Artist confident his 'Albatross' work will grow on Aucklanders

By NICOLA BOYES

The city's newest piece of artwork has been unveiled and the verdicts from people passing it in the street are mainly, "What is it? Seagulls?"

The response is not surprising, says the artist responsible for the 6m stainless steel sculpture dubbed Flight trainer for Albatross.

Auckland-born Greer Twiss said most people said the same thing when another of his artworks went up in the city more than 30 years ago.

His bronze Karangahape Rd Fountain turned heads when it was unveiled in 1969.

Twiss said the new sculpture, which is sited at Quay St's pedestrian entry to Princes Wharf, is a metaphor for conservation and the plight of the albatross.

He said 90 per cent of New Zealanders looking at artwork probably never gave much thought to what the work represented.

The piece was gifted to the city by the Auckland City Sculpture Trust.