Bitter row over war hero's statue

Photo: Phil Doyle

Auckland sculptor Roderick Burgess with his work.

How Sir Keith Park appears in London.

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The Kiwi artist hired to produce the statue of New Zealand war hero Sir Keith Park was unceremoniously dumped after a year's work, and replaced by a British sculptor after the UK philanthropist paying for the art messed up the selection process.

Auckland sculptor Roderick Burgess spent a year working on early designs for the statue of the Battle of Britain hero, but the design that was unveiled amid great pomp and ceremony in London's Trafalgar Square a week ago was by British sculptor Les Johnson.

Burgess says it makes Sir Keith look like "an old lady in a shopping centre".

A descendant of Park has written to wealthy London-based broker Terry Smith, who reportedly spent 100,000 ($220,000) of his own money on the sculpture, saying the dumping of Burgess had trampled all over Sir Keith's "wairua" (spirit).

Sir Keith was dubbed the "Defender of London" for marshalling the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe in 1940, and the campaign for a monument started in September 2007 when a columnist for the UK's Financial Times lamented his lack of public recognition. In response, Smith pulled a team of people together and approached Burgess.

In February 2008, Burgess emailed Smith's team several photos of possible designs. The team's campaign director, Karl McCartney, replied that they showed a good likeness to the war hero, "although we need to make sure no one says it looks a bit like John Cleese – accentuating SKP's moustache maybe".

A posting by Smith's team on the campaign website www.sirkeithpark.com – which has since been removed – made it clear that Burgess was in line for the job: "Roderick Burgess is a NZ-based sculptor who was selected by Terry Smith following advice from various quarters. It is particularly appropriate in this case to have a New Zealander making the sculpture of a fellow New Zealander, Sir Keith Park." And subsequent statements refer to Burgess's creation of a maquette – a "scale model of the future sculpture".

But when Smith's team approached Westminster City Council's public art advisory panel with Burgess's maquette of a staunch Park, standing with feet apart and looking straight ahead, they were told that any piece of public art must go through an open selection process, and that the group must start again.

Smith's team appointed a panel to judge Burgess's work alongside that of six other sculptors. The Aucklander came third.

Burgess, 58, told the Star-Times that by then, he had spent 12 months researching Park, sculpting, and negotiating with Smith's team – including discussions on payment and copyright. He said he'd had to borrow heavily to get through the year.

Burgess hired a business adviser, Sydney-based Michael Milward, who billed Smith for just over $57,000. Smith emailed a reply to Milward saying he wanted to use Burgess, but "the most likely outcome of your arrival on the scene as Roderick's agent is that we will not use him for this". He paid Burgess $10,000.

Campaign director McCartney told the Star-Times that Smith then received a letter from Park's great-nephew, Joseph Gillies, protesting at the change of sculptor.

In his letter, Gillies wrote that Sir Keith's family felt embarrassed that Burgess had had been kept in a "state of limbo". "My great-uncle would not have conducted himself in so nonchalant a manner."

Gillies wrote that Burgess had got Sir Keith's likeness right – whereas Johnson "does not understand my great-uncle at all".

McCartney said the letter had caused Smith "puzzlement". He said two of the seven submissions were deemed to be a more suitable likeness. Asked if Smith had misled Burgess, or if he should have researched Westminster City's rules before engaging him, McCartney said Smith had done "exactly the right thing".

When approached by the Star-Times for further comment, Gillies said he did not want to discuss the matter, as it could spoil things for other members of the family who were proud and grateful that Smith had funded the memorial.

Of Johnson's design, Burgess said: "This work that they've chosen is not of a warrior. It's the most insipid piece of work I've ever seen in my life."

"It just looks like it's an old lady in a shopping centre, looking skywards, wondering if it's going to rain, while slipping on her gloves."

A temporary glass-fibre sculpture was made from Johnson's design by Weta Workshops in Wellington, and this is the version that has been erected in Trafalgar Square. It will remain there for six months, before a permanent 2.78m bronze is erected in Waterloo Place on September 15 next year, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Smith wanted Trafalgar Square to be its permanent home, but London Mayor Boris Johnson ruled that the square's fourth plinth would instead host contemporary art.

Park – who died in 1975 aged 83, after returning home and serving three terms as an Auckland City councillor – is often described as one of the world's most under-rated war heroes.

esther.harward@star-times.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News