david shrigley unveils giant thumbs-up for fourth plinth in london's trafalgar square

david shrigley has unveiled his commission for fourth plinth in london’s trafalgar square. ‘really good’ is a seven-meter-high hand positioned in a thumbs-up gesture, displaying an unusually long digit — an idea of which symbolizes the notion that ‘something, somewhere, is really good.’

 

A video posted by David Shrigley (@davidshrigley) on Sep 29, 2016 at 4:02am PDT

cast in bronze using the same dark patina as the other statues situated in the square, shrigley’s giant thumb is disproportionately long in comparison to the remaining four fingers. the intention of the sculpture is that this simple gesture will become a self-fulfilling prophecy: things considered ‘bad’ — such as the economy, the weather and society — will benefit from a change in attitude towards positivity. 

 

A photo posted by WhereTheArtIs (@artytude) on Sep 29, 2016 at 4:36am PDT

situated in trafalgar square, the fourth plinth was built in 1841 and was originally meant to hold a statue of william IV but, owing to insufficient funds, remained empty. the site now hosts a series of commissioned artworks by world class creatives, including the recent addition of a giant blue cockerel by katharina fritsch.

read our recent interview with artist david shrigley on designboom here.  

 

A photo posted by cheesy claire (@cheesyclaire) on Sep 29, 2016 at 6:33am PDT

‘I am delighted to unveil david shrigley’s really good,’ the mayor of london, sadiq khan, said. ‘the giant thumbs up is wonderfully optimistic, it shows that london is open to the world and that we remain full of creativity and positivity. shrigley’s distinct talent is his ability to capture the imaginations of people of all ages and backgrounds and i know this will be an incredibly successful commission, adding to london’s status as a cultural powerhouse.the fourth plinth reflects the best of london in so many ways – it is creative, pioneering, surprising and a delight for the millions of londoners and visitors from across the globe who visit trafalgar square every year.’

animated teaser for ‘really good’ released ahead of the official unveil 

[main image © gautier deblonde]

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