Long awaited public artwork unveiled!

Ascalon - the controversial 18-metre artwork commissioned by St George’s Cathedral is at last complete and will be launched to the public along with the opening of the new Cathedral Forecourt by The Lord Mayor of Perth, the Right Honourable Lisa Scaffidi.  Ascalon will be blessed by the Dean of Perth, the Very Reverend Dr John Shepherd at 5pm on Sunday 3 April 2011 – all are welcome.

Designed by WA artists Marcus Canning and Christian de Vietri, Ascalon has been eagerly anticipated by the Dean of Perth, the Very Reverend Dr John Shepherd, the Lord Mayor of Perth, Lisa Scaffidi and the Cathedral and Perth community.  The contemporary representation of the legend of St George and the Dragon was chosen from a list of submissions from all over the world in 2009.

Made possible through a generous philanthropic gift to the St George's Cathedral Foundation for the Arts by Mr Mark Creasy, Ascalon was selected by an expert panel. There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the abstraction of the legend, especially when the ‘billow’ and the ‘lance’ were installed late last year before the landscaping was completed around the sculpture.

“The Blessing of Ascalon on Sunday will be the culmination of this very exciting project that has seen the eyes of the world on Perth.  The completion of the landscaping and lighting supported by the City of Perth will invite people to be part of  something very special – not only a significant work of art in our city but as a spiritual stimulus to those who engage with it,” said Dr Shepherd.

The artwork has four elements to it, representing St George’s lance, the figure of St George himself (in the form of a billowing cloak), the ‘dragon’ (a dark mass at the base of the work) and light shining up through the lance into the heavens.

As the day of the unveiling approaches, Marcus Canning remarked: “The launch of Ascalon is also about the completion of the first stage of St George's transformation of this iconic centre of the city. Ascalon sits within this landscape as a monumental element of contemporary drama within the environment.  Its relation to the surrounding landscape and Cathedral is both dynamic as well as balanced.”

“We've already been asked to speak at an urban planning conference, at universities in Perth with architecture, design and creative industry courses, and at a number of large architectural firms about the work. The right people are already highly impressed, and it's not even launched yet.”

For a full background of the Ascalon story click here .