Burnham-On-Sea will be hosting a unique art installation this autumn as a part of Somerset Arts Weeks.
A pride of lions is being placed on the seafront as a part of a specially commissioned art project.
Created by artist Rebecca Moss, she’s taken her inspiration from the two guardian lions on one of the houses in Bridgwater’s Quayside.
The first lion arrived in Burnham on Monday and has been placed outside the Bay View Cafe on The Esplanade, as pictured here.
This isn’t its permanent home, but it has been put there to capture people’s imaginations as a taster of what will be happening later in the year.
Rebecca told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The lions are powerful mythic symbols of guardianship and protection, placed at the fronts of buildings to ward off intruders. Multiples of the lions will be installed at the seawall along The Esplanade.”
“Burnham has an impressive seawall, but the army of concrete creatures signifies an alternative system of defence against flooding, but in a social and cultural context, connecting to the viewers’ imagination.”
“I hope that locals and visitors enjoy the pride of lions that will be guarding the town in the Autumn.”
A spokesman from Somerset Arts Weeks added: “Rebecca seeks to combine and re-interpret in a modern-day context, some architecturally significant features in Bridgwater, specifically the development and early use of concrete. Bridgwater has some of the earliest surviving examples of decorative and reinforced concrete in the UK, so there is a profound link with the reinforced concrete wall at Burnham, which protects this area that is very susceptible to flooding.”
As part of Somerset Art Works’ ‘Momentum’ Creative Programme 2015-16, funded by Arts Council England, Rebecca has been selected to create new work, this could be in any media; each artist selected might take a different approach to the theme of ‘Momentum’, setting the work within different environments and communities of Somerset.
You can read more about the project on Somerset Art Week’s website here.
