The marble statue of
Alison Lapper MBE
by Marc Quinn.
Date of Visit August 2007
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| Click image for larger view |
The fourth plinth is the northwest plinth in Trafalgar Square in central London.
It was originally intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV however, due to a lack of funds this was never completed. For over 100 years the plinth remained bare until in 1998 three contemporary sculptures were displayed temporarily on the plinth.
Soon afterwards Sir John Mortimer was asked to suggest how this plinth should be used and his report recommended that the commissions remain a rolling programme of temporary artworks rather than settle permanently on one figure or idea to commemorate.
Following this, the first of the works of art was this statue in 2005.
This 3.6 metres (12 ft), 13-tonne torso-bust of Alison Lapper explores representations of beauty and the human form in public space It was displayed here from the15th of September 2005 until late 2007 and was remade on an even larger scale for the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.
Alison Lapper was born on 7 April 1965 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. She was born without arms and with shortened legs, a condition called phocomelia.
When she was fitted with artificial limbs, she felt that their aim was not to help her but to make her look less disconcerting to others. She abandoned them, finding life far easier without external aids.
Alison is an accomplished artist and is a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World (AMFPA),
In May 2003, Alison was awarded an MBE for services to art. In July 2014, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton.
I took this photograph on a visit to London from the top of an open-topped London tour bus in 2007. It was just an opportunity that occurred and I took many shots but this came out best.
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51.508197871534826, -0.12871047896740126
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OS Grid Ref: TQ 29961 80465 Altitude:34 ft
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