The Plinth of Darkness
The Independent runs a piece on public reaction to the new statue on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth – Alison Lapper Pregnant.
Acclaim for the installation is almost universal. Ken Livingstone said “This is a work about courage, beauty, and defiance, which represents all that is best about our great city.”
What possessed Louise Jury, the Independent’s arts correspondent, to ask Stephen Green for his opinion is anyone’s guess. He seized the opportunity to have an irrelevant pop at the Labour government before going on to say that he thought the statue was “indecent”:
it would have been better to do a statue of her with her kit on. It’s a pity he had to do an indecent statue. She has her breasts and other bits hanging out. We need more modesty in our nation, not less.
Deep, Stephen. Very deep.
(Thanks to Peter)
Since that made up comment from John Beyer a while back, I can’t tell if these quotes are made up or not……
I also had to check you hadn’t made that quote up. These people are beyond satire.
“… her breasts and other bits hanging out.”
Which other bits hang out???
Must resist “well, it’s not her arms” pun…
I have to admit that the whole deal makes me feel quite uncomfortable – the comments from Red Ken are just as PC (and sickening) as Green. I don’t think of it any more indecent than, say, David, but it almost seems to glorify disability which is probably just as bad as hiding it. At least Nelson kept his kit on…
He surely can’t have said that. Maybe louise Jury was taking the piss out of him.
Or is he trying out a new laddish vernacular to try to win over more converts?
Marc – I dunno, I think it’s as much about what constitutes beauty. I’ve seen interviews with Quinn where he specifically contrasts reactions to the Venus de Milo and other mutilated artworks from classical antiquity – which are so often held up as examples of physical and aesthetic perfection – with those generally experienced by a real person with no arms, such as Lapper. That’s plenty good enough for me.
I too am struggling with the “other bits hanging out”. I must make a trip down to London in the hope of seeing some flange.