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| Image: Wikipedia, taken by George2001hi. |
The creator of Morecambe’s famous Eric Morecambe statue Graham Ibbeson will be joining Lancaster City Council this month to launch a brand new leaflet which takes visitors on an exciting coastal trail of the town’s unique collection of artwork along Morecambe Promenade.
Known as the Tern Project, the artwork was inspired by the bird life of Morecambe Bay and includes bird bollards, a magpie hop scotch, moon walk and star map, a word search and a 300 metre poem path known as the Flock of Words.
The free full colour leaflet aims to provide visitors with an informative at-a-glance guide along the trail taking in the famous Eric Morecambe statue along the way.
The launch event will take place at 11am on Friday 20th July at Morecambe Visitor Information Centre (VIC), Marine Road Central, Morecambe.
Graham Ibbeson, internationally recognised artist and creator of bronze sculptures in towns and cities across Britain will be available at the launch to sign copies of his new book, written with John Threlkeld titled Graham Ibbeson, The People’s Sculptor: Bronze, Clay and Life.
The book is a fascinating history of Graham’s early life in a small mining village and his increasing interest in art and sculpture.
Everyone is welcome to come along to the event to pick up a leaflet and meet the creator of the Eric Morecambe statue as well as sample a tasty range of Lancashire refreshments.
Following the book signing, Graham will be moving across to the Midland Hotel where he is hosting a small one-day-only exhibition of some of his sculptures including the original model of the Eric Morecambe statue, produced in 1993.
Much of Graham’s work has revolved around
childhood. His early years figure in much of his amusing fibre glass
work and characters such as Eric Morecambe are based on Graham and his
cousin, Paul. His own humour responds to the distant sounds of boyhood
and in a way this book is a celebration of childhood and laughter. It
also traces the setbacks and triumphs of an artist who was born in a
mining village and who produced a national icon, the Eric Morecambe
statue, which, it’s argued, helped to turn the economic tide in the Lancashire resort
of Morecambe.
The book outlines the stories behind other notable public
statues, including Laurel and Hardy, Les Dawson, Dickie Bird and Cary
Grant, re-telling the life
and times of the “people’s sculptor”, a man whose craftsmanship has left
an elegant and permanent mark on more than 30 of Britain’s
townscapes.