Swan on the lake

A 12ft black swan is puzzling visitors to Corby Boating Lake.
This huge black swan has appeared at Corby Boating Lake NNL-160408-134409001This huge black swan has appeared at Corby Boating Lake NNL-160408-134409001
This huge black swan has appeared at Corby Boating Lake NNL-160408-134409001

The art sculpture appeared by the side of the lake in Cottingham Road a week ago with no immediate explanation.

Now Corby Council have confirmed that it’s an art installation that is part of the Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Beyond Seven Mountains project.

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And the giant bird is dividing opinion among visitors to the lake.

Andrew Morcott, 34, regularly visits the lake to walk his dog. He said: “I think it’s really nice. Corby doesn’t have much art and I think it would be nice if it were permanent.”

Marley Smith, seven, was feeding ducks by the lake yesterday (Thursday). She said: “I like it. I got a shock when I first saw it though.”

And mum Serena Mackay, 24, said: “It seems a bit sinister to me.”

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The swan will be in residence at the lake until Monday, October 31.

An official explanation about the presence of the swan from Corby Council states: “The artist, Kenny Hunter, employs anthropomorphism to explore cultural changes within our modern environment, and their relationship to the social and artistic legacies of the past. The Swan has many modern symbolic associations.

“However, before the discovery of Australia, Europeans were convinced that all Swans were white, and the phrase ‘Black Swan’ was a common expression as a statement of impossibility.

“The discovery of black swans in 1697 invalidated this long held belief.

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“In 2007, N.N. Taleb coined the phrase ‘Black Swan Theory’ to describe any event that is unexpected and makes a strong impact, against the prevailing view of the time. In this sense, Hunter’s Black Swan sculpture, looking out across the Boating Lake, stands as a metaphor against the prevailing view held by many of Corby.”

Still not sure what all this means? Us neither!

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