Life imitates art on London's Southbank
July 12th 2007 08:34
Just as In Oslo's Vigeland Sculpture park, art imitates life in statues which look just like people, so on London's Southbank, under the London Eye, life imitates art in people who look just like statues.
I first came across this fascinating phenomenon many years ago, at the now defunct Club Med Noumea, in the form of a gilded, loin-clothed Greek 'God' suspended upside down in a stairwell. It winked, then slowly came to life as 'Sexy Boy' the Club clown, fool, prankster and enthusiastic leader of the Crazy Music for Crazy People hand gyrations - but that's another story. Anyway, since I saw the gilded Sexy Boy, I see living statues verywhere -you know how it is- you see one broken arm and suddenly the street's full of them; spot one toupe and all at once everyone in the bar's wearing one. Is it a question of awareness - am I keeping a sub-conscious "eye out' - or is it that the living statue phenomenon has taken off and turned into a life-style or even a living? On Southbank twenty odd regulars (more on weekends) don different costumes and mount the pedestal every day. I headed over there early, before they turned to stone, to find out why they do it and what they get out of it. Words don't come easily to living statues, even before they 'freeze'. but stll, I discovered a little from simply observing. For many, robing and painting is a secret and serious business; they arrive already gilded, or silvered and robed. Others arrive silvered or gilded and robe sur place. Others still arrive robed and paint on the spot and others again turn up with a trunk, making costume and make-up part of the show. For some a joint or a smoke forms part of the pre-freeze ritual, for others it's simply a coke or a coffee.
The performance is all about holding the pose, the entertainment is all about coming to life. Drop a coin in the cup and the frozen blue man plays his guitar - the larger the coin, the longer the tune - the giesha bows, Genghis Khan salutes, the courtier doffs his cap, the pirate brandishes his sword, the policeman in the tutu waves his baton, the headless man beckons you over, the Queen blows a kiss and the King nods.
The statues are a constant source of fascination for kids, and there are squeals of delight/ terror when they get too close and find themselves caught in a headlock by the King, manacled by the pirate or bonked on the head by the policeman in the tutu.
At lunch time, I found George II, still in full costume, leaning on a fence, sippng a coke. He was happy to answer some questions but was sparing with his words.
So, who are these living statues? According to George, some are actors - employed and unemployed, some are students and some mime professionals. Others simply do it for the fun of it. Some are locals and others internationals. He and his Queen are Russian amatuers and have been living as statues for over ten years. They've travelled the world from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Europe and now the UK. And what is it like, the life of a statue? In George's own words, It's a good life But isn't it hard standing still for so long? One gets used to it, George shrugs And do they make enough to live on? Yes, it's a good living and with a smile he gestures to the half-full coin cup.
The London Eye
I first came across this fascinating phenomenon many years ago, at the now defunct Club Med Noumea, in the form of a gilded, loin-clothed Greek 'God' suspended upside down in a stairwell. It winked, then slowly came to life as 'Sexy Boy' the Club clown, fool, prankster and enthusiastic leader of the Crazy Music for Crazy People hand gyrations - but that's another story. Anyway, since I saw the gilded Sexy Boy, I see living statues verywhere -you know how it is- you see one broken arm and suddenly the street's full of them; spot one toupe and all at once everyone in the bar's wearing one. Is it a question of awareness - am I keeping a sub-conscious "eye out' - or is it that the living statue phenomenon has taken off and turned into a life-style or even a living? On Southbank twenty odd regulars (more on weekends) don different costumes and mount the pedestal every day. I headed over there early, before they turned to stone, to find out why they do it and what they get out of it. Words don't come easily to living statues, even before they 'freeze'. but stll, I discovered a little from simply observing. For many, robing and painting is a secret and serious business; they arrive already gilded, or silvered and robed. Others arrive silvered or gilded and robe sur place. Others still arrive robed and paint on the spot and others again turn up with a trunk, making costume and make-up part of the show. For some a joint or a smoke forms part of the pre-freeze ritual, for others it's simply a coke or a coffee.
The performance is all about holding the pose, the entertainment is all about coming to life. Drop a coin in the cup and the frozen blue man plays his guitar - the larger the coin, the longer the tune - the giesha bows, Genghis Khan salutes, the courtier doffs his cap, the pirate brandishes his sword, the policeman in the tutu waves his baton, the headless man beckons you over, the Queen blows a kiss and the King nods.
The statues are a constant source of fascination for kids, and there are squeals of delight/ terror when they get too close and find themselves caught in a headlock by the King, manacled by the pirate or bonked on the head by the policeman in the tutu.
King George II and Queen Elizabeth I
At lunch time, I found George II, still in full costume, leaning on a fence, sippng a coke. He was happy to answer some questions but was sparing with his words.
So, who are these living statues? According to George, some are actors - employed and unemployed, some are students and some mime professionals. Others simply do it for the fun of it. Some are locals and others internationals. He and his Queen are Russian amatuers and have been living as statues for over ten years. They've travelled the world from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Europe and now the UK. And what is it like, the life of a statue? In George's own words, It's a good life But isn't it hard standing still for so long? One gets used to it, George shrugs And do they make enough to live on? Yes, it's a good living and with a smile he gestures to the half-full coin cup.
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