Jump to content
Guest Poet

Angel of The South

Recommended Posts

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/10/ebbsfleet-landmark-mark-wallinger-horse

 

 

I don't like it, it just looks like a Beswick horse to me and what's so unique about that. It's wearing a bridle too, what's that about?

 

 

 

It's a beautiful representation of a captive horse but there's nothing unique about it and what is it supposed to represent? A (bridle-less) wild prancing horse would have least been a bit more symbolic!?

 

I just don't get it :? Is it meant to be a famous horse??? In what way does it symbolise the South or an angel for that matter, apart from being white?

 

I know public art is a contentious subject and I love art; I love Gormley's Angel of The North and his scuilptures on Crosby Beach. I love art you can see from the motorway, we travel quite a bit and it really cheers up a long journey, especially the more abstract and quirky stuff but this...it looks like it would be more at home on my nana's fireplace! :shock::?:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's so like the Sindy horse Cinnamon! The Kent logo is a horse standing up on its back legs. Reckon they should have done something like that. All I can hope now is that some chavs help its authenticity with a hefty pile of dung behind its rear. It's ridiculous, but then they were all ridiculous entries. They should have had an open competition. Bah. And it's in my backyard! Bah. :cry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like the china horses an aunt of mine collected years ago. They went on a skip when she died.

 

I adore the Angel of the North, & would have preferred something wilder, more natural & in metal

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

I love the Angel of the North too, and looked forward to seeing it everytime I drove up to Newcastle when my daughter was at university there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not keen on it either, I hate the fact that it is wearing a bridle :( I too love public art, but to be honest I think public art is a luxury and I am not sure that right now is the time to be spending money on this type of thing.

 

Tessa

 

I agree, it is unneccesary expense at a time we don't need to be spending and, to me, it doesn't symbolise anything at all :?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its ghastly too. Its just a boring and dull sculpture, and SO huge. I think something that big has to be abstract, or it just looks like some ugly giant's toy. I am really disappointed that we in Kent are going to be associated with this giant piece of junk :(:(:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its ghastly too. Its just a boring and dull sculpture, and SO huge. I think something that big has to be abstract, or it just looks like some ugly giant's toy. I am really disappointed that we in Kent are going to be associated with this giant piece of junk :(:(:(

 

Totally agree! The Invicta Horse is totally different and is symbolic of the Cantii (celtic people) of Kent and the myth that it has never been conquered (hence Invicta)....although Fur says that's because they gave in first :lol::lol::lol:

 

I had a palamino horse called Thunderbolt for Johnny West when I was a kid. I also had Britains farm animals. This is like a huge version of these, rather than the Invicta horse. We wondered if the sculptor actually understood the background to the Invicta horse. :?:

This horse looks far from unconquered :roll:

 

 

I love the Angel of the North & was quite excited at the prospect of something in the same league for Kent. It seems that what we've ended up with is far too "tame" :(

Feathers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had to laugh when some commentator wrote in the paper it's such a good idea, why has no one thought of it before. Well hello, what about the vale of the white horse etc. Would have thought there was plenty of chalk to go round near Dover too!!

 

Sounds like a lot of money - in Spain they always used to have large wooden silhouettes of bulls on main roads - very effective and much cheaper. (can't remember what, but they advertised something - not so effective then. :think: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....- in Spain they always used to have large wooden silhouettes of bulls on main roads - very effective and much cheaper. (can't remember what, but they advertised something - not so effective then. :think: )

 

 

I remember those too, on the coach ride from airport to the hotel you'd see at least one, oh and a road side place selling terracotta pots :D

 

I think the bulls were an advert for sherry or some sort of booze?

 

I didn't know the (rampant) white horse was the symbol of Kent, makes my comments even more apposite in that case!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its ghastly too. Its just a boring and dull sculpture, and SO huge. I think something that big has to be abstract, or it just looks like some ugly giant's toy. I am really disappointed that we in Kent are going to be associated with this giant piece of junk :(:(:(

 

Totally agree! The Invicta Horse is totally different and is symbolic of the Cantii (celtic people) of Kent and the myth that it has never been conquered (hence Invicta)....although Fur says that's because they gave in first :lol::lol::lol:

 

I had a palamino horse called Thunderbolt for Johnny West when I was a kid. I also had Britains farm animals. This is like a huge version of these, rather than the Invicta horse. We wondered if the sculptor actually understood the background to the Invicta horse. :?:

This horse looks far from unconquered :roll:

 

I love the Angel of the North & was quite excited at the prospect of something in the same league for Kent. It seems that what we've ended up with is far too "tame" :(

Feathers

 

I agree. I was looking forward to an Angel of the South, not a giant farm yard toy!

 

Son's first reaction was "if that's supposed to be the Kent horse, why isn't it rearing up?" and he's only 14.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

So next we are having :-

the Shetland Pony then the Dart Moor Foal, followed by the Rod of Steel for Sheffield and so on etc.

But who in their right mind would put a White horse on a hillside standing like that, have they even thought about how it is to be built?

 

Would it be better being a white elephant!!!! :!:

 

Best regards

 

 

Ian & Valerie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....- in Spain they always used to have large wooden silhouettes of bulls on main roads - very effective and much cheaper. (can't remember what, but they advertised something - not so effective then. :think: )

 

 

I remember those too, on the coach ride from airport to the hotel you'd see at least one, oh and a road side place selling terracotta pots :D

 

I think the bulls were an advert for sherry or some sort of booze?

 

I didn't know the (rampant) white horse was the symbol of Kent, makes my comments even more apposite in that case!

 

Yes, it was brandy. There were to main rival brands of brandy in Spain in the 70s/80s, Soberano and Veterano (Sovereigh and Veteran), I don't remember which was which but one had a black bull as the logo, the other (fancy that as a coincidence) was a white horse. Spain's countryside could have ended up covered in huge white horses... instead we got the black bulls.

 

Anyway, it was paid by the brandy manufacturer and not by the public... (that's my moan about the Angel of the South, also the fact that although I adore horses this one is too placid, too tame, and too realistic to be artistically exciting - give me the 'spirit of horse' carved in that chalky hill anyday).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...