The Blessed Sturgeon Larry

Dimensions:
Height: 13 feet, Diameter: 6 feet

Weight:

900 lbs

Materials Used:
Ferrous Steel

Techniques Used:
Arc-Welded

Description:
“The Blessed Sturgeon Larry”  is a companion piece to Salvador Dali’s Surrealist painting “Santiago El Grande”, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery’s most treasured possession.  The Blessed Sturgeon Larry is also a parody of “The Blessed Virgin Mary”.  Santiago (St. James the Apostle) was  nephew to The Virgin Mary and a first cousin to Jesus.  Santiago spiritually lead the successful crusade that purged the Muslim Moores from Spain, thus saving Christianity in Europe.

What the artist is trying to say:

The Whirligig Sculpture “The Blessed Sturgeon Larry” has the three defining symbols of Santiago.  They are the “scollop shells” that capture the wind, the “walking staff” of the devout pilgrim, and the “Warrior Crusader Cross of Santiago”.  Larry also bows his head to the “Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch” so that he might blow his enemies to bits.  Just like the real Virgin Mary, Larry has a stainless steel halo denoting his sacred Holiness.  Lastly, Larry is a proud New Brunswick native as his 14 lateral scutes honour the province’s 14 Counties.  Ironically, the scutes bear a strong resemblance to Irving signs.  Larry is dangerously close to God.

Ode to the Blessed Sturgeon Larry
by Dr. John Blanchard

Hail him, Salem, high and low,
Make a fracas howl and blow,
Larry lies way down below.

Acipenser his Holy name,
Anadromous prayer his ancient game,
Larry seeks not worldly fame.

Bony scutes in five rows,
Blunted snout where under grows,
Barbels hung like goblin’s toes.

From the time when coal was fern,
Larry’s Line has had to learn,
That life dances back towards the worm.

Larry’s karma knows not time,
His ancient jig fits Darwin’s rhyme,
Larry mocks the Devil’s mime.

Larry’s Line is long and old,
Ancient blood runs slow and cold,
Larry’s flesh is cut and sold.

Larry knows what Larry knows,
And Larry goes where Larry goes,
A sturgeon’s truths will not fit in prose.

From the dark and watery deeps,
A lonely vigil Larry keeps,
For man’s failings, Larry weeps.

Hear you now Larry’s Lament!

Weep for your father’s father’s,
Weep for your mother’s mother’s,
Weep for your children’s children,

Weep for the muddy waters,
Weep for the burning land,
Weep for the long night to follow,

From darkness into darkness,
Now the flame burns blinding bright,
To take you back into the night.

Hail him, Salem, high and low,
Make a fracas howl and blow,
Larry lies way down below.

(The general meaning is that mankind is consuming all the worlds natural resources so rapidly that ultimately humanity will go extinct.  Deep dwelling fish will continue to thrive just as they did 200 million years before the rise of  humanity). For man’s failings Larry weeps…