Fourth Plinth - visitors to Trafalgar Square may have noticed that one of the four plinths lacks a statue. This was largely because, having put up the plinth, the authorities ran out of money. Fast-forward 160 years and they've finally raised the funds prompting a considerable amount of media frenzy on just what should be there.

Last year I listened to a very heated debate on the radio where most of the callers (largely sad little middle-englanders) were spluttering with outrage at some of the suggested designs shown on this site. Most of them were appalled at the thought that a politically-focussed sculpture might possibly occupy the same space as the statues of three men whom few of them knew anything about.

Now, personally I'm not too captivated by any of these designs either. However what NONE of the callers mentioned (and I didn't know until I read it on this site) was that the winning design will only be on the plinth for about a year as part of a scheme to showcase the work of new British artists. And I can certainly live with something for a year - I've got better things to get outraged about.

Don't you just love it when the media whips up a storm by only presenting part of the story?

And gee, aren't we lucky that doesn't happen all the time.

posted at 8:54 PM
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