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Ebbsfleet horse play
Excerpt from BBC News online...
---quote--- A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". The design, by former Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, was selected from a three-strong shortlist as part of the Ebbsfleet Landmark Project. His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. Once built, it will dominate the north Kent landscape, standing as high as Nelson's Column at about 164ft (50m). ---/quote--- More he http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7880889.stm I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. The Angel of the North was widely regarded as an extravagant indulgence when it was being planned and built, but it has since won over a great many of the sceptics and has become a genuine landmark. Something that I don't think has necessarily been well recognised in past discussions beforehand is that Ebbsfleet International station is going to be at the heart of a whole big development, the Ebbsfleet Valley development that's being led by Land Securities (which is in turn part of the wider 'Thames Gateway' development concept). Stuff I've read suggests that the planners are really trying to put in place the foundations for a proper mixed community there - whether this will actually work only time will tell. I'm unclear on how the economic mega-crunch is affecting progress on the plans, though I'm sure it will. More information can be found on the developer's website here... http://www.ebbsfleetvalley.co.uk/ ....and on the pages of the BBC Kent website... http://tinyurl.com/BBC-Kent-on-Ebbsfleet-Valley Also both Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils have more info: http://www.dartford.gov.uk/ebbsfleetvalley/ http://www.gravesham.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3431 |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Mizter T wrote:
I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. "The foal in the hole" (With thanks to the people of Dublin) |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"Mizter T" wrote in message ... Excerpt from BBC News online... ---quote--- A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". OT - When they commission these things, is 2m the actual cost of employing people at normal, amd in the street, hourly wages to make it, or is it a huge (IMHO unnecessary) fee paid to the artist for their contribution? Does anyone know? tim |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 10 Feb, 13:53, M Platting wrote: On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:32:17 -0800 (PST), Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. The Angel of the North was widely regarded as an extravagant indulgence when it was being planned and built, but it has since won over a great many of the sceptics and has become a genuine landmark. Not 'scoff' exactly - it just looks a bit dull. It merely appears to be an anatomically accurate sculpture of a horse, albeit a bit bigger. You could get the same effect by giving everyone arriving on Eurostar a small plastic model horse and telling them to hold it close to them and look at it with the passing fields in the background *(yes, it's that 'Father Ted' moment again!) So why the big horse? Big'orse that's what the general public seem to want! Yeah, I can certainly see the argument that a big'orse is not that imaginative, indeed similar thoughts crossed my mind too - but that doesn't mean it the finished thing won't be striking. The BBC News article says "[...] a sculpture of the Invicta, supported by Kent County Council in response to Mr Wallinger's entry, was rejected by judges last year." I take it that means a sculpture of a white horse on its hind legs as depicted on the 'Invicta' Flag of Kent as shown here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kent_flag.svg I suppose that such a design might well have necessitated it being smaller. Perhaps I've got it all wrong and it is actually going to be offensively ugly! |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote:
I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. The Angel of the North was widely regarded as an extravagant indulgence when it was being planned and built, but it has since won over a great many of the sceptics and has become a genuine landmark. To answer your question, because the Angel of the North was something that had a deep connection, through being a huge thing made out of steel, to the community around it, a community which has been through hard times but maintained a strong sense of self, and was thus ripe for the adoption of an icon. The Ebbsfleet Big Horse is just a big horse [1], and is being built in a dormitory suburb of London. Also, the Angel of the North is a visually striking object and an interesting piece of engineering, even if you don't think it was value for money. The big horse isn't even that - it's just a big horse. You can get the same visual effect for a fraction of the cost by finding a normal horse and standing close to it. tom [1] Yes, a big horse is the symbol of Kent, but if someone built three hundred-foot-high scimitars in Chelmsford, i don't think i'd get particularly attached to them [2]. [2] Although that would be pretty cool. -- GODZILLA PLEASE EAT THE ****IN COLDPLAY -- a poster in Bergen |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 10 Feb, 14:06, "tim....." wrote: "Mizter T" wrote: Excerpt from BBC News online... ---quote--- A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". OT - When they commission these things, is 2m the actual cost of employing people at normal, amd in the street, hourly wages to make it, or is it a huge (IMHO unnecessary) fee paid to the artist for their contribution? Does anyone know? It is the cost for the whole commission - that's the cost of constructing it plus an amount for the artist. Mark Wallinger certainly isn't going to get outlandishly rich from this, though he will get paid. Of course it will mean he gets a lot more exposure, so securing his reputation and leading on to future work. Unless it all goes very wrong! It should be noted this is a privately (not publicly) funded project - Eurostar, LCR and Land Securities (developer of the Ebbsfleet Valley) are behind it. Here's a bit more info: ---quote--- The Ebbsfleet Landmark is a rare example of large-scale private patronage: the three Patrons are Eurostar, London & Continental Railways and Land Securities (who are developers of Ebbsfleet Valley). The project’s patrons recognise their responsibility as ‘placemakers’ at the beginning of the 21st century. They acknowledge the vital importance of creating a sense of community in Ebbsfleet Valley, one the four key transformational projects in the Thames Gateway as identified by the Government. As a statement of belief in the power of art to enliven, to cohere and to transform people’s lives, it creates a challenging precedent for future large-scale regeneration projects to match. ---/quote--- Of course I suppose one can argue about just how private LCR actually is! Anyway the above quite is taken from page 6 of this press kit on the project (PDF): http://www.ebbsfleetlandmark.com/web..._Press_Kit.pdf More information can be found on the website of the Ebbsfleet Landmark project he http://www.ebbsfleetlandmark.com/ |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Tom Anderson wrote:
[1] Yes, a big horse is the symbol of Kent, but if someone built three hundred-foot-high scimitars in Chelmsford, i don't think i'd get particularly attached to them [2]. [2] Although that would be pretty cool. I come from Tottenham, and I'm rather attached to the massive cutthroat razor and hyperdermic syringe which tower above Tottenham Hale. I'm disappointed the council has so far not replied to my suggestion to complement them with a massive tampon hanging in the River Lea. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
In message i, Tom
Anderson writes On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. The Angel of the North was widely regarded as an extravagant indulgence when it was being planned and built, but it has since won over a great many of the sceptics and has become a genuine landmark. To answer your question, because the Angel of the North was something that had a deep connection, through being a huge thing made out of steel, to the community around it, a community which has been through hard times but maintained a strong sense of self, and was thus ripe for the adoption of an icon. The Ebbsfleet Big Horse is just a big horse [1], and is being built in a dormitory suburb of London. Also, the Angel of the North is a visually striking object and an interesting piece of engineering, even if you don't think it was value for money. The big horse isn't even that - it's just a big horse. You can get the same visual effect for a fraction of the cost by finding a normal horse and standing close to it. tom [1] Yes, a big horse is the symbol of Kent, but if someone built three hundred-foot-high scimitars in Chelmsford, i don't think i'd get particularly attached to them [2]. Now you've managed to get me thinking, Tom. I would quite like an enormous knot somewhere in Staffordshire. (A pity Spaghetti Junction is next door in Brum!) I suppose an enormous pear towering over the M5 in Worcestershire might be okay, too. A great big bear and ragged staff on the M40? Any more ideas? (By the way, there's already a large horse [eight legged, too] overlooking the Midland Metro depot at Wednesbury.) -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 10 Feb, 14:19, Tom Anderson wrote: On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. The Angel of the North was widely regarded as an extravagant indulgence when it was being planned and built, but it has since won over a great many of the sceptics and has become a genuine landmark. To answer your question, because the Angel of the North was something that had a deep connection, through being a huge thing made out of steel, to the community around it, a community which has been through hard times but maintained a strong sense of self, and was thus ripe for the adoption of an icon. The Ebbsfleet Big Horse is just a big horse [1], and is being built in a dormitory suburb of London. The Angel of the North was of course ultra-controversially fabricated on Teesside not Tyneside which didn't help to endear it to local people. The sense of self thing in the North East is interesting - I think it does exist but there are also strong local rivalries too (I recall a Geordie exclaiming that 'they shouldn't be building a Me'ro line between Newcastle and Sunderland, they should be building a f***ing wall'!). FWIW the Angel was actually a Gateshead project. Ebbsfleet a dormitory suburb of London? I'd say dormitory town, it's a bit too far out to be a suburb in my books, though of course the high- speed service will mean it will take just 17 minutes to get into St. Pancras. But yes, they are indeed different - the Angel served to bond together an existing community, whilst the Horse is intended to help to create a new community, providing it with a sense of place. Worth a try in my books. Also, the Angel of the North is a visually striking object and an interesting piece of engineering, even if you don't think it was value for money. The big horse isn't even that - it's just a big horse. You can get the same visual effect for a fraction of the cost by finding a normal horse and standing close to it. It'll surely still be an interesting engineering challenge. And a normal horse does not tower over a big chunk of a county! tom [1] Yes, a big horse is the symbol of Kent, but if someone built three hundred-foot-high scimitars in Chelmsford, i don't think i'd get particularly attached to them [2]. [2] Although that would be pretty cool. So perhaps that's what the big'orse will be - pretty cool. I think Tower Bridge is great, but it's basically a somewhat absurd Disneyland-esque take on ye olden days by the Victorians. The ornate Palace of Westminster is a similar architectural sleight of hand. The modern day London Eye is a somewhat absurd oversized bit of a theme park stuck in the middle of central London, but it's also great. Heck, Nelson's Column can be seen as a bit bonkers, but I wouldn't have it any other way. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote: "The modern day London Eye is a somewhat absurd oversized bit of a theme park stuck in the middle of central London, but it's also great. Heck,........" Foreboding of an accident...? Cheers Robt P. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Mizter T wrote:
Excerpt from BBC News online... A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". Once built, it will dominate the north Kent landscape, standing as high as Nelson's Column at about 164ft (50m). The Barking Barrier is 60 metres high. I wish that it had been built to look like a giant horse - this would not hinder the functionality, and would have added little extra expense. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 10 Feb, 17:14, Robt P wrote: On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote: "The modern day London Eye is a somewhat absurd oversized bit of a theme park stuck in the middle of central London, but it's also great. Heck,........" Foreboding of an accident...? Nah, definitely not - the thing is totally solid and completely over- engineered, just as big things like that should be. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"Mizter T" wrote ...
"The modern day London Eye is a somewhat absurd oversized bit of a theme park stuck in the middle of central London, but it's also great. Heck,........" Foreboding of an accident...? Nah, definitely not - the thing is totally solid and completely over- engineered, just as big things like that should be. I agree; mind you, it was designed for a five-year life, as I recall. That's why over-engineering is a Good Thing! -- Andrew "If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." ~ Albert Einstein |
Ebbsfleet horse play
John Rowland wrote:
The Barking Barrier is 60 metres high. I wish that it had been built to look like a giant horse That should say "giant barking dog" - this would not hinder the functionality, and would have added little extra expense. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 10 Feb, 18:58, wrote: On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:12:36 -0800 (PST), Mizter T wrote: So why the big horse? Big'orse that's what the general public seem to want! Yeah, I can certainly see the argument that a big'orse is not that imaginative, indeed similar thoughts crossed my mind too - but that doesn't mean it the finished thing won't be striking. Perhaps I've got it all wrong and it is actually going to be offensively ugly! Hope it won't look to bad as if it does get built the area is likely to be saddled with it for a long time. G.harman Hee haw, very good! But you've a point - we don't want locals braying about it forevermore. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote:
On 10 Feb, 18:58, wrote: So why the big horse? Big'orse that's what the general public seem to want! Hope it won't look to bad as if it does get built the area is likely to be saddled with it for a long time. Hee haw, very good! But you've a point - we don't want locals braying about it forevermore. On the flip side, it might help the area win EU funding. tom PS Say it quickly ^^^^^ -- I was employed by a Lacanian and, believe me, you don't want to see what a postmodern approach to cashflow entails. -- G' |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"John Rowland" wrote in message ... Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. "The foal in the hole" (With thanks to the people of Dublin) A nightmare? Derek ----------------- www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed* Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road ----------------- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:32:17 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote: Excerpt from BBC News online... ---quote--- A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". How much has TP been forced to contribute ? snip |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T
auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. Once built, it will dominate the north Kent landscape, standing as high as Nelson's Column at about 164ft (50m). Since it is to be standing on all four hooves, the structure will also be about 50 meters long or even longer. And wide in the range of 10 meters. quite a big building. Cheers, L.W. -- ----------------------------------------------------- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"Lüko Willms" wrote in message ... Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. Once built, it will dominate the north Kent landscape, standing as high as Nelson's Column at about 164ft (50m). Since it is to be standing on all four hooves, the structure will also be about 50 meters long or even longer. And wide in the range of 10 meters. quite a big building. Cheers, L.W. This could turn out to be a Trojan horse when under cover of darkness illegals pour out. Derek ----------------- www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed* Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road ----------------- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"Lüko Willms" wrote ...
His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. Since it is to be standing on all four hooves, the structure will also be about 50 meters long or even longer. And wide in the range of 10 meters. quite a big building. Will it come with the Greek Army preinstalled, or will that be extra? -- Andrew Interviewer: Tonight I'm interviewing that famous nurse, Florence Nightingale Tommy Cooper (dressed as a nurse): Sir Florence Nightingale Interviewer: *Sir* Florence Nightingale? Tommy Cooper: I'm a Night Nurse Campaign For The Real Tommy Cooper |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Am Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:32:38 UTC, schrieb "Andrew Heenan"
auf uk.railway : "Lüko Willms" wrote ... His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. Since it is to be standing on all four hooves, the structure will also be about 50 meters long or even longer. And wide in the range of 10 meters. quite a big building. Will it come with the Greek Army preinstalled, or will that be extra? One could install elevators in the legs and use the whole thing as a pedestrian overpass. A solution still looking for a problem... Cheers, L.W. -- ----------------------------------------------------- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"DerekF" wrote in message
... "Lüko Willms" wrote in message ... Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. If the horse is 33 times life size, imagine the quantity of droppings it will produce... |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Mizter T wrote:
Excerpt from BBC News online... ---quote--- A giant white horse has been chosen as a new £2m art commission for south east England dubbed "Angel of the South". White to begin with, no doubt. But how long will it stay white, and who pays to clean it? It is going to take more than a couple of lads with a bucket and sponge. Does it have cleverly-hidden rails for a hanging cleaners' basket (and how does that work on the overhanging parts)? Or is this to be a monument to great British flash-in-the-pan-ism - left gently to grey (or rust?) as a warning to visitors arriving on Eurostar about the standards of public infrastructure that they should expect in Britain? John Geddes |
Ebbsfleet horse play
John Geddes wrote:
But how long will it stay white, and who pays to clean it? It is going to take more than a couple of lads with a bucket and sponge. The seagulls will keep it white for free. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
"John Rowland" wrote in message ... But how long will it stay white, and who pays to clean it? It is going to take more than a couple of lads with a bucket and sponge. The seagulls will keep it white for free. Of course - a starling nest! [the effect of tens of thousands of the little dears can still be seen on the north end of Crewe station] -- Tim http://tim-fenton.fotopic.net/ http://timsworkspace.fotopic.net/ |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Mizter T wrote:
On 10 Feb, 17:14, Robt P wrote: On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, Mizter T wrote: "The modern day London Eye is a somewhat absurd oversized bit of a theme park stuck in the middle of central London, but it's also great. Heck,........" Foreboding of an accident...? Nah, definitely not - the thing is totally solid and completely over- engineered, just as big things like that should be. Whoosh! |
Ebbsfleet horse play
Mizter T wrote:
I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. In some parts of the country they put up wind turbines which are useful but ugly, in other parts of the country they put up giant horses which are pretty but useless. Can't they cover the horse in slots and put wind turbines inside it? If the people of Ebbsfleet ended up with something which is both pretty and useful, it would give them a reason to be proud of it rather than slightly embarrassed about it. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 11 Feb, 10:37, "John Rowland"
wrote: Nah, definitely not - the thing is totally solid and completely over- engineered, just as big things like that should be. Whoosh! I don't get why Mitzer T brought up Great Heck. Why now? U |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:59:15 -0000, "Mortimer" wrote:
"DerekF" wrote in message ... "Lüko Willms" wrote in message ... Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. If the horse is 33 times life size, imagine the quantity of droppings it will produce... .....and the size of the rhubarb -- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On 11 Feb, 12:12, Mr Thant wrote: On 11 Feb, 10:37, "John Rowland" wrote: Nah, definitely not - the thing is totally solid and completely over- engineered, just as big things like that should be. Whoosh! I don't get why Mitzer T brought up Great Heck. Why now? Lightbulb... ding! |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:14:35 +0000, Mike wrote:
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:59:15 -0000, "Mortimer" wrote: "DerekF" wrote in message ... "Lüko Willms" wrote in message ... Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. If the horse is 33 times life size, imagine the quantity of droppings it will produce... ....and the size of the rhubarb Thank goodness cows don't fly. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009, John Rowland wrote:
Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. In some parts of the country they put up wind turbines which are useful but ugly, in other parts of the country they put up giant horses which are pretty but useless. I really like wind turbines! I think they're beautful! The farm off the coast of Rhyl is particularly nice. Can't they cover the horse in slots and put wind turbines inside it? If the people of Ebbsfleet ended up with something which is both pretty and useful, it would give them a reason to be proud of it rather than slightly embarrassed about it. Global warming flood refuge? tom -- Annoying others means you are wise; it is when you annoy yourself that you are truly enlightened. -- The Bullet Proof Monk |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:42:01 +0000, Tom Anderson
wrote: On Wed, 11 Feb 2009, John Rowland wrote: Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. In some parts of the country they put up wind turbines which are useful but ugly, in other parts of the country they put up giant horses which are pretty but useless. I really like wind turbines! I think they're beautful! The farm off the coast of Rhyl is particularly nice. A radioactive offshore waste dump topped by a favela, surrounded by blue algae and a sewage slick would look nice compared to Rhyl. Along with New Brighton it's one of the most run down and depression coastal locations I've ever seen. james may voice Farty useless highly subsidised wind turbine fact: The building of the wind farm did bugger all for the local economy either in the short term or the long term. -- |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:07:57 -0500, Christopher A. Lee
wrote: On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:14:35 +0000, Mike wrote: On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:59:15 -0000, "Mortimer" wrote: "DerekF" wrote in message ... "Lüko Willms" wrote in message ... Am Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:32:17 UTC, schrieb Mizter T auf uk.railway quoting BBC: His design for the public art commission will see a horse standing on all four hooves at 33 times life-size. If the horse is 33 times life size, imagine the quantity of droppings it will produce... ....and the size of the rhubarb Thank goodness cows don't fly. The farmer would get a pat on the head. |
Ebbsfleet horse play
On Thu, 12 Feb 2009, Mike wrote:
On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:42:01 +0000, Tom Anderson wrote: On Wed, 11 Feb 2009, John Rowland wrote: Mizter T wrote: I'm sure people will scoff, but my take on it is 'why not?'. In some parts of the country they put up wind turbines which are useful but ugly, in other parts of the country they put up giant horses which are pretty but useless. I really like wind turbines! I think they're beautful! The farm off the coast of Rhyl is particularly nice. A radioactive offshore waste dump topped by a favela, surrounded by blue algae and a sewage slick would look nice compared to Rhyl. Along with New Brighton it's one of the most run down and depression coastal locations I've ever seen. Yeah, Rhyl's not so great. But when you're looking at the wind farm, you can't see Rhyl, because you're standing on the waterfront in Rhyl, looking out to sea. So it doesn't really come into it. tom -- IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!!! |
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