Camden Council have given the go-ahead to the plans to install a statue of late singer Amy Winehouse in the borough.
Artist Scott Easton’s sculpture of the singer has been in the works for some time but, according to the Camden New Journal, Camden Town Conservation Authority had stated its opposition to the proposal. However, after a meeting earlier this week, local councillors approved the project and the statue will now be installed at a balcony in at Camden’s Roundhouse venue this September.
It is also believed that the statue’s location was chosen in order to deter fans from flocking to Winehouse’s former home in Camden Square, and there is reportedly an agreement that the sculpture will not be lit up at night in an attempt to stop the public from gathering on the street.
Camden Town Conservation Authority had raised an objection to the plans both due to the quality of the sculpture and the planned timing of the installation, stating: “We are concerned that this statue of Amy Winehouse should be proposed so soon after her death.
“It often takes some time to devise an appropriate and lasting memorial as well as to provide a really suitable venue. We are not necessarily impressed by Scott Eaton’s statue and certainly feel that a much better venue could be found. The proposal certainly seems to have far more commercial aims than the simple one of remembering Amy.”
However, according to Sky News, Winehouse’s father Mitch supported the decision. “Amy was in love with Camden, and it is the place her fans from all over the world associate her with,” he said. “The family have always been keen to have a memorial for her in the place she loved the most, which will provide fans a place to visit and bring extra custom to local businesses.”
He added: “The Roundhouse seemed an obvious choice of location as Amy had a special relationship with the venue. She played there with Paul Weller when the venue re-opened in October 2006 and her last public performance was on the same stage just days before she passed away in July 2011.”
On May 10, it was revealed that Winehouse will be honoured with a 10-week exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Camden. Titled ‘Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait’, the exhibition is billed as “personal and intimate” and has been assembled with the help of the singer’s brother Alex and sister-in-law Riva. It opens on July 3 and runs until September 15.