Carteret statue: "inappropriate, out of date, and in the wrong location"

Monday 20 July 2020

The driving force behind the Sir George Carteret statue has rejected accusations that it is an "inappropriate embarrassment" sited in the wrong place.

Former St Peter Constable John Refault, who led the project up to the statue’s 2014 unveiling, says that everything was above board, accountable and must be viewed within the context of the time.

“Looking back, I wouldn’t have changed a thing,” he said. “The statue had a simple objective: to recognise the life of a young man from St. Peter, who went on to be a MP and loyal supporter of the King, who left a lasting legacy in America. It highlights what a boy from a small country parish achieved by being true to his cause.”

Mr Refault also defended the way the statue was funded, which included a £15,000 donation from the Treasury and a £20,000 gift from Ports of Jersey, as an approved ‘percentage-for-art’ contribution linked to the building of a new cargo centre at Airport.

“Here, context is everything,” he said. “At the time, [then Chief Minister] Ian Gorst and [then Treasury Minister] Philip Ozouf were very keen on building business and cultural links with New Jersey, and this fitted in perfectly with that. A year later, a delegation from the state visited the island and they were delighted to see the statue. 

“Also, the then Planning Minister, Freddie Cohen, was championing the percentage for art scheme, so the Ports of Jersey contribution was not only approved by Planning but encouraged.”

The statue was unveiled in 2014 to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the founding of New Jersey.

Arguments around the appropriateness of the bronze figure of the 17^th century Royalist politician, privateer and slave trader flared up last month when the Black Lives Matter movement became an international focus. After a statue of a slave trader was pulled down in Bristol, Sir George – who stands outside a pub that bears his name – was daubed in white paint.

And there are serious lessons to be learned from the controversy, according to a specialist in public art.

Chris Clifford believes that questions over how it came to be commissioned and how it was paid for would have been avoided if the process had been transparent and followed established guidelines, such as holding a competition to select a local artist.

Chris Clifford runs the Jersey-based gallery and art consultancy Public & Private.

“This embarrassment could have been easily avoided if the project had been properly planned,” said Mr Clifford, who runs a consultancy that advises on public art projects. “The successful projects that I have been involved with, such as the St. Helier First World War memorial, have had a community focus and a proper artist and design selection process from the outset.

“By thinking about location, materials, design, educational value, who can get involved and what is the lasting impact, you avoid the problems of having a statue of someone responsible for the deaths of 44,000 African slaves sculpted in a 19th century style which is inappropriate, out of date, and in the wrong location. I hope future projects, especially ones funded by the public, are done differently.”

Pictured top: Former St Peter Constable John Refault.