The Desert Quartet

This striking cast bronze head is one of a set of four (each head about 1.5m high) that stands on a 2m high pedestal, which is turn sits on a projecting flat roof in the centre of Worthing. It was only today that I discovered the sculptor was Dame Elizabeth Frink (1930-1993), so I set out to look into it's history:

In the mid-1980s a project to design a new shopping centre for Worthing was initiated but with particular design challenges on the Liverpool Street Gardens façade given the historical sensitivity of this part of the town. The site owner engaged the architect Graham Excell to design a scheme and the possibility of bespoke sculpture for the façade was discussed with Elisabeth Frink in 1985.

Although her initial design was a combination of human and animal figures, and then four monumental horses, these were abandoned (partly because of Dame Elisabeth's growing frailty) in favour of the anthropomorphic 'Desert Quartet'. The work, and hence its name, was inspired by ancient monuments that the sculptor had visited in the Tunisia desert, and possesses classical monumentality.

The loggia is by Graham Excell who also designed the pedestals which support the heads. The loggia was constructed in 1988-9 and the sculpture installed in 1989. The site owner and architect supervised the installation, specifying the position and subtleties of orientation of the four heads. The associated shopping centre, the Montague Centre, opened in June 1990 when the sculptures were also formerly unveiled. Elisabeth Frink attended the unveiling and expressed her contentment with the result.

Apologies for the lengthy detail. It's not often I discover something with such a story attached to it!