Art & the North
I used to live in the North of England. It is a splendid place, a great blend of thriving city life and some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe. The people up there are warm, friendly and happy to idle away an afternoon chatting about the world or whatever crosses the mind over a pint of bitter. Trouble is, some of the people are a bit too bitter and oh my they do like a moan.
When the National Lottery began in ’93 and grants began to be awarded, a good number of the initial arts grants went to institutions in London. And the north grumbled. “Blooming London” they moaned, “why should they get all the money for their opera houses, theatres and art galleries?”
Well now Manchester has a piece of municipal art, “B of the Bang” by Thomas Heatherwick. And a marvellous, striking piece of art it is too. It was inspired by Linford Christie’s comment during the Commonwealth Games that he left the starting blocks on the b of the bang (from the starting pistol, geddit?).
But are they appreciative? Are they hell. Last year, the Manchester Evening News canvassed its readers' views of the piece. Responses included "utterly monstrous", "rusting hulk" and "S of the Scaffold". The leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition at the Town Hall, Simon Ashley, concluded: "This is not the kind of thing we should be wasting our money on."
You can't have it both ways guys. Stand back and look at it. It is beautiful. It is fresh. It is new and should surely be welcomed as a vibrant addition to a formerly run down area of Manchester. The hope is that, as with Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North which was initially viewed with uncertainty by the people of the north east, the people of Manchester will, over time take it to their hearts and grow to love it. If not, they can move it to my garden and I’ll admire it enough for them all.
When the National Lottery began in ’93 and grants began to be awarded, a good number of the initial arts grants went to institutions in London. And the north grumbled. “Blooming London” they moaned, “why should they get all the money for their opera houses, theatres and art galleries?”
Well now Manchester has a piece of municipal art, “B of the Bang” by Thomas Heatherwick. And a marvellous, striking piece of art it is too. It was inspired by Linford Christie’s comment during the Commonwealth Games that he left the starting blocks on the b of the bang (from the starting pistol, geddit?).
But are they appreciative? Are they hell. Last year, the Manchester Evening News canvassed its readers' views of the piece. Responses included "utterly monstrous", "rusting hulk" and "S of the Scaffold". The leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition at the Town Hall, Simon Ashley, concluded: "This is not the kind of thing we should be wasting our money on."
You can't have it both ways guys. Stand back and look at it. It is beautiful. It is fresh. It is new and should surely be welcomed as a vibrant addition to a formerly run down area of Manchester. The hope is that, as with Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North which was initially viewed with uncertainty by the people of the north east, the people of Manchester will, over time take it to their hearts and grow to love it. If not, they can move it to my garden and I’ll admire it enough for them all.
posted by phylos @ 01:56
2 Comments:
Well said. It looks a bit like a chrysanthemum.
Thank you Hannah.
Too few people are prepared to be challenged in their comfortable, familiar environment. I expect it was always thus. I imagine when the Acropolis was built somebody said "Oh, I don't like the columns on that"
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