onionbagblog
Mother & Child Reunion
The BWS itself is supposed to represent 'the contribution and service made by Caribbean women throughout the ages,'- a fine cause to be commemorated in a cast of bronze.
'The child held aloft is a symbol of her strength and her aspirations for the new generation...' but I can't help thinking that the baby's bare bottom will be talking the point when the local school kids assemble to 'explore the arts, heritage, history, literature, conservation and citizenship.'
The ten foot high statue is a physical representation of the Bronze Woman poem [pdf], penned by Cécile Nobrega, a Guyanian woman, and member of the International Alliance of Women. Cécile now lives locally. Thirty years after writing her prose, the 89 year-old was the guest of honour on Wednesday, making even more of a photo opportunity than a rather large lump of bronze.
The collective of social conscious campaigners that are behind the BWS boasted of it being the first statue of a black female in Britain. But then the ethnical hub that is Wales wanted in on a piece of the action, and claimed their multi-cultural credentials first. Unless we're talking about Tom Jones,Boyo, Bruv, I can't find any online reference to a black statue in Wales. So the BWS is the first statue of a black female in England.
Ian Walter sculptured the statue, but sadly passed away before he could see the completion of his work. Aleix Barbat built the final model, carrying on the work of Walters.
The unveiling ceremony was blessed with trademark Sunny Stockwell sunshine. The timing was to coincide with Black History Month; rather poor timing, when you consider the events currently taking place down the Clap'ham Road.
We had repeated recordings of the Bronze Woman poem played rather loudly over the PA ahead of the unveiling. At least it drowned out the constant buzz of the busses passing through Stockwell Cross.
Well-groomed girls with clipboards walked around looking all-important. I took a photograph of one. She immediately wrote something down on her clipboard. I don't think it was a reminder to ask me for my number later on.
And then came the big moment. Nope, not time to pull the big red sheet off the statue, but the various speeches from interested parties who wanted to politicise the event and make the clipboard girls have something else to write down.
We were told 'how wonderful it is to see so many local people assembled in the Memorial Gardens.' Funny, as I failed to recognise very few people. The fleet of limousines parked opposite didn't suggest a local feel to me.
The lovely Stockwell Partnership people made an appearance, as did a fellow lovely lido lover. We had a brief chat, but didn't really recognise one another with our clothes on.
Baroness Scotland was thankfully fully clothed. It didn't take long for her well-intentioned speech to become another placard waving cause for Nu Labour.
Further speeches followed, all advocating a call to arms to recognise, organise and politicise the role of black females. The contribution made by white males to Stockwell wasn't mentioned. The contribution made by black males wasn't mentioned either.
It was all rather plain old-fashioned sexism, but from a female perspective. It was as though the truly gruesome Loose Women had arrived for a filming session right on my doorstep.
ALL women are celebrated, ALL men are looked over. It's the same inverted sexism that you see in those shitty TV ads that portray ALL males as incompetent, lacking in inspiration and only useful for shagging. And sometimes not even that, either.
It takes two to tango.
Anyway... the big red sheet was pulled off the BWS by Cécile, and the dignified presence of the mainstream knobber media whores harassing a very old lady in a wheelchair continued. I walked away, hoping that South London Yoof doesn't do his (or even her) thing with the thick marker pen. Not that ALL of South London Yoof do his (or her) thing with a thick marker pen, you understand.
And the statue itself? I'm not sure if I'm in favour or not. I'll wait until the sculpture settles down, and we get use to 'living' with it. I like the idea of Stockwell having something different (and it is indeed VERY different.) It's also good that Stockwell makes the news bulletins for something other than that shooting.
I can't help thinking though that the £76,000 cost of the project (!) could have been put to a far more practical, local use. £32,000 of this alone came from the Stockwell Urban II cash, a fund that is supposed to deliver tangible benefits to local people. TfL contributed a considerable sum as well. No such donations for a permanent memorial for Mr de Menezes.
No worries. In these toughest of financial times, you'll be reassured to learn that you can purchase a replica of the Bronze Woman for your mantelpiece. A snip at £500.
A local wag has already christened the work as the 'Louise Woodward Shaken Baby Syndrome Memorial.' Harsh, but it did make me chuckle when I opened up my inbox this morning.
And so Bronze Woman Statue - welcome to Sunny Stockwell. We're an inclusive lot around here. Especially so now that the limousines have left.
Full flickr set over HERE.
technorati: stockwell bronze woman
| Wednesday 8 October, 2008 |
The BWS itself is supposed to represent 'the contribution and service made by Caribbean women throughout the ages,'- a fine cause to be commemorated in a cast of bronze.
'The child held aloft is a symbol of her strength and her aspirations for the new generation...' but I can't help thinking that the baby's bare bottom will be talking the point when the local school kids assemble to 'explore the arts, heritage, history, literature, conservation and citizenship.'
The ten foot high statue is a physical representation of the Bronze Woman poem [pdf], penned by Cécile Nobrega, a Guyanian woman, and member of the International Alliance of Women. Cécile now lives locally. Thirty years after writing her prose, the 89 year-old was the guest of honour on Wednesday, making even more of a photo opportunity than a rather large lump of bronze.
The collective of social conscious campaigners that are behind the BWS boasted of it being the first statue of a black female in Britain. But then the ethnical hub that is Wales wanted in on a piece of the action, and claimed their multi-cultural credentials first. Unless we're talking about Tom Jones,
Ian Walter sculptured the statue, but sadly passed away before he could see the completion of his work. Aleix Barbat built the final model, carrying on the work of Walters.
The unveiling ceremony was blessed with trademark Sunny Stockwell sunshine. The timing was to coincide with Black History Month; rather poor timing, when you consider the events currently taking place down the Clap'ham Road.
We had repeated recordings of the Bronze Woman poem played rather loudly over the PA ahead of the unveiling. At least it drowned out the constant buzz of the busses passing through Stockwell Cross.
Well-groomed girls with clipboards walked around looking all-important. I took a photograph of one. She immediately wrote something down on her clipboard. I don't think it was a reminder to ask me for my number later on.
And then came the big moment. Nope, not time to pull the big red sheet off the statue, but the various speeches from interested parties who wanted to politicise the event and make the clipboard girls have something else to write down.
We were told 'how wonderful it is to see so many local people assembled in the Memorial Gardens.' Funny, as I failed to recognise very few people. The fleet of limousines parked opposite didn't suggest a local feel to me.
The lovely Stockwell Partnership people made an appearance, as did a fellow lovely lido lover. We had a brief chat, but didn't really recognise one another with our clothes on.
Baroness Scotland was thankfully fully clothed. It didn't take long for her well-intentioned speech to become another placard waving cause for Nu Labour.
Further speeches followed, all advocating a call to arms to recognise, organise and politicise the role of black females. The contribution made by white males to Stockwell wasn't mentioned. The contribution made by black males wasn't mentioned either.
It was all rather plain old-fashioned sexism, but from a female perspective. It was as though the truly gruesome Loose Women had arrived for a filming session right on my doorstep.
ALL women are celebrated, ALL men are looked over. It's the same inverted sexism that you see in those shitty TV ads that portray ALL males as incompetent, lacking in inspiration and only useful for shagging. And sometimes not even that, either.
It takes two to tango.
Anyway... the big red sheet was pulled off the BWS by Cécile, and the dignified presence of the mainstream knobber media whores harassing a very old lady in a wheelchair continued. I walked away, hoping that South London Yoof doesn't do his (or even her) thing with the thick marker pen. Not that ALL of South London Yoof do his (or her) thing with a thick marker pen, you understand.
And the statue itself? I'm not sure if I'm in favour or not. I'll wait until the sculpture settles down, and we get use to 'living' with it. I like the idea of Stockwell having something different (and it is indeed VERY different.) It's also good that Stockwell makes the news bulletins for something other than that shooting.
I can't help thinking though that the £76,000 cost of the project (!) could have been put to a far more practical, local use. £32,000 of this alone came from the Stockwell Urban II cash, a fund that is supposed to deliver tangible benefits to local people. TfL contributed a considerable sum as well. No such donations for a permanent memorial for Mr de Menezes.
No worries. In these toughest of financial times, you'll be reassured to learn that you can purchase a replica of the Bronze Woman for your mantelpiece. A snip at £500.
A local wag has already christened the work as the 'Louise Woodward Shaken Baby Syndrome Memorial.' Harsh, but it did make me chuckle when I opened up my inbox this morning.
And so Bronze Woman Statue - welcome to Sunny Stockwell. We're an inclusive lot around here. Especially so now that the limousines have left.
Full flickr set over HERE.
technorati: stockwell bronze woman
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