She describes her style as whimsical and edgy, but Ladysmith artist Sally Mann’s sculpture of a mermaid Pamela Anderson might be her most outlandish creation yet.
The larger-than-life tribute was listed for sale last week, meaning oddity seekers and fans of the Ladysmith celebrity can take it home for $2,800.
Perched atop Mann’s garden, the mermaid overlooks a wealth of curious creations. For want of space, the artist has decided the sculpture needs to go.
“Why am I selling it? I live in a mobile home — there just isn’t room, I need the money, starving artist that I am,� said Mann.
Originally priced at $4,500, the sculpture was created entirely of recycled materials.
About 200 aluminum cans were used to make the shiny scales of her fin, as well as the curls that tumble from her head.
Mann created the sculpture last spring, to be shown in a local gallery during a marine-themed exhibition.
A metal frame wrapped in chicken wire provided the base for the papier-mâché creation.
Using her own glue mixture to make the skin, the result was a strong and durable likeness of Anderson, gazing longingly into a vanity mirror.
The 66-year-old’s garden has become a gallery of the bizarre, reflective of the artist’s style.
Clay goblins and human-faced snails line the backyard water fountains.
Surrealistic paintings, frightening flower pots and a twig creation of Lady Smith sit as creative subjects below the mermaid Pamela’s throne.
Mann traces her infatuation with the mystical sea creatures back to some cinematic sculptures she made during a stint in school.
“I went back to college as a mature student in the U.K. in the early ’90s. One of the projects we were given was to make some sculptures based on a movie, so I chose Splash,� she said. “I’ve been doing them ever since.�
In keeping with the recycled materials used in many of her latest creations, Mann has been harvesting discarded dining chairs. After stripping them down, she meticulously paints them with animals, scenery, and of course, mermaids.
But beyond showing her creations at local exhibits, there haven’t been many chances for Mann’s creations to trade their garden dream world for a proper art gallery.
Instead, collectors can peruse the Ladysmith artist’s listings on Craigslist.