Canadian sculptor Tim Schmalz has completed a small model of his planned 100-foot statue of St. Patrick which is proposed for the peak of Croagh Patrick, in Mayo.
Schmalz speaks about his proposed plan in an informal interview from his studio (below). A Christian sculptor and public monuments artist, he discusses the Irish symbolism, associated with St. Patrick, he’s included in the three-foot model, including the Celtic cross, shamrocks and snakes.
Last month, IrishCentral spoke to Schmalz about his proposed project and asked our readers what they thought of the idea 100-foot statue. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they liked the idea.
The sculptor, whose studio is in China, compare his new project, set to be one of the largest statues in the world, to Statue of Liberty, which was gifted by the people of France to the people of America in 1886. The robed figure looking out from New York’s harbor is a symbol of freedom and a beacon to immigrants reaching America’s shores. Schmalz’s idea is that this giant statue of St. Patrick should be similar.
He told IrishCentral, “I was always excited about the idea that the Statue of Liberty was given as a gift by the people of France to the people of America, and for the people that know this small fact it adds an extra dimension to the statue.”
Here’s a video of Schmalz speaking about the sculpture in his studio:
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