"Teabag Angel" - Dunblane cathedral

 
Popped into Dunblane cathedral this afternoon to see the iconic “Teabag Angel”.
 In the past few weeks Sue Horne’s sculpture, made entirely out of teabags has achieved national status.  Photos of it have gone viral on social media, and it’s the subject of media attention in both newspapers and radio.
 
I saw this sculpture a few weeks ago when Sue Horne exhibited it in St Saviour’s church, Bridge of Allan to help raise funds for Syrian refugees.
 
Why has this image gripped the public imagination? Most works of art get at best a passing cursory glance.  Yet people are making special detours to the cathedral, and earlier to the church, to see it.
 
While I was in there, late this afternoon on a very dreich day, there was a steady flow of people.
Their first words on entering the cathedral were: “Where’s the teabag angel?”
They didn’t have to look far. It’s placed next to the altar.
 
They literally gasped when they saw the image.
 
The cathedral invigilator said it’s been like this all the time.
 
He has never known anything like it.
“Usually at this time of the year it is very quiet. Suddenly we have this huge influx of visitors. All to see the teabag angel.”
 
Sue tells me she has been in touch with Glasgow museums and she hopes that St Mungos museum of Religious Life and Art.
will take it.
 
She is just as astonished as everybody at the impact her work has had.
(“I ‘m not a trained artist. I am a craftsperson. I make things.”)
Did she have any idea why the work was having such an impact?
Sue shook her head:
“No, yet it seems to touch something in people. Maybe because it’s made out of teabags, something we all use and can identify with.”
 
She had a team of volunteers to help her make it and involved the local community from local churches, hotels, shops as well as individuals in collecting teabags.
 
As I left the cathedral the doors were locked - and another four people had to be turned away.
So far it’s raised over £3,000 for Syrian refugees. Not bad for something made out of discarded teabags.
 
   
Its been blipped by Itmac and I did too before Christmas.

Meanwhile the fight  to save Blipfoto continues……go to  Blipfuture to pledge.
Only 56 days left to raise the necessary funds ( £180,000).
 So far over £99,401.39  raised.