New statue of girl on horse unveiled - looks good?

gurramok

What ye think of the tracksuited look immersed in immortality?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0917/ballymun.html

rte wrote:

A 16-foot bronze statue, which was commissioned as part of the Ballymun Regeneration Project, was unveiled today.

The monument of a local girl dressed in a tracksuit on the back of a military-style horse has been temporarily installed outside the local secondary school.

There are plans to move it to the Main Street, but some have objected saying it will encourage negative stereotypes.

Three years ago, when she 17, Toni Marie Shields was asked to model for a statue which would be the centrepiece of a regenerated Ballymun.

Today, now aged 20, she got the first glimpse of her teenage self immortalised in bronze.

The statue was supposed to be located on the Main Street in Ballymun, but plans to construct Metro North got in the way.

And some locals objected, saying it was not a good image for the new Ballymun.

The local secondary school, Trinity Comprehensive, agreed it could be located there.

Labour Councillor John Lyons said the statue should not be moved to the Main Street as reinforced negative stereotypes of the area and represented the old rather than the new Ballymun.

But the Director of the Axis Arts Centre, which commissioned the piece, says it is not supposed to represent the locals but to provoke discussion and debate.

He said the statue will be relocated to the Main Street of Ballymun whenever Metro North is completed, which they hope will be within the next five years.

Chuchoter

I think its quite cool actually.

prinz

Feckin' disaster. Stupid looking yoke. Would be better off showing the girl getting her Leaving Cert or something. Surely there was something better to illustrate the new Ballymun?

Biggins

Why, just why?

Darlughda

Brilliant. I love it. Brings to mind the warrior queens of ancient Ireland, yet with a contemporary feel!

Gummy Panda

But the Director of the Axis Arts Centre, which commissioned the piece, says it is not supposed to represent the locals but to provoke discussion and debate.

provoke discussion and debate about a skanger on a horse?

This guy needs less funding.

FreudianSlippers

Quite a nice statue really isn't it?

PrincessLola

I really like it. A stereotype? Maybe, but the truth is many Dubliners do wear tracksuits on a regular basis. The point they are missing is that this statue is not intended to judge the girl's clothing but simply represent what is a reality not a glossed over view. Like the article said it is intended to provoke discussion, it is up to us to interpret it.

.E_C_K_S.

A girl wearing a tracksuit on a military style horse! What a joke.....16ft statue must of cost a bit. Recession no?

Adamcp898

um.......why?

AckwelFoley

Ah jaysus.

Im not one for whinging about expenditure and job losses etc, but this does take the biscuit.

Do you know how many wrecking balls you could have bought for the price of that?????!

PeterIanStaker

Is the horse piebald?

prinz

PrincessLola wrote: »

... simply represent what is a reality not a glossed over view.

If that's what they were doing she wouldn't be sitting on a healthy looking military style horse.

Corsendonk

At least she got a ride

gurramok

So in a 100 years time, they will think we all went around tracksuit laden on horses, not looking good for the reputation of us to our childrens children children :P

magick

I love it, its contemporary and classic at the same time. I understand ppl being upset about it due to the bad economic circumstances we find ourselves in. My only criticism is the style of horse.

ShamoBuc

prinz wrote: »

Would be better off showing the girl getting her Leaving Cert or something.

yeah but its supposed to be realistic;)

ejmaztec

They should put it outside the Dail to remind Brian Cowen of the day he was a little hoarse.

ChunkyLover_53

RIP to the Girl

http://www.snopes.com/military/statue.asp

:pac:

Corsendonk

Shams wrote: »

I love it, its contemporary and classic at the same time. I understand ppl being upset about it due to the bad economic circumstances we find ourselves in. My only criticism is the style of horse.

That was the cheap model. A piebald cast would have to be done from scratch while the 16ft charger is always in demand throughout europe,

Hazys

Dublin what a classy city...a spike is the main monument, they'll have a train station named after a memeber of a boy band, now a 16th station of a girl in a tracksuit riding a horse.


The Paris tourist board must be sh1tting it...the Arc de Triomphe, the Effiel Tower and the Louve Musesum are no match for Dublin what has to offer

squod

I'd get up on that.

spurious

Interesting that some here think just because she's one of the kids that take care of horses, that she hasn't got a Leaving Cert..

Oh noes, but how could she without grinds and like, private school?

RonMexico

Please tell me this is from the Onion.

chin_grin

<points> BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA........... ahem.........hehehe............hum.


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!

prinz

spurious wrote: »

Interesting that some here think just because she's one of the kids that take care of horses, that she hasn't got a Leaving Cert.. Oh noes, but how could she without grinds and like, private school?

Who thinks she hasn't got a Leaving Cert? Where did I say that? Think before you engage your typing fingers.

convert

And some locals objected, saying it was not a good image for the new Ballymun

Ah, the special relationship between a girl and her pony. How exactly is that not a good image?

But the Director of the Axis Arts Centre, which commissioned the piece, says it is not supposed to represent the locals but to provoke discussion and debate.

If it did represent the locals, it'd be an awful piebald horse...

I actually think it's quite nice.

Terry

Hazys wrote: »

Dublin what a classy city...a spike is the main monument, they'll have a train station named after a memeber of a boy band, now a 16th station of a girl in a tracksuit riding a horse.


The Paris tourist board must be sh1tting it...the Arc de Triomphe, the Effiel Tower and the Louve Musesum are no match for Dublin what has to offer

What's that about a train station?

I think it's good. It is representative of the area. There is no denying that. Mind you, you could put it in Ballyfermot, Clondalkin or Tallaght and it would be as at home as it is in Ballymun.


The only difference between horse riders in Dublin and those in Kildare are the clothes.
But let's not allow that to get in the way of some good old fashioned AH snobbery.

OMG Skangers on horses lol

fonecrusher1

I say we take off & nuke the entire site from orbit.

Its the only way to be sure.

Hazys

Terry wrote: »

What's that about a train station?

I think it's good. It is representative of the area. There is no denying that. Mind you, you could put it in Ballyfermot, Clondalkin or Tallaght and it would be as at home as it is in Ballymun.


The only difference between horse riders in Dublin and those in Kildare are the clothes.
But let's not allow that to get in the way of some good old fashioned AH snobbery.

OMG Skangers on horses lol

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055963097

TBH i havent really followed the story so i dont know if the statue was built or still to be built

Biggins

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

xzanti

She looks like Anto's mott.

magick

Biggins wrote: »

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

If you didnt grow up in the 80s watch "into the west"

Darlughda

Biggins wrote: »

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

Galway boy.

Biggins

Darlughda wrote: »

Galway boy.

Forgive my stupidity. I have still not a clue.

prinz

Terry wrote: »

The only difference between horse riders in Dublin and those in Kildare are the clothes. But let's not allow that to get in the way of some good old fashioned AH snobbery. OMG Skangers on horses lol

I'd say the DSPCA experience would lead to a different conclusion.

starbelgrade

Hey Tayto.. are we in the West yet?

Aidric

Trinity Comprehensive

lol

starbelgrade

Biggins wrote: »

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

Ballymun - like most working class areas in the 80s & early 90s - used to be full of scobies in tracksuits riding horses.

prinz

starbelgrade wrote: »

Ballymun - like most working class areas in the 80s & early 90s - used to be full of scobies in tracksuits riding horses.

There's still a few of them about.

Terry

Hazys wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055963097

TBH i havent really followed the story so i dont know if the statue was built or still to be built

Meh. Local boy done good. I see the thread is locked. I'll just say that I see no harm in this. He was known around the world.
I'm waiting for the day that AH explodes when something is named after Bono.

Biggins wrote: »

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

Quite a lot of people in the area ride horses whilst wearing tracksuits.

squod

Biggins wrote: »

I just don't get it.

Whats the relationship/connection between a young girl in a tracksuit on a horse and the area the statue was placed in?

Is there a prize for solving the mystery of the artist's sculpture?

The regeneration project seemed to make the place look nicer, then some artist type sticks it to the people with a giant put-down. How would you feel?

Morlar

I thought art was supposed to be uplifting and inspirational - that is just bleak and depressing, glorifying patronising negative stereotypes. imo.

Biggins

starbelgrade wrote: »

Ballymun - like most working class areas in the 80s & early 90s - used to be full of scobies in tracksuits riding horses.

O' right. I didn't want to be derogatory towards the area generally and guess it might be that, thus my asking.

Who's Galway boy?

Darlughda

Biggins wrote: »

Forgive my stupidity. I have still not a clue.

Ok. Sorry didn't mean to be mean! I like Galway boys.:)

The Ballymun area has been through hell and back. From the removal of people from established communities in the crumblings of the inner city of Dublin in the 1960's, to the heroin epidemics, and horrendous suicide statistics to ongoing prejudices to this day of people being scumbags, knackers, thieves etc from that area.

The regeneration and the axis arts area has been a whole new way for people, and especially disenfrancished young ones from the area to find a voice. They managed to have a concert of hip-hop with NY performers along with seriously talented young people from the area with the traditional Irish music sean-nós singers from Donegal.

The warrior queen on her horse brings to mind Macha and Queen Medb.

There are still many horses around the Ballymun area, that is part and parcel of an older tradition that was romanticised in the film 'Into the West'.

The tracksuit/Pyjamas is (imho) a defiant statement of up yours to the middle class culture of grey/black corporate suits rush houring like sardines to their conventional jobs that people whose address are in a certain area would never have a chance of an interview, boom time or not.

recylingbin

Let's name it:

Beth on the geegee.

squod

Tracki an the knacki

prinz

Darlughda wrote: »

The tracksuit/Pyjamas is (imho) a defiant statement of up yours to the middle class culture of grey/black corporate suits rush houring like sardines to their conventional jobs that people whose address are in a certain area would never have a chance of an interview, boom time or not.

It's nothing but further ingraining that kind of cod and excuses tbh. There's nothing more patronising than telling people they have nothing better to aim for than repeating the negative stereotypes of the past.
Teach people to do nothing but give defiant up yours to people they end up abdicating personal responsibility. My boss hails from up one of the towers, now he is a "corporate suit".

recylingbin

Darlughda wrote: »

The tracksuit/Pyjamas is (imho) a defiant statement of up yours to the middle class culture of grey/black corporate suits rush houring like sardines to their conventional jobs that people whose address are in a certain area would never have a chance of an interview, boom time or not.

Is it? Or is it just laziness?

Biggins

I still find it strange.
I can see a car passing every day with a child in the back of it asking;

"Dad? Why is there a woman in a tracksuit on a horse?"

"Dunno son, maybe she was a local famous jockey or something!"

Morlar

prinz wrote: »

It's nothing but further ingraining that kind of cod and excuses tbh. There's nothing more patronising than telling people they have nothing better to aim for than repeating the negative stereotypes of the past.
Teach people to do nothing but give defiant up yours to people they end up abdicating personal responsibility. My boss hails from up one of the towers, now he is a "corporate suit".

I hail from that area too (originally) and couldn't agree more. This sounds like the usual middle-class, almost anthropological attitude towards working class areas. It helps no one and achieves nothing. Except to legitimise an anti-aspirational outlook. again imo.