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Birmingham Statue Campaign

Well its a family ain't it,it does not have to include men, after all
There are many. Brothers a and sisters whom grew up with out parents its still family so what's the fuss I say ,
I surprise its better than boring politician where are the flying doves symbol meaning freedom,love, and unity amongst all men, and women,
We are all one one woman, one wife ,one child freedom to all human kind best wishes to you all ,Astonian,,,,,,,,,
 
To me this sculpture is a very good piece of art, but is totally pointless, and has no meaning, and represents nothing and nobody, Thats my opinion only of course.
 
A typical family - sadly these days the answer is yes - I just wish they had left out 'Birmingham' from the title. Every typical Brummie still has family values. I'm so glad I was born when I was, at a time when such things did matter.
 
I think in 2014 whatever our age we are going to accept that what some of us feel is the typical family is existing less and less today.

If the statue was meant to represent the city of Birmingham and a Birmingham family I would rather it was a 'fantasy family' in a work of art to
display the multiculturism of the city.

4 people , a father,a mother, a daughter , a son, each one a different race Black,White, Asian and Chinese ,but I suppose someone would object to that.

Failing that, a huge bronze bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk, LOL.

More than the subject of the statue I am surprised that the people of Birmingham are not appalled that in the former 'Workshop of the world' and City of a thousand trades the council paid £100,000 to have it made in China.
 
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A typical family - sadly these days the answer is yes - I just wish they had left out 'Birmingham' from the title. Every typical Brummie still has family values. I'm so glad I was born when I was, at a time when such things did matter.

i agree
 
The sisters used for this "typical" family, refused to give any details of their "family" set up at the unveiling. The more you encourage these things as "typical" the more they will become the norm. As Alberta quite rightly said, we the citizens of Birmingham should be appalled and outraged that our Council saw fit to pay the Chinese £100,000 for something I am sure could have been made here in our great City.
jimbo
 
Looking at the figure on the right of the statue group I wonder whether there are two or three fathers connected with this 'Real Birmingham Family'.
 
Hi jimbo,,,,
I have to agree on this one with you completely by what you are saying whom and where does they come from
And the sisters are not sayingwhere they come from,incidently Bernard am I allowed to asked the question with out thinking its politically
Whom actually decides on the decision is it just one part of a committee or is there another section of the commitity whom
Agrees on the title and the actual out lay I do have my reasons for asking this question,
Knowing what I know about the council makes me intend to think as to what and why
Yes I agree with jumbo,it was a lot of money and yes surely we could have done it cheaper and we are all up in arms
Regarding the millions the council is at a loss and future coming cut backs and redundies of staffing and yet we pay through the nose so to speak
Best wishes. Astonian,,,,,,,,
 
Have I just learned that the statue was made in CHINA? For a great city and it's history in manufacturing?

Wow, that is really adding insult to injury. Eddie
 
I don't think any personal comments should be made about the young ladies, the problem lies with the people who voted for them to represent the city,as the Real birmingham family and the decision of the council to stand by that result and pay £100,000 for something that is holding the City up to ridicule amongst the national media.
 
my personal feelings are that if so much money is going to be spent on statues then it should be spent those who have done something of importance for the city of birmingham...maybe they are fast running out of ideas now...

lyn
 
The sculptor's intentions were not necessarily to show a typical family, simply one real family. From the article in post # 122 :

"The artist, who is from Birmingham herself, wanted a different spin from the Italian project, less a statistically typical family and more a real one. “Statisticians actually call one person a family as well, which I think is inclusive and fantastic,” said Wearing. “They are the biggest families in Europe, whether they are students, widowed, divorced.”"

So in that sense she achieved her objective.

Viv



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Is there any proof the the statement "Statisticians actually call one person a family" is true?
Did a Google search and the only one the come up was the one about the Statue.
 
Couldn't find anything either Nick. The definition of a family unit now includes so many variations. But I suppose the key question is what's the individuals own view of what his or her family is? Some people may have no relations alive within the 'family'. That person is the family. The statue seems to be really challenging our views of 'family'. But that aside, to me the statue is a piece of art that shows 'a family' in 2014. Nothing more, that's just my interpretation. Viv.


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my personal feelings are that if so much money is going to be spent on statues then it should be spent those who have done something of importance for the city of birmingham...maybe they are fast running out of ideas now...

lyn

My own view is that I am glad it is not in my town and I am sure a better use of the money could have been spent in the cash strapped City.

One thing shows out here quite strongly and it is that most posters who were Brummie born and still live there are very interested and concerned about what is done and happens in their city.
 
Hi Alberta
Personally I think we should close this particularly thread on this subject if its being seen as personal. Or offending other people
Obvisiuosly the discussion was well made in advance and what ever our the council represents we have to except
We have to end our and we have no say and obvisuosly this was thought upon a very long time ago,
As you can see by some of our threads of our. Members on this forum are not approving of it
And some are in total agreement so really this could go on for ever and ever so don't you think we should close this thread
This is my personal view how does anybody else may think the same about closing this thread
Best wishes Alan,,, Astonian,,,,',
 
The only objective Ms Wearing made was to create something which would create contraversial because thats what sells in the so called art wourld....weirdo's.
 
The Complete Oxford dictionary lists a "family unit" as :
family unit n. a family considered as a single entity, esp. as a discrete constituent of society; the primary social group, traditionally consisting of parents and their children.

It has many definitions of family , one of which is:

2 a. A group of people living as a household, traditionally consisting of parents and their children, and also (chiefly in early use) any servants, boarders, etc.; any household consisting of people who have long-term commitments to each other and are (usually) raising children; such a group as a fundamental social unit or institution.


2 b. A group of people consisting of one set of parents and their children, whether living together or not. In wider sense: any group of people connected by blood, marriage, adoption, etc. Also: a pair of animals and their young.

I cannot find a statistical definition of family which says it could be one person. It is not necessary for members of a family to be married, or even living together or necessarily related . A Household can however be described statistically as one person,
 
Well, it's smaller and, probably, a lot cheaper than the plastic thing it replaces. I'd say it was better than that one at least. As a matter of interest, all of you who think it was a mistake, what do you think it should have been?
I would have thought that every city has it's fair share of odd statuary and, mostly, there seems to be no accounting for the taste of the local people. Tributes and monuments seem to appeal to an older audience but they tend to be ignored or forgotten unless they're in some way odd (the plastic Hancock for instance).
So what existing statues/monuments do you think work - preferably the ones made by artists that are still living?
 
I have to confess that I'm so used to it now that I hardly notice it - but I don't admire (and never have done) Anthony Gormleys statue "Rusty Man" in Victoria Square.
Yet I did enjoy seeing other works by Mr Gormley: The people on the beach at Crosby and the statue in the crypt of Winchester Cathedral.
He's a bit of a "one trick wonder" though, all his work is modelled on his own body I believe.
 
there is a similar statue in Mell Square Solihull showing a family but this portrays Mother Father and 2 children which I find more agreeable but art whether 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional is purely personal, what pleases one will be disliked by another. There is very little 'modern art' in Birmingham (iron man, Hancock etc...) that appeals to me but others will think different and that's how it should be. As far as Art and buildings are concerned I am a traditionalist (some may say a stick in the mud) but that's me, however I respect the views and opinions of those who find modern art in all its forms appealing. Eric
 
There are a lot of recent sculptures around in Birmingham. I've been out at the Custard Factory for various reasons quite a lot over the last few years and they have 3 large objects including their own versions of King Kong (in yellow), a large man (with various greenery growing out of it) and a dragon. I quite liked the Dragon although it only really works if seen from a few internal windows. There's supposed to be a walking tree in Moseley (Tolkien tribute) although I haven't noticed it. The other obvious sculpture is the one in the pond at the top of New Street (the floosie in the jacuzzi). I daresay there are a lot of others that I haven't heard of/noticed but this is just a list from the top of my head.
 
there is a similar statue in Mell Square Solihull showing a family but this portrays Mother Father and 2 children which I find more agreeable but art whether 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional is purely personal, what pleases one will be disliked by another. There is very little 'modern art' in Birmingham (iron man, Hancock etc...) that appeals to me but others will think different and that's how it should be. As far as Art and buildings are concerned I am a traditionalist (some may say a stick in the mud) but that's me, however I respect the views and opinions of those who find modern art in all its forms appealing. Eric


It's one child (and I've never seen anyone held a protest at it)

Family outing - Mell Square, Solihull, 1985



If you head to Mell Square now, you will find it like this:

 
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