15 September 2014
Newsdesk
On her 31st birthday, family, friends, neighbours and fans gathered to pay an emotional tribute to Amy Winehouse today and unveil a permanent statue at Camden's Stables Market.
3 years since her tragic death, the extraordinary affection for Amy in her home town and around the world remains. Amy moved to Camden Town at the age of 16 to pursue her music career and lived on Camden Square at the time of her death. From a talented young singer chasing her dreams, to an international superstar and one of the most revered performers Britain has ever produced, Amy remained rooted in Camden.
Now the Amy Winehouse Foundation, set up by her family in the wake of her death, is helping thousands of young people to ensure her legacy continues to reach out from Camden to the world.
The statue is life size and Amy is depicted standing in an iconic pose, hand on her hip providing an unmistakable silhouette.
Sculpted by Scott Eaton, the life size bronze stands 175cm including high heels and beehive.
"A mutual friend introduced me to Amy's father Mitch,” says Scott, “We met to talk about my work, the design process and ideas for the sculpture. I developed a few drawings and we took things from there.
"I’ve always been a fan of Amy’s music and have the utmost respect for her as an artist. From a sculptor’s perspective, Amy has an amazing style and energy.
"My sketchbooks are full of hundreds of subtle variations on how she would stand. The pose had to capture Amy’s attitude and strength, but also give subtle hints of insecurity. The hand on the hip, the turn of the head, the grabbing of the skirt, the turned in foot – these are all small elements that contribute to the personality of the piece.
"The design is not based on any single snapshot, photo or moment in time, but an amalgamation of influences. Hopefully by taking many important moments in her history and drawing on those, the piece comes close to capturing the essence of Amy. Similarly her wardrobe is a collection of influences, informed by her style but not an exact copy of any particular piece.”
Mitch Winehouse added “It is incredibly emotional to see Amy immortalised like this, but Scott has done an amazing job in capturing her. It is like stopping her in a beautiful moment in time. The Winehouse family are very grateful to Scott and we really hope Amy’s fans love the statue. We want to remind everyone of her talent and that her legacy, through her music and the Amy Winehouse Foundation, carries on. Camden meant a lot to Amy and vice versa and to have her forever standing at the heart of the hustle and bustle of that area just fits."
Set up in Amy’s name after her tragic passing in 2011, the Amy Winehouse Foundation works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people. It also aims to support, inform and inspire vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to help them reach their full potential.
