The Fourth Plinth is one of my favourite London landmarks. Taking advantage of a 19th century funding crisis that left the plinth vacant, it became home to temporary artworks in the late 90s before a formal commisoning procedure was put in place around 2005. For those of you who lived or visited London back then, you are bound to remember the confronting Marc Quinn statue of Alison Lapper - people couldn't decide if they were shocked because she suffered from thalidomide, because she was naked or because she was pregnant, or perhaps all three. Personally I really liked it and my love for the fourth plinth project began back then. The current resident is a really cool giant ship in a bottle by Yinka Shonibare and the 2012 and 2013 winners have just been announced. The Anthony Gormley project for the fourth plinth involved inviting members of the public to basically do whatever they liked on top of it, which was also kinda cool. I love Trafalgar Square - I love Nelson's Column, I love the lions, I love the grandeur of the National Gallery and St Martin's in the Fields and I love the view down Whitehall to Big Ben - and for me the fourth plinth is a wonderful and quirky reason to love it even more.
Oh no, that naked pregnant statue was a bit too much for me!!!
ReplyDeleteSally - I think a lot of people found it confronting. I thought it was really beautiful.
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