Look… its a bloody giant horse!
Upping the stakes for stupidly big public artworks around the UK, that make claim to the name “Angel of the __”, a giant big horse is now set to be taking up the sky in the Springhead Park area of Kent, and thus has been given the moniker ”Angel of the South”.
Handout from London Communication Agency shows a computer-generated image of a 50-metre (164-foot) tall horse that was named the winner of a two-million-pound public art commission in south east England.
From a three strong shortlist for the Ebbsfleet Lanmark project, the former Turner Prize winner, and Trafalgar Square plinth artist Mark Wallinger, whose work I have to admit that I do actually like, was selected.
“This is a tremendously exciting project,”(Wallinger)
The horse 33 times life size, and twice the height of Antony Gormley’s 66ft (20m) high Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead (unveiled in 1998). Now, I’m sure the competing artists work was equally as good, and I’m not one to suggest this was an easy pick, but, a prancing white horse is the logo for the county council and has been the symbol of Kent for hundreds of years! However, I am sure that played no part in the judges decision making.
This project has been receiving media coverage:
BBC Video Interview with artist.
A BBC Video showing the unveiling of a model of the horse at Swan Valley Community School in Swanscombe in Kent, can be seen at that link.
Yahoo News.
BBC News
France 24.com
Rachel Campbell-Johnston. 2008. Mark Wallinger’s big bold horse wins hands down for Ebsfleet site The Times. May 8, 2008.
I think Wallinger’s choice was by far the best… Mark Wallinger’s a great artist and this will be a popular choice. Of course now the brickbats will come, just as they have done for Gormley’s Angel.
I think you’re right… I’m however a big fan of Gormley’ Angel, and of Mark Wallingers previous work. I love large outdoor sculpture… I do find it amusing though that size seems to be the main comparative point!
I’d like to point out that there is already another ‘Angel of the South’ (I guess it will become known as Angel of the South West, or Westcountry)…. Its the famous Willow Man by the M5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Man
They are all brilliant icons of Contemporary British Art.