Marc Quinn: Ally or Provocateur?

On Wednesday 15th July, just over a month after Colston’s statue was pulled down and then later rolled into the docks, slamming Bristol slap-bang into the epicentre of the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, Bristol woke to find it was back in the news again. Marc Quinn, an internationally renowned artist and sculptor, from ‘that there London’, sneaked in and installed a sculpture of local Black woman Jen Reid onto Colston’s empty plinth just before dawn; her fist raised high; proud and strong. Most supporters of the anti-racism movement were initially delighted, but it’s a bit more complicated than that, and has raised questions both in Bristol and in the sphere of the art world.

Why has an artist who isn’t even from Bristol stomped in and installed his work uninvited? Is he an ally or an opportunist? Should a white man be getting involved with conversations about what should replace Colston’s statue? Has the act of installing the piece done more harm than good?

The event of the making and installing of the sculpture is multi-faceted, drawing on questions encompassing race, authority, publicity and art. It needs to be seen in context to really form an informed opinion on whether ‘A Surge of Power (Jen Reid)’ is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ thing for Bristol and the anti-racism movement.

Back to basics first of all; who is Marc Quinn and what is his artistic background?

Marc Quinn is a white, British, London-based sculptor and painter associated with a group of artists who came to prominence in the UK in the 1990s; the Young British Artists, alongside well-known figures of the British arts scene like Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin. Quinn’s earliest well known works were his self-portraits made from unusual materials like blood, lead, and glass. The Young British Artists movement (or Brit Art movement) is best known for it’s love of garnering controversy and media publicity (think Hirst’s animals in formaldehyde or Emin’s Bed). As with all things, age has tamed the movement’s objectives and impact; the Shock of the New element just isn’t there 25 years down the line, but these artists are still known today for pulling stunts to get their work out there into the public realm, and for being unashamedly media-savvy.

Quinn has produced prolifically for the last 30 years. He is probably best known for his sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant - for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, which was erected in 2005. Since then his works, as well as the more traditional conceptual and fine art pieces, have included paintings of protests, and not-for-profit projects such as this year’s 100 heads (portraits of 100 refugees), a prequel to a massive project called Our Blood, due to be unveiled in 2022.

The installation of Alison Lapper pregnant has long been seen as an important moment for elevating the differently-abled and women. Since all the other statues in Trafalgar Square (and the the majority over the world) depict male, able-bodied heroes from the past. Marc Quinn said on his website: “Most public sculpture, especially in the Trafalgar Square and Whitehall areas, is triumphant male statuary. I felt that the Square could do with some femininity, linking with Boudicca near the Houses of Parliament. Alison’s statue could represent a new model of female heroism.” Alison Lapper, the subject of the piece, said: “I regard it as a modern tribute to femininity, disability and motherhood. It is so rare to see disability in everyday life – let alone naked, pregnant and proud.”

So, as well as being an upstart provocateur, Quinn has a rich history of social observation and politics in his work, with particular reference to the plight of those less privileged than him. Taking all of this into consideration, you can see how Marc Quinn would have a lot to say on the whole ‘statue as elevation’ debate; the empty plinth in central Bristol almost seems like it could have been presented to him as the natural podium for his next piece of work, an instinctive progression to follow on from where his back catalogue has been heading for a number of years.

Tweet from Bristol musician Geoff Barrow

What about the local view?

Did Quinn have the ‘right’, as a white privileged artist from out of town to create and install the piece without permission from the people of Bristol? Many think not, including Bristol City Council, the Mayor, and other local names. According to The Times Marvin Rees asked Marc Quinn not to erect the statue as it would risk stirring up racial tensions. He then received more than 3,500 emails directed to him by Britain First in the 24 hours it was in place. After the sculpture was removed Rees told Sky News ‘we aren’t taking down a statue of a Black Lives Matter protester, we’re taking down the work of an artist who erected it without permission’.

But, aside from the fact that the council had every right to remove the sculpture as permission to install it hadn't been secured, why can’t someone who isn’t from Bristol install an artwork in the centre of Bristol which comments on a worldwide global movement? Bristol land is not just for Bristolians, and is that not how it should be? Especially on a subject such as slavery, which resonates with people all around the world? Colston didn’t belong to Bristol, and his legacy certainly stretched further. Yes, Quinn used his fame and privilege to install his sculpture, but was that completely self-serving, or was he using his white privilege to help further the conversation and show his support for Black Lives Matter? Never intended as a permanent replacement for Colston’s statue, it was always destined to be removed; it has helped keep the question of who or what should go there next, but was it okay for a white artist from London to keep that conversation going?

And who is Jen Reid and how much involvement did she have with the piece?

Jen Reid, the Bristolian woman and subject of Quinn’s sculpture, was fully behind the making of the piece and the message behind it. In a joint press release with the artist, published on his website, Jen Reid explains what led to her climb onto the plinth, and said ‘I’m collaborating with Marc Quinn on this project as he cares about pushing inclusion to the forefront of people’s minds and uses his art to make people think. Creating this sculpture is so important as it helps keep the journey towards racial justice and equity moving, because Black lives matter every day.’

But, even if Jen Reid was fully behind it and believes Marc Quinn to be an ally, many don’t. Thomas J Price is a British Black artist, who wrote in an article for The Art Newspaper last week ‘for a white artist to suddenly capitalise on the experiences of Black pain, by putting themselves forward to replace the statutes of white slave owners seems like a clear example of a saviour complex and cannot be the precedent that is set for genuine allyship.’

The installation, removal and conversation around Quinn’s latest sculpture is messy, and complicated. Trying to unravel the knotted threads, to come up with a definitive answer, is impossible, as is so often the case when social issues and art combine. But there is one thing I can say; A Surge of Power (Jen Reid), is a great piece of art.

I wanted to see the piece in person before it was taken down, and a smile broke out on my lips as I approached it last Wednesday afternoon. It’s power, it’s placement, it’s technical beauty, it’s elevation of woman, it’s aura of strength, made my heart sing. You could circle it for an age just looking; it is, in all terms, a very good sculpture. I hope wherever it ends up (Quinn has said that if it ends up being sold profits will go to two charities nominated by Jen Reid), people will get to see it and enjoy it.

Marc Quinn works conceptually as well as using traditional forms of representation such as sculpture and painting. And looking at it from that angle, this work is a massive success. The act of creating it, installing it surreptitiously, and the public reactions, are all an intrinsic part of the work. The artwork is not the sculpture alone.

Whether in your view Marc Quinn used his fame and power in the art world to wade in and trample all over Bristol and Black history with his privilege, or if he created a piece of art in allyship with Black people and the Women’s Rights movement, using his position to lend them both voices, there is no denying that it has created debate and kept the ongoing conversation alive. It keeps Black Lives Matter UK firmly at the front of the public and political agenda, where it belongs.

I really look foward to seeing what happens next; and I hope that Bristolians and in particular our Black community get the final say regarding how the space should be used. But in the meantime, whatever his personal motivation was, something is unfolding in our city which people will remember for years to come, which is inspiring great art and lively debate, and in my opinion, that is definitely a good thing.

Written by Arts editor Kerry Mead. Kerry is a long term resident of Bristol. Music obsessive, book obsessive, social butterfly, escaper of responsibilities, self diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, full time single parent and registered carer to her oldest child who has autism, works part time in communications for a local charity.