Damien Hirst's Verity statue: 'It's a bit Hannibal Lecter'

Residents of Ilfracombe in North Devon offer their forthright views on the controversial artist's latest creation

Damien Hirst's Verity … 'A bit rude … a bit weird.' Photograph: Getty Images

Damien Hirst

We all know that art often causes controversy, both for the public "viewer" by experts.

The Guardian article, it is precisely this. It talks about Damien Hirst, an English artist associated with Young British Artists,
In fact what is at issue is a work of his own, called Verity. This large-scale work is currently in Ilfracombe in North Devon.

The work is a metal sculpture showing the figure of a pregnant woman divided in two. Showing the "side A" and "B side" of pregnancy. That is one part sample to the unborn female human figure and anatomy to the other recoated, as seen clearly part of the skull, uterus, mammary gland, fetus, modified muscle during pregnancy.

This duality has led local people Ilfracombe hold different opinions about it, because many will concideran uncomfortably grotesque. Moreover consider the artist as a pseudo Hannibal Lecter, and much of his work are dissections of various specimens in formalin.

While in the area there are several positions on this sculpture, appreciate the increase in tourism in the town. However, there are local people as Rob Verity Lawson who considers as "One half of her is calm, beautiful, the other half is provocative - the human as an animal."