BLACK LIVES MATTER

MARC QUINN

As of the early hours of this morning at the end of Colston Street in Bristol there appeared a new statue of a figure where once until very recently had stood the portrayal of slave trader Edward Colston after whom so much of Bristol's buildings and streets are named (though he never lived there) which was defaced and pulled down and thrown into the water by folks demonstrating the murder of George Floyd by American police officers.

This wonderful work of art was the collaboration of the great British artist Marc Quinn and his subject and hopefully it will remain for a while but is not intended to be permanent but an addendum, if you like, to the argument staying alive being a sculpture of one of the objectors a local woman Jen Reid. 

"A Surge of Power (Jen Reid)" Marc Quinn, 2020

Jen's husband tweeted “My wife. My life. She matters.” which drew Quinn's attention

Marc Quinn

A triumphant call for action … Jen Reid standing on the Colston plinth in Bristol, just after the statue was toppled. Photograph: @bricks_magazine/instagram

Colston meets an ignominious end

Colston is tipped into the dock

UPDATE: 16th July 2020

Quinn's sculpture being removed today  (©️Ben Birchall)