Madam, - I applaud the letter from Alice Hanratty (September 3rd). The open vista of the Liffey as it flows to the sea should not be further obscured. Unlike Ms Hanratty, I am not an admirer of the so-called "Angel of the North", seeing it as a work of grotesque silliness. It is static and anchored. It suggests nothing angelic; and as for the idea of flight it in fact suggests the very opposite: resistance to flight.
What is proposed for the Liffey is not merely ugly, but hideous. Besides being utterly meaningless it would be grossly out of scale with its surroundings.
I understand that artists may be reluctant to be seen as too critical of another artist's work, fearing this to be misunderstood for envy. But surely other members of Aosdána must have something to say about this? If erected, this will not be a mere sculpture but a giant blot on a landscape. There is something incredibly vulgar about this project. It should be scrapped as soon as possible. - Yours, etc,
LIAM O'CONNOR,
Lower Pembroke Street,
Dublin 2.