Statue of Luke Kelly, Dublin
The Statue of Luke Kelly is a large marble sculpted head of Irish folk singer Luke Kelly, with metal wire for hair. The statue is located at the north end of Linear Park, near the junction of Sheriff Street Upper and Guild Street, Dublin 1.[1][2][3]
| Statue of Luke Kelly | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Statue of Luke Kelly | |
| Artist | Vera Klute |
| Year | 2019 |
| Medium | Sculpture |
| Movement | Realism |
| Subject | Luke Kelly singing Scorn Not His Simplicity |
| Dimensions | 220 cm × 170 cm × 170 cm (87 in × 67 in × 67 in) |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| 53°21′01″N 6°14′26″W | |
| Owner | Dublin City Council |
History
The statue, designed by Vera Klute, was unveiled along with another statue of Luke Kelly on South King Street on 30 January 2019 by President Michael D. Higgins.[4]
It was unveiled to mark the 35th anniversary of the death of Kelly on 30 January 1984, after calls to memorialize the singer in his hometown and specifically near where Luke Kelly grew-up on Sheriff Street.
Vandalism
The statue has been vandalised numerous times since it was commissioned.[5] In July 2020, the 7th incident of defacement[6] resulted in a 40-year-old man being charged with vandalism.[7] These repeat incidents have raised questions regarding the statue's location and accessibility, which have included suggestions to relocate it to a more public area.[8][9]
Design
The statue was designed by Vera Klute and is circa 220 cm x 170 cm x 170 cm excluding the stone base. Treated marble was used for the formation of the head while treated metal wire was used to form the hair and beard. The hair is attached through the use of a metal mesh wig while the moustache is made of individual pieces of wire which were drilled into the face of the statue.[10][11][12]
An initial model with hair was made in smaller near life sized form. A secondary larger statue was then created from plaster but without hair. This second statue was then used for 3D scanning to create the final larger sized version replicated in marble via a 5-axis cnc milling machine in Italy.
The appearance is based on a distinctive pose of Luke Kelly with his eyes closed while performing and is said to be taken from a still from his performance of Scorn Not His Simplicity on a show hosted by Jim McCann in 1974 called 'McCann Man'.[13]
The statue is said to have cost Dublin City Council €80,000.[14]
References
- "'Leave Luke alone' - Dublin City Council could move statue of Dubliners' Luke Kelly after vandals strike again". independent. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "The Irish Times view on Luke Kelly: Echo of a rare oul' voice". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Luke Kelly". Old Dublin Town. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- Smith, Andrea. "Two statues of folk legend Luke Kelly have been unveiled in Dublin". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- Kilraine, John (24 June 2020). "Two statues of Luke Kelly in Dublin vandalised".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Pollak, Sorcha. "Luke Kelly sculpture at North Wall vandalised for seventh time". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- O'Connor, Rachael. "Man (40s) arrested and charged with vandalism of Luke Kelly Statue". The Irish Post. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Man accused of vandalising Luke Kelly statue by cycling up to it and throwing paint on it". independent. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Vandals Target Luke Kelly Statue For A 7th Time". Kfm Radio. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Copperwork Gallery - BA Steel Fabrication". www.copperwork.ie. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- Kilraine, John (24 June 2020). "Two statues of Luke Kelly in Dublin vandalised". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- "Luke Kelly". veraklute.net. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- "Vera Klute and John Coll Unveil Sculptures of Luke Kelly in Dublin | Visual Artists Ireland". 30 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- "Man in his 40s arrested over damage to €80,000 Luke Kelly statue". independent. Retrieved 18 January 2022.