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Statue to honour Wollstonecraft

719 replies

MedusasBadHairDay · 10/11/2020 01:08

www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/10/mary-wollstonecraft-finally-honoured-with-statue-after-200-years

It's a naked woman..

Currently reading A Vindication of the Rights of Woman for an OU course, and - unless the tone changes dramatically in the second half of it - I'm not seeing how an idealised nude is the right statue to convey anything about her?

OP posts:
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littlbrowndog · 11/11/2020 13:51

Joan Smith was great

littlbrowndog · 11/11/2020 13:51

This woman on the show. Nicky. Just honestly. Wtaf

Butterer · 11/11/2020 13:51

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Lexilooo · 11/11/2020 13:45

Of course Jeremy Vine on radio 2 had to ask a man for his opinion about the statue before he spoke to any women 🙄

lingle · 11/11/2020 13:45

perhaps it was important to commemorate that Mary Wollstonecroft did not shave her pubic area?

Circusoflove · 11/11/2020 13:43

It immediately reminded me of a birthday cake I made once where you shove a Barbie feet first into a sponge cake which then becomes her dress. Although at least she had her tits covered by the fondant icing.

Escapeplanning · 11/11/2020 13:41

I do think it would make a handy Cup for Women's football. A little team strip outfit can be made to warm her up each time it's won.

dontwantamirena · 11/11/2020 13:41

I think everyone pointing out that the figure is supposed to be interpreted as both female and male is right. If you look at the mock up version, it’s more obvious (zoom in on the first picture). The right side is more curvy and feminine than the left. This would make more sense with the idea of “for Mary” and not “of Mary” as it’s more symbolic. It also could be seen to show an actual “everywoman” with lopsided breasts if you view it as all female.

maryonthegreen.org/sm/surveyhome.html

I don’t think it was originally supposed to be trans inclusive, but to symbolise equality and would suit the chosen quote a bit better. I could believe the version we got is supposed to be trans inclusive though.

What went wrong between the mock up and the result?

Haffdonga · 11/11/2020 13:36

Apart from anything else (and the anything is quite important) - it's not great art.

It doesn't look like a female figure rising out of/ being born from amorphous female forms. It looks like two totally separate sculptures - a classical Aphrodite/ Barbie doll type figure has been stuck on top of some modern art female soup as a joke. The two parts don't look connected and the art gallery curators did it as a joke in their lunch hour to see if they could fool the visitors.

testing987654321 · 11/11/2020 13:35

I do think this one will give quite a lot of entertainment value with the opportunity to dress it.

AcornAutumn · 11/11/2020 13:33

Butterer - yes, sorry, I was lazy in my post there.

WoooImAGhost · 11/11/2020 13:29

I like the one designed by the man, but the tone of the tweets I've read defending Terminator Barbie is a bit "well we needed a female sculptor since everyone complained about a man doing it and we found one and you're still not happy!"

Butterer · 11/11/2020 13:22

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AcornAutumn · 11/11/2020 13:18

Sorry, so annoyed I forgot the link

twitter.com/k_faulkner/status/1326466091745423360

AcornAutumn · 11/11/2020 13:18

Apologies if this was posted already

Sounds like shite

They really couldn’t find a woman sculptor?

CrochetyCrochet · 11/11/2020 13:14

Even leaving aside the whole nudity thing (which I think is crap and insulting) since when does 'everywoman' resemble Frida Kahlo? With Donald Trump hands.

Statue to honour Wollstonecraft
Statue to honour Wollstonecraft
GaryTheDemon · 11/11/2020 13:03

Oi, Mags, this is how to sculpt an ‘every woman’

Statue to honour Wollstonecraft
Butterer · 11/11/2020 13:00

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nauticant · 11/11/2020 12:56

Haven't read the whole thread but am I the only one to think that the statue's pubes look a little -- well, knobbish?

I wondered whether this was to provide a potential future interpretation of the statue as embracing both female and male physiologies so as to be truly inclusive of all types of women.

Butterer · 11/11/2020 12:47

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DidoLamenting · 11/11/2020 12:41

@ArabellaScott

Butterer, that Oscar Wilde statue looks like the muppet character that comes out of a dustbin. As has been noted by various people, Hambling is not really a sculptor. She doesn't seem to have a good understanding of 3D work. I feel sorry for her here, actually, as I think she is genuine and will have had good intent, but somebody should have looked at the ridiculous statue and said 'sorry, no'.
Agreed re Oscar Wilde statue. It's awful too
Butterer · 11/11/2020 12:36

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KittyValentine · 11/11/2020 12:35

@Malahaha

Haven't read the whole thread but am I the only one to think that the statue's pubes look a little -- well, knobbish? Like a blob planted there?

I've never seen a naked women with such um bulky pubes. Especially so in this full frontal image. twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1326318289488732160

Now going back to page 4 to catch up.

Some of the replies to that twitter thread are funny!

“I think that's Tilda Swinton.”

“What’s going on with her mons pubis? ... I have questions”

“Apparently, the artist likes to "subvert expectations" which, again, is art world speak for "I am an asshole and I'm cashing this check you square."

oneglassandpuzzled · 11/11/2020 12:33

Opie not olive

oneglassandpuzzled · 11/11/2020 12:33

I prefer the John Olive portrait.

Strange that a long-dead man has given her more dignity.