Derailed!
An artwork depicting a person falling to their death in front of a train will not be displayed at London’s St Pancras Station.
You’ll need to go here to see that particular detail. It’s an AP image and they’re particular.
The image, commissioned by London & Continental Railways (LCR), was to be part of a bronze frieze by Paul Day.
One of two scenes of a platform reflected in a pair of sunglasses showed a man in front of a train driven by a skeletal Grim Reaper figure.
Train drivers and families of suicide victims condemned the piece.
Mick Whelan, district organiser for train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “We thought the image was entirely inappropriate.
“Some drivers are never able to return to work after these types of incidents and there is also the fact that the artwork would be close to the site of the King’s Cross fire.
“The image of the driver as the Grim Reaper also conveys the wrong image to the travelling public and does not instil confidence.”
The bronze relief featured other railway-related images, including soldiers going to war and emergency staff attending victims of the 7/7 bombings.
A spokesperson for London & Continental Railways, which owns St Pancras, said: “The frieze as originally suggested will not go ahead and work on it has stopped.”
He said it was possible an amended section could be created to replace the sunglasses image.
…
Mr Day, 41, who lives in France, said he hoped there would be a way forward because the sculpture would not be complete until the frieze was added.
He said: “I welcomed constructive criticism to make my work more appropriate and powerful.
“I have always been open, honest and transparent.
“I am not an artist who seeks to shock.”
He said the sunglasses image was created in a tragi-comic style and was supposed to be a metaphor for the way people’s imaginations ran wild.
He added: “The overall reaction was intended to be thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting,” he added.
At the moment it is only about a third complete. Not all of the figures and scenes shown will be in the final permanent work, said a spokesman for London and Continental Railways.
The spokesman stressed that the statue giving “the finger” would not be included. The completed work will be unveiled next year.
Topics: art
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:09 pm on Monday, October 13, 2008
2 Responses to “Derailed!”
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:25 am
There actually are people like the stumblebum in the London subways and train stations. The frieze seems realistic (well, except for the skeleton at the controls, maybe). As for the middle extended finger (he appears to be talking to a dog), I know people who unconsciously use that finger when making a conversational point (my father in law was one), and they are people who would never dream of making a lewd gesture.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
NOT St. James’ Infirmary?
Hmph.