As a footnote to my post about Gretna Green, I took one photo I didn’t publish of a beautiful bronze sculpture that stands in the courtyard there.
I didn't take much notice of the plaque at the time but when writing the post, decided to blow it up and read it.
As you can just about make out. It reads:-
LOVERS
Sculpture by Karen Jonzen, London
Commissioned by R Adair, Houston
Gretna Green 1990
Now anyone of a certain age might suddenly recollect the name R. Adair, Red Adair who was an oil and gas firefighter who came to global prominence in the late 80s, in the UK at least, as his Red and his team led the attempts to extinguish the fire after the Piper Alpha disaster that claimed 167 in what is still, the world’s worst offshore disaster.
As for the sculptor, Karen Jonzen it seems, was quite an award-winning sculptor of note with many public commissions and if you follow the Wikipedia link, you can see a list of places where even now, twenty-six years after her death in 1998, her works may still be seen.
The surprising thing though that there is no mention of this one. There is also no mention of it in Red Adair’s many internet mentions or Gretna Green’s visitors website so it appears to be a mystery as to the how’s and why’s.
The only slight connection I could find is that Red Adair’s father was an Irish immigrant blacksmith. I wonder if he got married there?
I love these little connections and mysteries and I’ve done the only thing possible, emailed Gretna Green to try and find out why a famous American firefighter would commission such a notable sculptor to create a piece of work entitled ‘Lovers’ that ended up in the Gretna Green visitors centre.
I'll let you know the outcome!
This photo is not mine and is a thumbnail of an Almata stock photo.
I’m not a big fan of art or scuptures, but this piece really caught my eye. The realism, the attention to detail and the incredible way the emotions have been captured in what is basically a lump of cast metal is simply awesome and next time I pass by, I’ll pay much more attention.
Thanks as always for dropping by and I wish everyone a happy, healthy and productive week ahead
Martin
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