Alien creatures banned from Arundel roundabout

The five spider-like Curious Scuttle-Heads were set up earlier this month as part of the Arundel Festival's Gallery Trail, but a resident's complaint that they could scare children and distract drivers has led to the Highways Agency ordering them to be removed.

Their creator, Northbrook College mature student Stuart Slade, 34, said he was "gutted" by the agency's decision in response to just one complaint, especially as InterRoute, the agency's contractors, had given permission, as it has done for sculptures on both Arundel roundabouts at festival time for more than a decade.

"It took a lot of hard work to make them and I was very grateful for the opportunity to put my sculptures there.

"I have had lots of positive feedback about them and it's been quite uplifting, so at first I took the negative reaction on the chin, not realising that it would go as far as the Highways Agency asking for them to be removed.

From the future

"It's a bit of double standards, really, as the Highways Agency has a big sign on the roundabout, too, telling people when the road will be closed, so people have to read that and that might be distracting, too.

"It's starting to look a bit like the nanny state, not crediting drivers with common sense, and at this time of year anyway, with all the traffic, it's difficult to get out of second gear going round the roundabout."

The Scuttle-Heads have steel legs, cold-cast resin faces and bodies made from motorcycle fuel tanks. "They are from the future," said Stuart, who is about to start the third year of his BA fine arts course.

"They are a hybrid of human, robot and insect, designed to survive in hostile environments, post-nuclear war or environmental change. Their human curiosity has led them to roam in time, and they are captured in the sculptures in the moment they arrive on the A27 roundabout. They are curious because they don't know where they are."

Well-wishers have told Stuart their children like the Scuttle-Heads, which remind them of creatures from Dr Who. Michelle Scott, chairman of the Gallery Trail, said the Duchess of Norfolk, who has five children, "loves the sculptures".

Michelle added: "Every year we get permission from InterRoute for sculptures on the roundabout. The Highways Agency says it feels that the sculptures are slightly more distracting than in previous years and has asked us to remove them as soon as is practically possible.

More alien sightings

"We will probably remove them at the end of the week, because it just isn't possible before then. Normally sculptures stay on the roundabout for a couple of weeks after the festival and it's a shame that won't happen this year, but we may move them to another 'home' where they will be just as prominent, but on private land. So there may yet be more sightings of these aliens!

"We have had all sorts of things on the roundabouts over the years and some have caused more debate than others, but nothing like this has happened before.

"It is disappointing, because we do it for the enjoyment and fun of residents and visitors and when the sculptures appear, it signals the start of the festival, and they mark the entrance to Arundel. It's part of the festival tradition and we don't know what this decision will mean for future years."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "The agency received one complaint and because it is responsible for safety, visited the site.

"It decided the sculptures did have a visual impact and on safety grounds should be removed as soon as possible."

The Gallery Trail, featuring the work of more than 100 artists in 54 venues, continues until Sunday afternoon.

-----------------------------

Click here to return to Gazette news.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Gazette's international readers' map by clicking here.

E-mail the Gazette: [email protected]