Sculptures in Leeds #2
Another Leeds sculpture we visited was the memorial to Arthur Aaron VC, by Graham Ibbeson. Aaron was an RAF fighter pilot in WWII, who successfully enabled his damaged plane to land and saved his crew, despite his own significant and ultimately fatal wounds, for which feat he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. (See more HERE)
The sculpture is easily overlooked, placed on a traffic island in the city centre but it was well worth seeing. Installed in 2001, after a public vote, to mark the new millennium, the five-metre bronze sculpture depicts Aaron standing next to a tree, up which are climbing children, progressively representing the passage of time between 1950 and 2000, with the girl at the top releasing a dove of peace, all representing the freedom his sacrifice helped ensure.
It was somewhat ironic that, just as I took the photo, a plane flew overhead.
Sometimes it's the details that seem most touching.
Wonderful photo of a very nice piece of art! The symbolism of airplanes and freedom are excellent. It's a shame it's placed where people will have difficulty getting to see it. But as traffic whizzes by perhaps they will notice it...and sometime get a chance to stop and get closer. I just finished the entire series of Foyle's War, (at least to season 9). It brought home to me the experiences the British went through in WW II...I highly recommend!
ReplyDeleteIt would deserve to be in a place where it was easier for people to also get up close to it, though, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful. Too bad about its location.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! The UK's WWII pilots were an amazing lot.
ReplyDeleteVery well done.
ReplyDelete