As is to expected, the proposed massive-but-ethereal sculpture by Anthony Gormley for Dublin's Docklands is getting a varied response. This in today from Archiseek:
Public opinion against Gormley's "dub in the tub"
Public opinion on the Irish architecture website, Archiseek.com, is very much against the proposed Anthony Gormley statue for installation in the river Liffey. The sculpture, a figure rising 48m from the river Liffey, has been widely panned by architects and general public alike.
One described it as: "the idea of a sculpture like this should be to be bold and inspiring but this achieves neither, the artist seems to be tryin to hide it by making it basically see-through despite its gargantuan size and its not inspiring as it looks like some guy shuffling into the corner afraid of being seen(taking a piss)!" [sic]
Another longterm member suggested "It probably wouldn't be as bad if didn't look like he was taking a piss. Maybe facing philsophically out towards the Irish Sea would be better". While another asked "is this the emptiness Archbishop Brady was talking about?"
"Gormley is not a great sculpture in the sense of a sculpture who is also a great craftsman... he is just another example of someone getting away with bad craft by calling it Art and making it large scale."
Archiseek.com calls on the DDDA to release details of the unsuccessful artwork in order to better appreciate the choice of Gormley as sculptor. Art needs public debate, and simply foisting an unpopular piece on Dublin, using public money, without some sort of public consultation is unteneable. We need to see the alternative schemes.
After the ongoing debacle of the U2 Tower competition, it is clear that the DDDA selection process for anything other than the banal, is flawed, and the other proposals should be published immediately to calm fears that Gormley was chosen simply for his name and artistic cachet.
About Archiseek.com
Archiseek.com is an Irish-based architecture portal, started in 1997, and now one of the top ten architecture websites on the Internet. With over 2 million page views per month, and an Irish newsletter that reaches over 5,000 subscribers per week, Archiseek.com is the most widely read Irish architecture publication.
Further Information
Paul Clerkin, Publisher, Archiseek.com
pclerkin@archiseek.com
The proposed work has evolved from Gormley's work Field (1991 to 2003) which was exhibited in IMMA in 1993. Field comprised of an installation of 35,000 tiny clay sculptures which looked up at the viewer. The final form of the proposed work has, however, yet to be decided. This will be the result of ongoing discussions between the research team and the artist. The work is subject to planning permission but if granted construction will start in 2008, take 8 months to build and cost in the region of €1.6 million.
For more on the sculpture and response, try Google.
