Before – and after the park paint job

A MYSTERY vandal has given a statue a gold paint makeover – leaving council chiefs fuming
Kevin Atherton’s “Upon Reflection”, a self-portrait of the artist deep in thought overlooking the pond in the Philip Noel-Baker Peace Garden in Elthorne Park, is cast in bronze.

But this week visitors found the statue had a new glow after being covered head to toe in gold paint.

“At first I thought, ‘what is this vandalism?’ But as time has gone on, it’s grown on me – it has a tarnished look that’s blended into the background,” said Savvoulla Savva, a volunteer with Sunnyside Community Gardens who help to maintain the peace garden.

Alan Swann, another Sunnyside volunteer, said: “Whoever sprayed it really knew what they were doing. There was next to no overspray.

“It added something to the garden, and it’s now just gently fading.”

Another volunteer said the gold “came as a shock” when she first saw it.

The statue has a long back story after being re-installed in the peace garden in 2021 after being found in the Town Hall’s basement where it was kept for more than 30 years.

It was originally installed in the garden in 1985 after Islington offered £7,000 for an artwork for the park and then chose Mr Atherton’s sculpture.

No one is quite sure what happened to it, although council officials think the statue was vandalised or stolen, before it was discovered gathering dust in the Town Hall basement.

Mr Atherton is a world-renowned artist who has created statues that have been granted listed status, like his “Platforms Piece” in Brixton station. His work has been featured in some of the world’s best-known museums and galleries.

The Tribune contacted the artist for comment but he did not reply.

Environment chief Councillor Rowena Champion said: “The statue is well-liked locally and after a public campaign we returned it to the park several years ago for everyone to enjoy, as the artist intended. This damage to the statue will cost a significant amount to repair, at a time when park budgets are already stretched after many years of government cuts to council funding.”