5/5 Louise B. 1 year ago on Google • 417 reviews
Its
a
beloved
iconic
statue
here
in
the
city
of
Vancouver
that
puts
a
smile
on
people's
faces.
She
is
on
the
north
east
side
of
the
seawall
,there
is
no
parking
spots
directly
in
front
of
the
statue
but
folks
slow
down
there
cars
here
to
view
it
and
the
horse
wagons
cruise
here
to
view
it
too
so
it
can
get
a
bit
crowded
at
times
.
The
walking/bike
path
of
the
seawall
is
directly
in
front
of
the
statue
so
great
viewing
option
that
way
too
.
Here
is
a
history
Biography
about
it
enjoy
....A
life
size
bronze
statue
of
a
woman
in
a
wetsuit,
with
flippers
on
her
feet
and
her
mask
pushed
up
on
her
forehead,
sits
on
a
large
intertidal
boulder
just
offshore
of
Stanley
Park.
In
September
of
1968,
Douglas
Brown,
a
Vancouver
lawyer,
talked
to
sculptor
Elek
Imredy
about
his
desire
to
commission
a
sculpture
inspired
by
the
famous
Copenhagen
mermaid,
which
could
be
sited
on
the
great
granite
boulder
just
off
the
northern
shore
of
Stanley
Park.
Imredy
proposed
a
life-size
bronze
sculpture
of
a
scuba
diver.
On
Brown's
initiative,
the
Vancouver
Harbour
Improvement
Society
was
formed
with
the
intention
of
financing
and
facilitating
a
unique
landmark
for
both
Vancouverites
and
visitors
to
the
city.
They
raised
the
money
to
produce
the
sculpture
privately
and
Imredy
was
commissioned
to
craft
the
proposed
work.
The
Vancouver
Park
Board
gave
permission
to
the
society
to
place
the
sculpture
on
the
rock.
Because
the
boulder
was
often
covered
at
high
tide,
a
precast
concrete
ring
was
created
and
the
rock
was
lifted
by
a
floating
crane
and
set
on
the
ring
about
100
feet
from
its
original
location.
Imredy
first
took
a
mold
of
the
top
surface
of
the
rock.
In
his
studio,
he
made
a
replica
of
the
rock
and
modeled
the
figure
in
clay.
Imredy
asked
his
young
friend
Debra
Harrington
to
model,
however
the
sculpture
is
not
recognizably
her
image.
"When
I
couldn't
get
the
model
to
hold
her
hand
the
way
I
wanted
it...
I
held
my
left
hand
in
front
of
a
mirror,
showing
its
opposite,
and
I
modeled
right
one.
Of
course,
I
made
it
a
bit
nicer,
with
longer
fingers."
A
plaster
of
paris
mold
was
made
from
the
clay
figure
and
the
sculpture
was
cast
in
fibreglass.
This
fibreglass
figure
was
flown
to
Rome
where
it
was
cast
in
bronze
at
Giovanni
and
Angelo
Nicci's
foundry.
On
June
9th,
1972,
the
sculpture
was
set
in
place
by
an
electric
crane
reaching
out
from
shore
to
the
rock
80 feet
away
and
fastened
to
the
stone
with
stainless
steel
bolts.
The
next
day
the
sculpture
was
ceremoniously
unveiled.
"Girl
in
Wetsuit"
has
become
a
landmark
for
visitors
to
Stanley
Park
and
to
boats
that
enter
the
harbour.
Artist
statement
"I
didn't
believe
we
should
have
a
copy
of
the
mermaid
(in
Copenhagen
harbour).
She
is
rightfully
a
symbol
of
Copenhagen...
I
proposed
to
have
a
life-size
scuba
diver
seated
there.
At
that
time
scuba
diving
was
getting
quite
popular
here
in
Vancouver
and,
just
as
important,
I
didn't
know
of
any
similar
sculpture
anywhere
in
the
world.
It
was
a
new
idea…
There
was
tremendous
opposition
and
great
controversy.
I
still
don't
know
why.."
(quoted
in
The
Sculpture
of
Elek
Imredy
by
Terry
Nobel
(publisher,
Vancouver,
1993)
"The
sculpture
(is)
a
symbolic
figure
of
the
future
exploration
of
the
continental
shelf."
(information
provided
by
the
artist)
"She
represents
Vancouver's
dependence
on
the
sea
and
the
necessity
to
use
the
sea
for
the
benefit
of
all."
-
Peggy
Imredy.
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