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The Virgin Mother

Tryphena Absent

22:59 / 07.07.06

Passing by the RA the other week I was surprised to catch sight of this statue in the courtyard outside. It's free to view and I think it's quite stunning. Has anyone else seen it? I thought it would be a bit great if people went to take a look and then discussed it here...

Ticker

13:13 / 08.07.06

I like this one for the sense of scale.

Amazing really. I can't imagine walking by her and not being stunned.

All Acting Regiment

12:54 / 10.07.06

I like how it's a kind of about-turn on the usual civic statue: it's usually a white man in some form of millitary uniform, that is ot say, covered up in semantics of "honour", etc...now it's a black woman and not only is it naked but the skin is actually peeled away and the innards and so on are visible...

unbecoming

13:27 / 10.07.06

I'm confused, its shown with colour bits here. Has it been painted since those photos were taken?

It seems to be a further development of his 1996 work Hymn, a large bronze cast of a plastic anatomical model.

I like how the innards are shown in the style of a diagrammatic model, contrasting the visceral approach we might expect.
could this be a comment on the science/religion debate?

Mourne Kransky

16:55 / 11.07.06

Underwhelmed by ol' Damien here. Must be missing summat. Just seems he's been there and done that repeatedly.

I take Legba's point about confounding the expectation of public statuary but, for that, I'd go look at Marc Quinn's sculpture of Alison Lapper: Pregnant on the spare plinth in Trafalgar Square. That moves me much more.

Olulabelle

07:53 / 12.07.06

Yes the sculpture of Alison Lapper is very moving isn't it?

I think there is something extremely beautiful about the Hirst sculpture and that may have to do with the fact that it is, as Legba said, an unusual take on the civic statue. But I also think it's something you never really think about or imagine, but in many ways it's fascinating, the person within a person thing.

Size is also a big thing for me, I do like huge art. I think this would be far less beautiful and definitely less impressive if it were actual size.

EmmaFenelon

21:23 / 06.08.06

I feel uneasy about this statue. I think it's because yet again we are looking at a statue made by a man that somehow eviscerates or exposes the woman forced into this ages old symbol.

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