The Fourth Plinth

[awlrite4now]

This is in London's Trafalgar Square, where a series of different statues has been presented on the empty plinth where another war hero was originally scheduled to stand.

Currently, there is the work of Marc Quinn on the plinth: Alison Lapper Pregnant.



How do you view this statue of a pregnant, obviously disabled, woman?

[maggiethecat]

Putting aside whether it's possible to take political correctness too far, in the end the only judgement should be: Is it good art?

Uh . . . no.

Modified to Add: Sorry, but I should have explained what I meant by not good art. The sculptor, in what I can only imagine is his attempt to be controversial, has lavished infinite care and detail in portraying Alison Lapper's body . . . and left vague and expressionless her face. As a result, we know nothing about the woman of whom this is meant to be a depiction. Not good art.

[kytdunne]

awlrite4now said:

How do you view this statue of a pregnant, obviously disabled, woman?

"Why?" seems to be the best question. After reading Quinn's comments at www.fourthplinth.co.uk/marc_quinn.htm, all I'm left with is the impression that the naked pregnant lady is statue-worthy by dint of birth and pregnancy. Which brings me right back to: Why?

I don't see the reason, the need or the appeal.

Kyt

[housemouse]

kytdunne said:

awlrite4now said:

How do you view this statue of a pregnant, obviously disabled, woman?

"Why?" seems to be the best question. After reading Quinn's comments at www.fourthplinth.co.uk/marc_quinn.htm, all I'm left with is the impression that the naked pregnant lady is statue-worthy by dint of birth and pregnancy. Which brings me right back to: Why?

I don't see the reason, the need or the appeal.

Kyt

I agree that the obvious question is "why", not just why create and display the art; but why start this thread now while the board is in the throes of the ticker controversy? Could there be a connection?

[awlrite4now]

Actually, there IS a connection, but not to anything on this board, other than the post about Dans Le Nuit. I saw a discussion on the BBC Ouch webpage, and the guy who did the restaurant review also reviewed the statue.

8 May 06, 11:16 AM - "I did not enjoy empathising with blind people"
Posted by Crippled Monkey

Remember Rod Liddle, the Sunday Times writer who caused uproar amongst disabled people last September (not least on Ouch's messageboard) when he offered his opinion on the then newly-unveiled statue of Alison Lapper Pregnant in Trafalgar Square by criticising the very idea that we should want to look upon such a work of art? At the time, he concluded his diatribe with the following words:

"I do not like the statue of Lapper in Trafalgar Square. Not because, as some critics have argued, it is a poor work of art by Marc Quinn; 'slimy' and 'machine made'. I do not like it because I do not wish to revel in disability. I do not think disability is something that deserves a 'tribute'."

Yes, you remember him now, don't you? He's difficult to forget. Well, the good (?) news is that, this weekend, he was back on his favourite subject - us. This time, it was under the guise of reviewing the new Dans Le Noir restaurant in London, the place where diners eat in the dark and are served by blind staff.

Now, considering that the article appears in the newspaper's Table Talk section, you'd think Mr Liddle's review would offer some opinion about the restaurant - the food, the service, the ambience. And it does. Basically, he doesn't like any of it. Fine. That's his opinion. But in between these comments, Rod Liddle can't resist sharing his views on blind people, just as he did about physically disabled people in his earlier article. He concludes with these words:

"In all, I did not enjoy empathising with blind people. Nor did I expect to. Perhaps, though, you are not meant to enjoy the experience. Perhaps you are merely intended to leave the restaurant a little wiser and a little humbler ... Meanwhile, I will soon be setting up a restaurant where the diners are encased in straitjackets and the waiters are all amputees."

Crippled Monkey won't be inviting Rod round for dinner any time soon, that's for certain.

It was an interesting debate (or so I thought), and I put it up on "In the News" just for that reason. Any other would be speculation on someone else's part.

[inuvik]

I don't have a problem with the art either. Any public art is a good thing IMO. I'm all for it. And if it stirs debate, that's even better--I think that can be a wonderful function of art.

At the risk of causing controversy (we never have any on this Board, of course )--Alice, why did you post two topics (this one and the restaurant one), ask for everyone's opinion, but not give your own? I think when someone expects others to open up and share it's only fair to let us know what you think too.

I appreciate both these topics though, I especially enjoyed the restaurant one.

[awlrite4now]

inuvik said:

I don't have a problem with the art either. Any public art is a good thing IMO. I'm all for it. And it it stirs debate, that's even better--I think that can be a wonderful function of art.

At the risk of causing controversy (we never have any on this Board, of course )--Alice, why did you post two topics (this one and the restaurant one), ask for everyone's opinion, but not give your own? I think when someone expects others to open up and share it's only fair to let us know what you think too.

I appreciate both these topics though, I especially enjoyed the restaurant one.

I wanted to put the information out there without prejudice from my point of view. Now that others have made their statements, I feel ok about making mine without anyone having to be obliged to agree.

So here's my thoughts about the piece on the Fourth Plinth: I am not in love with it at all. This piece has been likened to the Venus de Milo. Uh, not exactly, in my opinion. I've never been fond of any nude statues, not even Michaelangelo's David, or the Greek and Roman stuff. Part of that is due to my own feelings about modesty. I didn't take figure drawing in college because I was not comfortable with the nude models. I'm not a prude, however. It's just not my taste.

As a statement, the piece does its job. It draws the viewer to form an opinion. Sculpture-wise, it's a good likeness of the model. Why the subject chooses to show herself this way is beyond me. I would say the same thing about a person with regular limbs. Ms. Lapper is certainly not shy about her own body, as attested to her website; she has an entire gallery of photos of herself nude. Good for her! They do nothing for me except make me more aware of my own physical flaws and my own need to keep them covered up from public view.

There you have it, for what it's worth.