Give it away

This is one of many photos I've taken of a beautiful piece of art that can be seen on the beach at Thorpe Ness, near Aldeburgh in Suffolk. Framed in a card mount, just less than A4 size, I'm giving it away as one of the raffle prizes to the LGBT History Month Society, organisers of this evening's LGBT HIstory Month Launch. Yes, I've sold one or two of my photos but more often than not I give them away. Because I can, and because I want to.

The message that I've included in the packet containing the mounted print says this:

'I hear those voices that will not be drowned': the words of Benjamin Britten from his opera Peter Grimes cut into the metal of Maggi Hamblin's 'Scallop' sculpture which sits high on the shingle bank of Thorpe Ness, Suffolk. Some people love it, some people hate it. I am definitely a fan .... it's absolutely huge and visitors are actively encouraged to clamber on it, hide under it - whatever they want. Whether seen in the grey of winter or the bright of summer it is always tremendous.

The sculpture has been subject to many attacks - had grafitti scrawled on it, paint thrown on it, vitriolic outbursts in the press. But the objectors seem to be in the minority, thankfully, and it gets cleaned up each time and long may it remain.

I think that a photo of this beautiful thing, created by two gay artists, is a pretty fitting donation to this evening's cause.

Here's another image of it, taken on 11th September last year.

I'll be taking some photos of this evening's event and posting them on FB so will put a link to them probably tomorrow.