What's rocking up on the fourth plinth?

So today, the 23^rd February saw the most recent sculpture to grace the fourth plinth being installed. It was a delightful day for the installation, the clear blue skies set off the intriguing work to great effect.

The sculpture is by artists Elmgreen and Dragset. This dynamic duo work within the medium of sculptural and architectural installations and the fourth plinth must have been a tantalising opportunity for their particular brand. They have experienced increased critical acclaim and success during the 2000's. And their successful proposal for the fourth plinth which has been host to work by other significant contemporary artists including Marc Quinn and Antony Gormley will no doubt add to this.

There is a self-evident playfulness to this work particularly when set up against the serious and intentionally awe-inspiring equestrian sculptures on the other plinths in Trafalgar Square.

The sculpture is intended to act as an alternative to this visual language which refers to victory and power. Instead, this joyful sculpture creates a ‘non-powerful’ element within the square, suggesting that life is not always about victory or defeat.

The sculpture is just a new layer in the rich heritage of the fourth plinth of which here are just a couple of my favourite examples.

Marc Quinn, Alison Lapper pregnant, 2005

Thomas Schütte Model for a Hotel 2007

And Finally ...

Yinka Shonibare, Ship in a Bottle, 2011

A campaign has been launched by the Art Fund to purchase Ship in a Bottle for the National Maritime museum for information visit : http://www.artfund.org/ship/

Recommended Read

If you are planning a visit to the unmissable Lucian Freud exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery then I thoroughly recommend Martin Gayford’s ‘Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud’.

It gives a fantastic insight into this artist world and working practice and will help you brush up your knowledge before the exhibition.

The painting ‘Man with a Blue Scarf’ is even included among the exhibits.

Lucian Freud, Man with a Blue Scarf, oil on canvas, Private Collection

Rather spookily this was the book that I was reading when I read in the paper that Lucian Freud had passed away.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Blue-Scarf-Sitting-Portrait/dp/0500238758


P.S. If you want a ticket for the Lucian Freud exhibition I would get in there quickly on http://www.npg.org.uk/freudsite/ as they are selling like hotcakes!