Treat tortoises with respect! Artist warning as 'message in a bottle' taken from sculpture

Friday 14 July 2023

A local artist is urging islanders to remember that the sculptures in this year's Tortoise Takeover trail are "works of art" and "not playgrounds", after part of her tortoise design went missing.

Jamie O’Neill issued a plea on her Instagram account asking for the person who took the small 'message in a bottle' from her beach-themed tortoise to "kindly return it", so that "other people get to see the tortoise as it's intended to be seen".

Posting on @drawnbyjamie.art last night, she said: "Coming on here to talk isn't something that I usually do, but there's something I just needed to address regarding my tortoise. The very wonderful guys down at The Three Arches café have kindly been looking after him for us.

"Unfortunately, I got a very sad message from them not very long ago saying that the little 'message in a bottle' has gone missing. We know it was there just a couple of hours ago, and I'm fairly certain it was quite securely attached, so that leaves the unfortunate assumption that somebody has decided to keep it as a souvenir.

Pictured: Jamie believes that someone may have taken the little 'message in a bottle' off her tortoise "as a souvenir".

"I know the tortoises are supposed to be fun and an exciting thing to go and see, and part of the point of my one – especially with the 3D element – is that I wanted people to respectfully touch it and go up and enjoy it and see it closely to see all the little details."

The local artist added: "All of the artists involved across the trail have worked really, really hard. We've all put a lot of love and energy into bringing these tortoises to life and ultimately they are there to be auctioned off at the end to raise funds for Durrell.

"You've got to remember they are works of art; they're not playgrounds to be climbed all over and essentially vandalised."

 

 

 

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"We've got to remember that they need to be treated with respect," continued Jamie.

"I'm aware mine isn't the only one that has been damaged as well. I'm sure most of them are just people being a bit too enthusiastic with enjoying them as opposed to anything malicious.

"Saying that, if there's any reason you know where the bottle might be, if you know someone that might have acquired it, if you can ask them to very kindly return it to The Three Arches then we can reattach it. That way, other people get to see the tortoise as it's intended to be seen, and it'll be auctioned the way it's supposed to be."

Pictured: Jamie's tortoise pays homage to Jersey's beautiful natural landscapes, highlighting the captivating and integral bond between the land and sea.

Jamie's tortoise is entitled 'Janvrin's Tortoise' and is located at St. Catherine's Breakwater.

The design provides a unique perspective of looking down on the familiar scenery of Portelet Bay in miniature form, and is inspired by Jersey's beautiful natural landscapes, and highlights the captivating and integral bond between the land and sea.

Pictured: The 3D elements are an important part of Jamie's design.

As well as a tribute to the island’s beauty, Jamie's tortoise is also a nod to Jersey’s rich history, enchanting connection with local folklore, and unique marine environment.

The piece’s 3D elements create texture and form, adding depth and dimension to bring the landscape to life in a way that is both visually striking and immersive. 

Artist Abi Overland shared a similar message on Instagram earlier this week after her tortoise – 'Stay Gold' based at Colomberie – was damaged.

Pictured: Abi Overland posted her Instagram story asking islanders to take care around the tortoise sculptures.

"Could I pretty please ask that you don't climb on the tortoises – there's some damage to her that I need to fix and she's a delicate lady that needs to be treated nicely," she said.