New York artist calls out Tyson Fury Morecambe sculpture critics

An artist from New York has defended the artist behind a new Tyson Fury sculpture.
Anthony Padgett with his Tyson Fury sculpture.Anthony Padgett with his Tyson Fury sculpture.
Anthony Padgett with his Tyson Fury sculpture.

New York City artist Walter DeForest is in Morecambe for this weekend's Morecambe Bay Art Fair, where he will be displaying a portrait of heavyweight champion Fury among his work.

And he has hit back at people who were not impressed by the new contemporary sculpture of Fury unveiled by local artist Anthony Padgett earlier this week.

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Walter, who will be channelling the work of Vincent Van Gogh when he appears at the art fair at The Platform over the weekend, said: “I think artists are some of the strongest people out there.

The damaged artwork is now on display in Edgelands Gallery in Yorkshire Street.The damaged artwork is now on display in Edgelands Gallery in Yorkshire Street.
The damaged artwork is now on display in Edgelands Gallery in Yorkshire Street.

"Artists are constantly pushing to find the truth, whether it is in a character, writing, painting and even sculpture.”

Walter quoted Theodore Roosevelt to criticise the negative online comments about the unique artwork.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better," he said.

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"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The artwork damaged during Storm Arwen.The artwork damaged during Storm Arwen.
The artwork damaged during Storm Arwen.

During Walter's stay in Morecambe, he experienced some of the damage caused by Storm Arwen, and helped salvage a piece of art by Bob Pickersgill which had come from its hoardings in Yorkshire Street. It has now been homed in the nearby Edgelands Gallery.

Anne Holloway and Rob Lever from Edgelands also decided to book Walter’s multi-award winning show, Van Gogh Find Yourself, in the new year.

During an eventful stay in the resort, Walter was also among a group of artists who helped playwright Sarah Green - whose show Liking Me Liking You was being performed at the West End Playhouse - after she fell badly on the prom during the storm.

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