By ANTHONY BOND
It would be fair to say that modern art isn't everybody's cup of tea.
And it seems this is particularly the case in the seaside town of Ilfracombe, Devon.
A controversial Damien Hirst statue of a pregnant woman wielding a sword was erected in the quaint town today. And it led to extremely mixed reviews from the locals.
The 67ft bronze sculpture, called Verity, was put up on the pier at 3pm, after Hirst loaned the piece to the town for 20 years.
It was installed on the harbour, with full planning permission from North Devon Council, despite 100 letters of objection.
Verity, described by Hirst as a 'modern allegory of truth and justice', carries the scales of justice and is standing on a plinth of law books.
The naked pregnant figure holds a sword and has part of her anatomy exposed - a baby visible in the womb.
Locals have been divided by the sculpture - with some branding it 'ugly' and others praising it as a new initiative to boost tourism.
The giant statue had been waiting in the town since the early hours of Monday morning - when it arrived on the back of a truck - for good weather.
Today, Verity was erected in the town, where Hirst lives and owns a restaurant, at 3pm.
Mike Edmunds, councillor at North Devon Council, from Ilfracombe, said he saw the controversial statue as a way of boosting tourism.
He said: 'We need to have a second string to our bow.
source: dailymail
