AIBU to be absolutely disgusted about the statue in Bristol?

"I really don't know why it would cost thousands of pounds for its removal."

I suppose it would have been cheaper to pull it down and throw it in the harbour

The Mayor of Bristol has said the cost of it's removal will run into thousands of pounds, as the city is currently millions of pounds in deficit

Well, I'm not surprised the city is in deficit if it costs that much to send a lorry with a crane and a few of the council's workmen out to remove it from the plinth. There's some money leaching out somewhere...

I wonder how much it cost Quinn to erect it...

How about the hands of friendship, clasped--one black one white ? Sorted.

That's a lovely idea

Sorry, Cal, you've already made that point X posts

A statement from Bristol Council, regarding the costs involved in removing the statue said

A Bristol City Council spokesperson told the Evening Standard the artist has been told he will be asked to "fund the recovery of the costs" it took to remove the statue. The spokesperson added that the council is still calculating the costs but according to a report by the Times the removal cost the local authority thousands. I will say too – and this is the point I’ve made and it’s not a flippant point – but actually we’re facing a major funding crisis through Covid at the moment as well. We’ve lost revenue and we’ve had increased costs. Local authorities all across the country are talking about the financial crisis.

Which, imo, does make sense.

I made a post of the below on the other thread opened on the Bristol statue removal. However, I feel that Ernest Bevin would be the ideal replacement for the work he did for ALL in Bristol and the United Kingdom.

Repost begins here:-
Ernest Bevin both in his actions for the people of Bristol and for all who reside nationally in Britain would be a wonderfull choice to be commemorated on the plinth.

Bevin was born in 1881 and as part of a farm Labouring family left school at the age of eleven with very little in the way of education. He went to work on Bristols Docks as a labourer where by the time of his early teens he was active in forming the Bristol Carters and Loaders association which did much to promote the raising of working conditions for those labouring on the docks.

Bevin then went on to co-found the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union. and served as it's General Secretary in the years 1922–1940.

It was then that Winston Churchill asked Bevin to join the wartime coalition government as its minister for Labour. In that role, Bevin brought into being the Land Army. which did so much to keep Britain fed throughout the conflict. He also was responsible for transforming almost all of Britain's manufacturing industry to armaments and other essential production that was so needed during those terrible year's.

In 1945 Bevin became Foreign Secretary in the Clement Atlee Labour Government that brought into being the National Health Service and Welfare state that the United Kingdom still so benefits from even today.

Despite being poles apart on the political spectrum Churchill and Bevin became firm allies during those war years both knowing and agreeing on exactly what was required to maintain the United Kindom in being, and through that, leading the world in opposition to tyranny.

On the death of Ernest Bevin in 1951 Winston Churchill spoke in tribute to him, stating, "Bevin had many of the strongest characteristics of the English race. his common sense, his rough simplicity, sturdiness and kind heart, easy geniality and generosity, all are qualities which we who live in this famous island regard with great admiration".

Indeed it can be stated that Ernest Bevin is a person that has stood very large in Bristol's past, and in a Britain that many have wished to migrate too in past years and even until today still wish to live within.

Wikipedia link to Ernest Bevin can be found here:-

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Bevin

Did you feel the same way when the figure of David Beckham was illegally installed on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square or is it just this statue that you have a problem with.
I don't think unreasonable is the right word because people are entitled to feel what they do but 'absolutely disgusted' does sound a bit over the top to the point of Karenish.
There is a lot of art that I dislike, the statue in Lincoln's Inn is an ugly abomination but we are stuck with it because it was chosen by a committee. No art will satisfy everyone. Many people did like that and their views matter too.

honestly? I am amazed by some of the comments here!

Did you feel the same way when the figure of David Beckham was illegally installed on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square or is it just this statue that you have a problem with.

No, not at all Jaycee; I'm ambivalent as to which/any statue is erected in any public place, so long as it's done legally. From what little I know of the 4th plinth in Trafalgar square, it's a space for temporary structures to be erected, once an application has been processed and approved. Or have I got that wrong?

Chewbacca It is only a space for temporary statues because one was put up illegally (Beckham) and when they took it down people complained, so they saw sense and decided to go with public sentiment, so yes, you have got that wrong.

In fact the Beckham one was a waxwork that they 'borrowed' from Tussauds without permission so even more illegal. Sometimes, even officials can see the fun in things and not get too officious.

eazybee

Well, opportunist Marc Quinn has gained a great deal of free publicity.

He neither needs nor seeks the publicity. His works are recognised as valuable works of art. He sells well and he donates to charity holding special auctions for them.

Thank you for updating me Jaycee, as I admitted in my earlier post, I know very little about the 4th plinth but, from what you've said, I'm not sure what I "got wrong".

As the 4th plinth has displayed some interesting and, sometimes controversial works of art that have sparked debate, since 2003, it would seem to have been a success. And surely an idea worth considering for the now empty space in Bristol.

So, Marc Quinn has not stated that he will pay the costs of the statue removal or even confirmed that proceeds from its sale will be donated to charity.

He has been informed however by Bristol City Council that he will be requested to pay the above costs that now run to several thousand pounds.

If a pillar to any person is to once more be placed on the plinth it should be of someone who has worked for the good and benefit of ALL who have resided in Bristol both in the past and present.

People will have different views on that though. The difficulty will be agreeing on that.

If a pillar to any person is to once more be placed on the plinth it should be of someone who has worked for the good and benefit of ALL who have resided in Bristol both in the past and present

That's why I think that artists could apply for their installations to be displayed there on a temporary basis and then, if applicable, they could either be sold or donated to a museum or gallery. It would give all voices a chance to be heard.

One suggestion of many is to erect a statue with a Bristol docker and a tobacco factory woman worker. When I first worked in Bristol over 40 years ago one of my staff told me her dad was a docker. Often he would be between jobs as there was no continuous employment and they had to go without food to pay the rent.

MaizieD

^The Mayor of Bristol has said the cost of it's removal will run into thousands of pounds, as the city is currently millions of pounds in deficit^

Well, I'm not surprised the city is in deficit if it costs that much to send a lorry with a crane and a few of the council's workmen out to remove it from the plinth. There's some money leaching out somewhere...

I wonder how much it cost Quinn to erect it...

I agree...it seems ridiculous to suggest it would cost thousands to remove it!

If a new statue is to put there - and I have doubts about that - then a list should be drawn up and the people of Bristol asked to vote for the one they want. My own vote would be for Hannah More but I think it would be better to leave the plinth empty with perhaps a plaque stating what was there previously and the story of it's subsequent removal.

There have been a lot of suggestions locally about this, one was for the plinth to be completely removed and a tree planted in its place, that it become Bristol's version of Speakers Corner. a statues of Paul Stephenson, Wallace and Gromit or DJ Derek

EllanVannin

How about the hands of friendship, clasped--one black one white ? Sorted.

I think that is the best suggestion yet Ellan ??

If the council have the statue they could always sell it. It will be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
There is a statement from both Jen Reid and Marc Quin on his website. He says
The installed sculpture, A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020, is not-for-profit. If sold, all profit will be donated to two charities chosen by Jen Reid, namely Cargo Classroom, a Black history syllabus created for Bristol teenagers and The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise founded in 2019 by young people to address the lack of Black British history in the UK curriculum.

Oh I really like both those ideas the empty plinth with the story or a speakers corner.

As black artist Larry Achiampong commented:

The point of all of this is about the redistribution of equity, of power. So simply just putting up a sculpture, which looks way better, is not enough. Who’s being given the opportunity, who’s being given the chance? Even if it were this, even if it’s all simply from Marc Quinn’s own money, that still doesn’t matter. Why not actually support some young black artists to make something and put something up there—to give them time, to give them space.

He later added: Sometimes the best thing you can do when you’re part of a problem is stop. Stop. Take your hands away…

As I said, free publicity for Marc Quinn.
The Black Curriculum? Do you remember the attempt to introduce the topic of Benin into the National Curriculum?