'Temple' artwork offered to Torridge for £350,000

It's said to be worth a million

A contemporary piece of art claimed to be worth £1 million which could be used to host non-religious marriages and other ceremonies has been offered to Torridge District Council for less than half price.

Internationally known sculptor and ceramicist Sandy Brown from Appledore says ‘Temple,’ which is a full-sized building and has featured on television, would attract visitors from all over the world to the area.

In a presentation to Torridge District Council this week, the sculptor suggested it be placed in Bideford’s Victoria Park, establishing the town as “a centre of cultural innovation.”

She is asking for £350,000 for the work which was commissioned for Sotheby’s annual exhibition of monumental sculpture at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire ‘Beyond Limits’ in 2015 and consists of over 5,200 hand painted tiles.

The piece, inspired by Iran and Venice, is what she calls a “temple of the self” promoting “calm energy and joyfulness.”

Mrs Brown, who uses Devon clay in her work, said the venue would bring in an income for the council if it was hired out for ceremonies.

And she could host school groups at Temple, teaching them about art, culture and rituals.

“Young people really get contemporary art and it makes them appreciate the place where they are from,” she claims.

“This trail-blazing and pioneering project offers a rich and long lasting contribution to the local community and an investment which will reap rewards for decades and bring more people into the area, creating an experience people will want to repeat,” she said.

Only a quarter of the 4,500 marriages in Devon a few years ago were religious ceremonies, said Mrs Brown.

“If you are not religious, where do you have your sacred ceremonies and rituals? We do not have anywhere for people to have those ceremonies in a place which is spiritually uplifting. ‘Temple’ is unique. There is nothing like this in the world. Bideford could be leading the way.”

She said art experts had valued the piece between  one and two million pounds, and TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine had made a film about it. It is now installed at the artist’s studio in Appledore and she has invited councillors to go inside it.

Chairman of the council Cllr Doug Bushby (Ind, Bideford North) asked about it’s durability and protection. “You know what it is like when you put a building up in a lot of public places nowadays? I would hate to see the aftermath of anything happening to that one after some damage by hooligans,” he said

One suggestion is that high blue railings are put around the sculpture and access will only be allowed to people involved in the ceremonies and special group visits.

Councillors were told that it had been outside for long periods and exposed to the elements with no problems.

Former Appledore vicar Ian Lovett said people did not necessarily want the religion that his generation grew up with. “Ceremonies can be much richer and don’t have a formality about them that a traditional religious ceremony might, they are just very lovely, ” he said. “In a sense people are making their own religion now.”

Sandy Brown has exhibited worldwide and her work is held in collections in museums including the V&A Museum, London; World Ceramic Centre, Ichon, Korea; Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canada and Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts, Germany.

She has been making ceramics for more than 50 years.

Torridge District Council will decide whether to buy ‘Temple’ at a later date.