Guest Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 The artist was on the news and talking about how it symbolises britain. Somthing about how we created the thoroughbred horse and spread it to the rest of the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7881528.stm Looks odd to me - guess I'll see it on the way to Bluewater! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Ewww, I don't like it either. I am certain my Sindy doll had a horse just like that when I was a girl...... I adore the Angel of the North, & would have preferred something wilder, more natural & in metal if I am honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I think I'll find it kind of freaky I don't like white horses, they scare me. I'll have to close my eyes (and hope I'm not driving ) when they've put it up at Ebbsfleet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I think I'll find it kind of freaky I don't like white horses, they scare me. .... it might give you nightmares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I love horses, but I've seen far nicer horse sculptures than that, and yes it does look the same as a Beswick horse I flogged on ebay a few months ago And it's going to be huge!!! (but it will at least be more attractive than the angel of the north!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Very good Poet As has been said I suppose the Kent symbol is the white horse and at Bluewater they have a white horse light on the cliff at night so its sort of right but what a waste of money. Bah humbug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Have you seen how big this thing is going to be http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/gallery/2008/may/07/ebbsfleetlandmark?picture=333981550 It's going to be 50 Metres tall, talk about a blot on the landscape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Personally I would be tempted to get a big steaming pile of poo from the local farm & put it is a stragecic place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Personally I would be tempted to get a big steaming pile of poo from the local farm & put it is a stragecic place I don't like it either and think the money could have been spent on better things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Personally I would be tempted to get a big steaming pile of poo from the local farm & put it is a stragecic place that would have to be some pile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I love ponies but its hid-e-ous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fur 'n' Feathers Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 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 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 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Not keen on it either . Love the Angel of the North though . Can't believe how big it's going to be . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchens Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 A white horse is the symbol of Kent but it should be rearing up. This is what the statue should look like, not like a horse thats got lost!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_horse_of_Kent Men is suits shouldn't be allowed to make decisions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 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. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 ....- 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. ) 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 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutrix Farmers Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 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 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 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardene5 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 ....- 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. ) 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 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
