Stay

My daughter (FirehorseMia), son (Aliveunwed) and I went to the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. The weather was lovely and mild.

I loved the massed plantings of Iceland poppies and the beautiful things in the hot house, especially the orchids.

While there we stepped across the street to the Arts Centre to see the Gormley sculpture (Stay) that was unveiled yesterday. I was prepared to be impressed, but I found myself feeling sorry for the life-sized figure. The demeanour was one of dejection, and the crystal-shaped elements lent a brittle feeling to the iron. To make matters worse water had been dripped onto the head and dribbled down the body. The whole thing made me think of a victim of abuse. The title, Stay, takes on a sinister meaning for me.

Still, it was great to see the progress in the restoration of the old neo-Gothic buildings that were damaged by the earthquakes.

Flowers in extras.