The fourth plinth.
It’s stood empty in London’s Trafalgar Square for 160 years, since 1841, when it was originally slated to hold a standard equestrian military figure. But funds ran out and no one ever got around to filling it.
But for the past several years the Fourth Plinth Commission has used it as a changing art exhibit with figures raised and razed regularly. The most famous, perhaps, was a figure of Christ called “Ecce Homo”. Madame Tussaud’s slid a figure of David Beckham on the plinth during the World Cup, and one temporary installation was called a “dirty fishbowl” by the press. Every other year the call goes out for a new piece, and the suggestions have been fascinating.
(Photo from the BBC website)
Charles Dickens’ great grandson wants the plinth to hold the likeness of the author. Not a bad idea. The Engineering and Technology Board supports a proposal to honor British Engineers on the pedestal. One website advocated turning it into extra parking spaces. There were the predictable calls for figures of the Queen Mum and Princess Diana.
Now it’s voting time for the next piece to go up. You can see and vote for the shortlisted six at http://www.fourthplinth.co.uk/index.htm
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