London's Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, that famously fickle host of public art, has a new guest: Tschabalala Self's "Lady in Blue." It’s a bronze statue depicting a Black woman mid-stride, rocking a baby blue dress and matching heels. It’s the 16th piece to grace the plinth since 1998, and already, it’s proving to be quite the conversation starter—or, depending on who you ask, a conversation stopper.
Justine Simons, London's deputy mayor for culture, sees it as a monumental nod to everyday women. "London has already embraced it," she declared, clearly ready to pop the champagne. And many critics seem to agree.
Laura Freeman, The Times of London's chief art critic, gave it four out of five stars, calling it a "joyful sculpture with a sashay." The Guardian's Jonathan Jones also handed out four stars, praising its "humour and life." Sounds like a party, right?
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Well, not exactly. Over at The Daily Telegraph, the reviews were decidedly chillier, earning it a measly two out of five stars and the blunt label of "yet another artistic dud." Ouch. Steven Barrett, a critic from the Public Gallery Substack, went for a more visceral reaction on X (formerly Twitter), calling it "deja vu" and, perhaps most damningly, "tacky."
Barrett might have been recalling Self's 2023 sculpture "Seated," which had its own moment of infamy when it was vandalized with white paint in Bexhill-on-Sea. Because apparently that's where we are now: art so compelling it inspires paint attacks.
Self, for her part, seems unfazed. She told The Guardian she's ready for whatever comes, believing that every opinion, good or bad, simply reflects a different facet of our current reality. Which, if you think about it, is a rather zen approach to having your work scrutinized by an entire city. The Fourth Plinth, funded by the Mayor of London, Arts Council England, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, swaps its art every two years. Plenty of time for Londoners to decide if this Lady in Blue is a beloved icon or just another reason to hurry past Trafalgar Square.
