Public Sculpture

Commercial Sculpture, Tree would be better Felipe!
Political left, perhaps and for Art’s sake on the right?
These two are more practical, drinking fountain, for both two and four legged creatures; subject of a future post for Chris above and a shelter for lunch below?
but is it Sculpture or Architecture?
Rudy Weller’s ‘The Horses of Helios’

With Felipe’s article still around amongst a pile of other useless paper work I need to think this through.

I am worried about this word ‘Statue’. The Oxford dictionary’s definition is;


“Animal or human figure approaching or exceeding life size, carved or modelled, in the round.”

Sculpture is less specific with little limitations of subject, stype (new word, meaning; subject style and type), size or technique and even includes relief.

Monument is just an aide to remember the past and includes almost any object.

Portrait – in conjunction with one or more of the above becomes more accurate in many cases.

So a Henry Moore is a sculpture. Eros in Piccadilly is a statue not a portrait. Rodin’s Balzac is a statue, portrait and monument. All are sculpture and all are Art.

So where does Political statement come in?

Victory on the Brandenburg Gates/ Peace in her quadriga Hyde Park Corner

White slave

So where does statement of an idea come in?

Eros, Shaftesbury Memorial Piccadilly Circus

So where does ornament fit in? And the practical ones above?

Perhaps’ also in Piccadilly Circus, those horses by Rudy Weller picture at the top.

So where does Art for Art’s sake come in?

And does it have to have some sort of message?

Can we get away with?

‘I like this, I hope you do too’.

Something like the Chapman Brothers might do for us! No? Then it is a question of taste?

2 Responses to Public Sculpture

  1. chris miller July 23, 2008 at 1:58 am #

    So — how did you feel about the Horses of Helios?

    And … do you know anything more about Weller?

  2. Robert July 23, 2008 at 9:00 am #

    A welcome surprise for a 21c work I suppose. It’s well executed, impossible to see in the round or at a distance because of its location. I know nothing of Weller except what is on the internet, but as you know I am very ignorant of contemporary sculptors world wide so that means nothing. If I manage to get a better angled photo without being run-down by a London bus I will next time I am in London. The problem is that there are usually lots of people in front of it too.