Controversial sculpture finally removed from Kirkcaldy Esplanade

Renowned artist David Mach, who created and installed the commissioned piece entitled ‘Phantom” in 2015, has this morning removed the piece following fears over public safety.

In August Fife Council took the decision to fence off the sculpture, which sits outside Morrisons supermarket at the western entrance to the town, after reports of nails and other debris falling from the piece.

The artist has now taken the artwork, which has referred to by one Kirkcaldy councillor as looking like a “whale’s penis”, to a secure indoor location and has promised to replace the Phantom with a new artwork more appropriately designed to withstand the Fife weather.

The sculpture was commissioned at a cost of £35,000 as part of the planning consent granted for the building of the Morrisons store in 2013.

The Methil born artist, who is famous for public artworks including Big Heids on the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Brick Train built using 185,000 bricks in Darlington,said he expected to have a replacement for Kirkcaldy buy the summer of 2019.