Larger Squat Afar
Proposal for the Fourth Plinth
By Mark Leckey
Larger Squat Afar
Proposed Material: fiberglass laminate
I believe the proposal reflects how we now approach the world in the 21st century. Because of current technology, objects and artefacts are no longer these fixed, permanent things. Instead we look at any sculpture, object or image and ask, what can I do with that? How can I change it to suit my desires?'
Larger Squat Afar is an anagram of ‘Trafalgar Square’, and Mark Leckey’s chimera is itself an amalgam of elements lifted from all the statues found in the square. Details of James II, the water fountain, Admiral Jellicoe and the plinth itself are enmeshed into a single figure, which, while appearing absurd illustrates the compound history of both people and place. Fabricated using 3D laser scanning and printing technology, Larger Squat Afar embodies the power of the digital to overcome the physical and to fulfill the more monstrous capacities of the human imagination.
Leckey frequently looks to the mediated nature of public and private environments, in which imagery is employed to transcend the mundane. Collage and animation techniques are used in videos and sculptures, where the hidden is made explicit, desires are expressed and obscure personal narratives are revealed. It is digital platforms, above all else, that signal the contemporary for Leckey, where even the inanimate object can appear to communicate to us at will.
[GLA website]
The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square, in its northwest corner, designed by Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860). It was originally intended to be the base for an equestrian statue of William IV, although it never happened due to funding problems.
In 1998 the Royal Academy of Arts began the Fourth Plinth Project with commissioning three consecutive works; in 2005 the scheme was reprised and has been running ever since.
Larger Squat Afar
Proposal for the Fourth Plinth
By Mark Leckey
Larger Squat Afar
Proposed Material: fiberglass laminate
I believe the proposal reflects how we now approach the world in the 21st century. Because of current technology, objects and artefacts are no longer these fixed, permanent things. Instead we look at any sculpture, object or image and ask, what can I do with that? How can I change it to suit my desires?'
Larger Squat Afar is an anagram of ‘Trafalgar Square’, and Mark Leckey’s chimera is itself an amalgam of elements lifted from all the statues found in the square. Details of James II, the water fountain, Admiral Jellicoe and the plinth itself are enmeshed into a single figure, which, while appearing absurd illustrates the compound history of both people and place. Fabricated using 3D laser scanning and printing technology, Larger Squat Afar embodies the power of the digital to overcome the physical and to fulfill the more monstrous capacities of the human imagination.
Leckey frequently looks to the mediated nature of public and private environments, in which imagery is employed to transcend the mundane. Collage and animation techniques are used in videos and sculptures, where the hidden is made explicit, desires are expressed and obscure personal narratives are revealed. It is digital platforms, above all else, that signal the contemporary for Leckey, where even the inanimate object can appear to communicate to us at will.
[GLA website]
The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square, in its northwest corner, designed by Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860). It was originally intended to be the base for an equestrian statue of William IV, although it never happened due to funding problems.
In 1998 the Royal Academy of Arts began the Fourth Plinth Project with commissioning three consecutive works; in 2005 the scheme was reprised and has been running ever since.