David Shrigley, Really Good at Trafalgar Square, via Art Observed

Towering over London’s Trafalgar Square, David Shrigley’s Really Good has made its appearance atop one of the most coveted spaces for public art in the city of London, bringing with it the artist’s signature brand of irreverent and multivalent humor that leaves any number of interpretive avenues open for the everyday viewer.  Several years in the making, the work, an immense thumbs-up with a comically long thumb jutting up from the base of the sculpture, comes at a time when London’s position of global prominence seems in need of some healthy optimism, a note that Shrigley’s sculpture offers in ample (albeit strangely amplified) doses. (more…)

The shortlist for the next installation on London’s Fourth Plinth has been released, calling on the public for “lively debate.”  Featuring works by David Shrigley, Hans Haacke, and Ugo Rondinone, among others, small maquettes of the sculptures are currently on view at The Crypt, St Martin-in-the Fields.  “The placing of challenging artwork amidst the historic surroundings of Trafalgar Square creates a delicious juxtaposition that gets people talking and debating, underpinning London’s reputation as a great world city for culture.”  Boris Johnson, London’s Mayor, said. (more…)

Six artists have been named in the shortlist to produce the latest in the rolling series of sculptures featured on Trafalgar Square’s empty Fourth Plinth – including British artists David Shrigley, Mark Leckey and Marcus Coates. Competing for time slots in 2015 and 2016, two artists from the shortlist will be selected early next year.  Miniature versions of the proposed works will be on display in nearby church St. Martin-in-the-Fields starting September 25. (more…)

Artist Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock has been unveiled on London’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.  The unveiling yesterday caps several months of debate and protest over the deceptively subversive statue, and Mayor Boris Johnson took the opportunity to make several double-entendre driven quips about Prime Minister David Cameron.  “If you were to Google the sculpture in a few years’ time,” Johnson said, “search engines would collapse at the behest of the prime minister. Er, quite properly of course.” (more…)

Local Planning Committee the Thorney Island Society has raised objections over the proposed installation of artist Katharina Fritsch’s bright blue cockerel sculpture on London’s Fourth Plinth.  Taking umbrage with the work’s apparent “innappropriate” placement in Trafalgar Square, the group is taking action to prevent its installation. “We cannot see any logical reason for the proposed sculpture to be placed on the fourth plinth. It is unrelated to the context of Trafalgar Square and adds nothing to it but a feeble distraction.”  The group said in a statement. (more…)

Via Telegraph

In the center of London, Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth will display sculptures of a bronze boy on a rocking horse in 2012, and a bright blue rooster in 2013. Danish artist Michael Elmgreen and Norwegian artist Ingar Dragset created Powerless Structures, Fig. 101 to playfully contrast the ‘ordinary’ and a hope for peace against the other plinths’ weathered war heroes. Hahn/Cock, by German artist Katharina Fritsch is a colorful 14 foot tall addition to the square, representing regeneration and awakening, as well as male domination (with no specific nationality).

More text and images after the jump…

(more…)

Arcangelo Sassolino via Men’s Vogue

Arcangelo Sassolino’s mechanical sculptures: art with highly destructive potential [Men’s Vogue]
Bond no9’s perfume tribute to Andy Warhol’s would-be 80th birthday [Art News Blog]
Will a statue of the Queen Mary replace art commissions on Fourth plinth? [Guardian]
The Met lends 28 significant modern sculptures to University of Texas [NYtimes]
Whitney Museum selling five nearby townhouses [CrainsNYBusiness]
The Sovereign, a new European art prize, controversially combines award and auction [Financial Times]

–>
Image via Telegraph UK

Award-winning sculptor Antony Gormley will present his work “One And Other” in Trafalgar Square, London as he was recently chosen for the Fourth Plinth commission. His piece will occupy the Fourth Plinth for 100 consecutive days, for 24 hours, by members of the public who volunteered to stand for an hour. This will allow 2,400 people to participate in this piece.

Next on the Trafalgar Square plinth: the public [Times Online]
–>
London Mayor Offers to Be Living Artwork for Gormley [Bloomberg]
–>
Gormley’s human exhibit wins battle of Trafalgar [Independent]
–>
Antony Gormley will ask Trafalgar Square volunteers to climb plinth for art [Telegraph UK]
–>
Public art — literally — for London’s Trafalgar Square [AFP]
–>
Trafalgar Square: The People’s Plinth – A Portrait of our Time [Independent]

(more…)

Amy Winehouse via musikxtrema

Roman Abramovich pays Amy Winehouse $2 million to open girlfriend Daria Zhukova’s 8,000 square meter Moscow gallery [Ria Novosti]
Tom Sachs Interview[artinfo] and double show review [NYTimes]
Two Picasso prints ($612K) stolen from Brazil museum by force [Int. Herald Tribune]
Sotheby’s floating $300 million of convertible notes [Bloomberg]
1.27 Million pound record for indian art sale[Bloomberg]
London new mayor keeping art on fourth plinth[artinfo]