The Portsmouth Markers sculpture series on Southsea seafront has been completed with a sixth piece by original artist John Maine RA, replacing one that vanished in the late 1970s.
The renowned stone sculpture collection, which has adorned five spots along Southsea’s coastline since 1974, originally comprised six pieces before one went missing from its position in the late seventies.
Portsmouth City Council commissioned John Maine to craft a replacement sculpture, dubbed Portsmouth Marker 2025, reuniting it with the five markers he originally created over half a century ago.
The new installation sits on the promenade near the Pyramids as part of the council’s artistic initiative within the Southsea Coastal Scheme.
Maine, now an internationally acclaimed artist in his eighties, explained: “The Portsmouth Markers have been positioned to highlight significant points along the coastline.
“The Solent’s nearby island fortresses and navigational beacons create rhythmic intervals across the sea’s vast stretch, which influenced my sculptural approach to landscape design.
“The gaps between the stones form part of the narrative. I’m convinced that such modest interventions can profoundly affect how we interpret the entire landscape.
“It’s delightful to return to this project after such a lengthy interval and create a fresh mark upon the landscape.”
Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt commented:
“For five decades, the Portsmouth Markers have stood as distinctive features of our waterfront.
“These sculptures represent the sole surviving pieces from a 1974 city-wide sculpture exhibition, making it wonderful to witness the complete collection restored through this latest addition as part of our current coastal defence works.”
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The sixth marker positioned near the Pyramids now reunites with its companions at The Point, Hotwalls Studios, Spur Redoubt, Bandstand Field and Castle Field. Following tradition, it’s hewn from Portland stone.
Arts Council England’s funding made this commission achievable.
