Two views of Rowan Gillespie's Titanica.
Titanica is portrayed as a female figure symbolising hope and positive renewal by sculptor Rowan Gillespie. His newly unveiled work is located outside the remarkable Titanic building in Belfast, a structure which calls to mind both an iceberg and the prow of a ship. The Irish sculptor, who is influenced by sculptor Henry Moore and painter Edvard Munch, was inspired by the female figureheads which historically rested on the bows of ships as a symbol of good fortune. Dublin based Gillespie created the Famine sculptures on Dublin’s Custom House Quay and has had work commissioned throughout Ireland and internationally from Moscow to Toronto, Denver and Los Angeles.
Solomon Fine Art is offering a limited number of maquettes of Rowan Gillespie’s ‘Titanica’ sculpture, which was cast in an edition of 25 copies. Each one is priced at 2,750 euro. Since it opened on March 31 Titanic Belfast, which tells the story of her conception in the early 1900’s through the construction, launch, maiden voyage, catastrophic sinking with the loss of over 1,500 lives exactly 100 years ago today and the discovery of the wreck, has attracted 40,000 visitors.
A ticket to the launch of Titanic made $56,250 at Bonhams in New York. A first class dinner menu sold for $31,250. Both went to American collectors. The New York auction of 5,000 artefacts salvaged from Titanic scheduled to be held this month has been put on hold. Talks about the purchase of the entire collection owned by RMS Titanic Inc. are ongoing.