My elder daughter has chosen Impressionism as the theme for her GCSE Art exam next month, so today we visited the National Gallery in London for some inspiration.While we were there we saw the latest work of art to be exhibited on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square - Model for a Hotel 2007 by Thomas Shutte. It adds a bit of colour to an otherwise fairly grey landscape but I preferred Alison Lapper Pregnant by Marc Quinn.
There is an exhibition in the National Gallery of the six shortlisted models for the next Fourth Plinth and an opportunity to express your preference. Antony Gormley, of whom I am an admirer, as is my fellow blogger Steve Broadway, would like to exhibit members of the public 24 hours a day for 1 hour each. His entry is entitled One and Other and he got my vote. ‘Through elevation onto the plinth and removal from common ground’, explains Gormley, ‘the subjective living body becomes both representation and representative, encouraging consideration of diversity, vulnerability and the individual in contemporary society’. Over a period of 12 months 8,760 people would take part and, if he wins, I'd love to be one of them.
My second favourite was Tracey Emin's Meerkats (Something for the Future). You can see them all and cast your vote by following the links from the Fourth Plinth website above.
I think the whole concept of the Fourth Plinth is brilliant and should be encouraged.
I love the idea of being part of the Fourth Plinth! I'd definitely opt for Antony Gormley's proposals and, like you, would welcome an opportunity to be one of the 8,760! It looks as if there would safety nets (phew!) but I think it's important to get absolute confirmation that he wouldn't want to turn us into metal figures or that I'd have to take off my clothes!
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