The Flying Jersey Girl - St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 49° 11.039 W 002° 06.677
30U E 564762 N 5448288
This statue of a naked girl flying through the air represents women's freedom achieved after World War II and rotates as it responds to the wind.
Waymark Code: WMM3CH
Location: Jersey
Date Posted: 07/14/2014
Views: 7
The building that the statue stands outside used to be an abattoir and had stood derelict for a number of years. Starting in 2008 a project was undertaken to renovate the building and the area around it.
The building was renovated and where possible retains its original structure but upgraded for modern uses. The site is now multi-purpose and houses, retail units, office space, apartments, a bus station and the Tourist Information Centre.
The Island of Jersey has a policy of encouraging developers to install art work whenever new development takes place. Harcourt Development, the company that did the work employed sculptor Rowan Gillespie to produce this statue.
"Jersey Girl's arms are stretched, is liberated of her clothes and is flying free, overlooking the new development including the Tourism office.
Below her is a circle of brass and locally sourced Jersey granite - taken from the old sea wall with inspiration quotes chosen by the artist.
The centre circle contains 19 LED lights casting a blue glow up to the sculpture at certain times.
The artist, Rowan Gillespie said inspiration was drawn from the islands wartime history.
"On my first visit to St Helier I was impressed by Philip Jackson's Liberation sculpture and became fascinated by the wartime history of Jersey.
"I found myself thinking of the legacy of the liberation on society today, in particular women who through their part in the war effort tasted a new independence which has grown to the levels we see today."
link
The statue connected by a wire from one of her toes to a metal support
is free to move and it rotates as it is caught by the wind. This increases the effect of The Jersey Girl flying free.
The quotes in the pavement underneath the statue are as follows.
All good
things are wild and free
Henry Thoreau
No-one is free even the birds are
chained to the sky
Bob Dylan
Freedom is just chaos with better lighting
Alan Forster
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