle, coincidentally(?) obscuring the figure's breasts? Are they ashamed? I want to see it from multiple angles. I can't really get a good idea for its shape because there's just the one angle.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:52 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:52 PM on August 28, 2010
That Cumbernaud link up the page has a front-on view, but it kind of freaks me out with the crotch-thrusting.
posted by graventy at 6:38 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by graventy at 6:38 PM on August 28, 2010
They would have been better off just scaling up Blizzard's Queen of Blades statue. I'd totally go see a 10 meter tall Kerrigan.
posted by Justinian at 6:53 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by Justinian at 6:53 PM on August 28, 2010
Did anyone else get a second page from socialspark.com open up a new tab when they went to the OP's link?
posted by briank at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2010
posted by briank at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2010
That Cumbernaud link up the page has a front-on view, but it kind of freaks me out with the crotch-thrusting.
It actually just looks like she has really huge hips (both wide and oddly high)
Her face actually looks kind of ugly from the front. Almost mad or something.
posted by delmoi at 8:24 PM on August 28, 2010
It actually just looks like she has really huge hips (both wide and oddly high)
Her face actually looks kind of ugly from the front. Almost mad or something.
posted by delmoi at 8:24 PM on August 28, 2010
I just don't get putting a huge mermaid in in the middle of a Heath or something. A mermaid in a vast field makes me think about flopping around and gasping for air and shit.
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 PM on August 28, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 PM on August 28, 2010 [3 favorites]
Do not mock Cumbernauld. It has been a hotbed of Scottish musical and artistic talent for years as well as home to much under-appreciated architectural marvels. It even managed to spawn your/our beloved Craig Ferguson. We in Scotland celebrate it's new-town glory.
posted by R.Stornoway at 1:16 AM on August 29, 2010
posted by R.Stornoway at 1:16 AM on August 29, 2010
So viewing from a differnt angles she appears to have 6 arms. Is that right? I, too, am a little freaked out by her crotch thrust. In my mind she is demanding, "Lick this!"
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:05 AM on August 29, 2010
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:05 AM on August 29, 2010
Where do you see the 5th and 6th arms? To me it appears as though she has 4 arms; two held out in front of her and two spread out to the sides.
I really don't get the changes made from conception to construction. If you google for pictures you can find the artist holding a model of the statue and it's much nicer than the finished piece. Oh, I'm not going to claim that it would be a sculpture for the ages or anything but it is a lot more interesting. The lines are cleaner, the mermaid's pose flows better without the strange hip-thrust, there are only two arms, the material looks more interesting, and so on.
From my point of view every single change from the model to the finished product made the sculpture worse in some way. How does that happen?
Oh, here is the artist holding the model. See how it flows much more cleanly and the pose is less thrusty? I don't get it. Like I said, from that model it should have at least ended up being a pretty statue, which would be a big improvement.
posted by Justinian at 2:26 PM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I really don't get the changes made from conception to construction. If you google for pictures you can find the artist holding a model of the statue and it's much nicer than the finished piece. Oh, I'm not going to claim that it would be a sculpture for the ages or anything but it is a lot more interesting. The lines are cleaner, the mermaid's pose flows better without the strange hip-thrust, there are only two arms, the material looks more interesting, and so on.
From my point of view every single change from the model to the finished product made the sculpture worse in some way. How does that happen?
Oh, here is the artist holding the model. See how it flows much more cleanly and the pose is less thrusty? I don't get it. Like I said, from that model it should have at least ended up being a pretty statue, which would be a big improvement.
posted by Justinian at 2:26 PM on August 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
>From my point of view every single change from the model to the finished product made the >sculpture worse in some way. How does that happen?
She has "committee arms".
posted by rongorongo at 2:18 AM on August 30, 2010
She has "committee arms".
posted by rongorongo at 2:18 AM on August 30, 2010
ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 8:11 AM on August 30, 2010
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 8:11 AM on August 30, 2010
Timelapse video of the installation of Arria, the metal mermaid.
posted by NoraCharles at 6:41 PM on August 31, 2010
posted by NoraCharles at 6:41 PM on August 31, 2010
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posted by empath at 3:29 PM on August 28, 2010