Statue

Upon Reflection - peace statue

Photograph by: London Remembers

Erection date: 1985

Inscription

{On a plaque laid into the terrace to the side of the statue:}
Upon Reflection, Kevin Atherton, 1985

The life-sized statue is a self-portrait by Atherton.

Our photos do not show what we found most interesting about this statue: the realistic representation of the various materials. The corduroy of the jeans, the tweed of the jacket, the knitted wool of the jumper, the leather of the brogues, even the texture of the laces in the shoes - all rendered with exact detailing. There is a pen in the top pocket, the jacket has buttons, the jeans have rivets and seams, and someone with the right knowledge would be able to name the different stitches in the closely-knitted jumper. It is very impressive.

2023: The statue was given an unauthorised coat of gold paint.

Site: Upon Reflection - peace statue (1 memorial)

N19, Hornsey Rise, Elthorne Park Noel-Baker Peace Garden

Less than two years after its installation in 1985 the statue was vandalised. So it was removed and then thought lost until 2020 when it was found in the basement of Islington Town Hall.

From Islington Media: "On Friday, 23 July 2021 ... attendees {went} to the Elthorne Park Noel-Baker Peace Garden ... to celebrate the restoration of the “Upon Reflection” statue. Originally unveiled in 1985 by the then General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Bruce Kent, the statue was created by artist Kevin Atherton as a celebration of peace. ... On Friday, Bruce Kent was one of the attendees watching on as the fully restored statue was unveiled in its original place. Cllrs Shaikh and Poyser, Jeremy Corbyn MP, and the council's heritage team, have been involved with the restoration of the statue."

Information also from the Islington Gazette.

See the Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorial for more info about the garden.

The statue is heavily bolted to its plinth, and the bolts are soldered in position - a sign that the Council is now fully aware of how vulnerable it is to metal thieves.