Source: Matthew Horwood / Getty
Amidst Black Lives Matter protests, several slave trader statues were torn down, and now, artists are filling vacant spots with monuments dedicated to true heroes.
Last month, demonstrators toppled a statue of British slave trader Edward Colston. Thanks to sculptor Marc Quinn, a statue of activist Jen Reid now stands in its place.
From Hype Beast: “The removal prompted a widespread, incendiary debate in the U.K. about which historical figures should be commemorated with statues, and what should fill the vacant spot left by the statue’s toppling; the artist Banksy was among those who offered a replacement. Now, the space where the statue once sat has been filled with a new work: a sculpture of Jen Reid, a protestor who was photographed standing on the former statue’s plinth in the aftermath of its removal.”
Source: Matthew Horwood / Getty
“The new statue, titled ‘A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020’, was created by the British artist Marc Quinn,” the site adds. “It shows Reid standing with one fist raised – a symbol of the Black Power movement, and a direct reference to the photograph taken of her. It was erected at dawn by a team directed by the artist, who used a crane to lift the work onto the vacant plinth.”
Hype Beast goes on to say that though Quinn’s team “did not seek official permission to erect the statue, they have broken no laws in placing it.” Quinn did however note in an interview with The Guardian that the sculpture would be “extremely difficult to move…but it is ultimately moveable. This is not a permanent artwork.”
Source: Matthew Horwood / Getty
Take a look at the photos and chime in.
