The plinth that once held a statue of notorious Bristol slave trader Edward Colston is empty no more – artist Marc Quinn has erected a sculpture of a Black Lives Matter protestor in its place.
Quinn cast the figure of Jen Reid – who was photographed standing on the empty plinth after the Colston statue was torn down – in black resin and installed it in the early hours of the morning in Bristol city centre, with help from Mtec.
The temporary artwork is named ‘A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020’. Its title echoes Reid’s description of the experience standing on the plinth.
‘It was like an electrical charge of power was running through me,’ she said. ‘My immediate thoughts were for the enslaved people who died at the hands of Colston and to give them power. I wanted to give George Floyd power, I wanted to give power to Black people like me who have suffered injustices and inequality. A surge of power out to them all.’
Reid collaborated closely with Quinn on the artwork, which has gained widespread support online but was installed without permission from the council, meaning its future is uncertain.
I understand people want expression, but the statue has been put up without permission.
Anything put on the plinth outside of the process we’ve put in place will have to be removed.
The people of Bristol will decide its future. https://t.co/dEsZF9kNRt
— Marvin Rees (@MarvinJRees) July 15, 2020
Says Bristol Mayor Marvin Reeves: ‘Anything put on the plinth outside of the process we’ve put in place will have to be removed. The people of Bristol will decide its future.’
Watch this space.
