Columnist Alan Dee writes:
With a recent post on this site about sculpture created to bring a touch of culture to the commercial heart of Hemel Hempstead in the early days of the new town fresh in our minds, arresting art can be found at every turn.
Take this stark installation, spotted on Friday sitting forlornly on the patch of land which was once home to the Dacorum Pavilion.
It may have missed out on the Turner Prize shortlist, but that doesn’t mean it is any less worthy of assessment.
What is this piece telling us about life in 21st century Hemel Hempstead?
Does the artist want us to contemplate the futility of trying to make the most of two-wheeled transport in an environment created with the car in mind?
Is it a searing comment on the dead end nature of life in general, or a more pointed observation about travelling around the town, bearing in mind it’s within sight of a busy bus stop?
Or perhaps the artist is reflecting on the uncertainty of existence, or at the very least the insecurity created by materialistic possessions?
Is there a corresponding work elsewhere in the town, in which two wheels stand forlornly chained to a railing, telling evidence of the transience of being?
Has the saddle been snaffled for a private collection somewhere, or smuggled abroad to a megabucks museum?
These are questions that should encourage debate - so add your thoughts, using the comment function below.
{http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainments/a-sculpture-gallery-for-shoppers-1-5081813|And if you’d like to see the earlier slideshow about real art in Hemel Hempstead, just click here}