With public art collections closed we are bringing the art to you, exploring highlights from across the country in partnership with Art UK. Today’s pick: Aldeburgh beach’s Scallop
On the beach near Aldeburgh, Suffolk, a giant scallop shell rises up from the shingle. The sculpture is a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten who lived in Aldeburgh and walked almost daily along the stretch of coastline between there and Thorpeness. It is made by local-born artist Maggi Hambling, an ardent fan of Britten’s music.
Scallop, created in 2003, is formed of two halves of a broken shell, cast in steel. One half stands upright, its sea-facing surface polished and catching the shimmering light. The other half of the shell lies prone, making a sort of platform. Cut high into the sculpture’s upper edge is the line “I hear those voices that will not be drowned” from Hambling’s favourite Britten opera, Peter Grimes.
