The Shark House is one of Oxford’s favourite landmarks . Its mostly associated with the late Bill Heine and the artist who made it is often forgotten. John Buckley is not as celebrated as he should be . Bill was an early inhabitant of Oxtopia . When I cast him away to my desert island John’s sculpture Embrace was his chosen object.
When John created Embrace in 1988, they talked about taking it to Germany and putting it on the Berlin Wall but the wall came down. When I interviewed them I said, ‘But there’s a divisive wall much closer – in Belfast’. They liked the idea and explored it and I wrote this poem about it. (See Below) The Mayor of Belfast was happy to have it in a park but not ON the wall so it is still in John’s studio.
Embrace by Sylvia Vetta
Joined at the hip; you have tasted the apple.
whatever the tension, whatever the pain
Be bound -wrapped around -inseparable.
In tender embrace you struggle.
you ask why and how you became
joined at the hip; you have tasted the apple.
From different communities you blame
the other, you fight, you cry, you soften,
you are bound – wrapped around -inseparable.
One from the church; the other the chapel.
A fateful kiss and God willing amen
joined at the hip; you have tasted the apple.
With distrust and hate you wrestle
as your bindings stiffen.
You are bound – wrapped around – inseparable.
Stand upon the wall and be a symbol.
Bask in sun, survive the rain and remain,
joined at the hip; you have tasted the apple.
Be bound – wrapped around – inseparable.
