One & Other (Arts)

Lazy, boring and uninspired- or brilliant, innovative and exciting?

The 'One & Other' project is a rather nice, albeit lazy, idea. Antony Gormley asked for 2400 volunteers from the UK to "occupy the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London, a space normally reserved for statues of Kings and Generals. They will become an image of themselves, and a representation of the whole of humanity."

So instead of coming up with a statue himself, he's getting the public to do it for him. It's the kind of lazy concept we should be used to in an age where 'talent' shows are rife - why create new shows when we can film the general public making arses of themselves for free? All we have to do is give them a 12 month contract (of which we will get our money back in management percentage anyway) and if they're popular we will keep raking in the money, and if not? Well, I'm sure their local karaoke night misses them.

I was going to go off on a tangent here about the advert for the new Samsung mobile phone and how it basically advocates a new age of rudeness, theft and plain cockery but that can have a review all to itself.

Besides, cynical part over - I actually think it is a
good idea. People can do pretty much whatever they want; advertise their business, raise awareness for charities, paint the view, or just enjoy the sunshine (provided you manage to be lucky enough to get a daytime slot). It's one of those things I hope will keep interests up all throughout it's 100 day run.

I, myself, have applied to be a 'Plinther' but I won't tell you what I want to do. You'll have to come along and find out - even if it's 3am and pissing down.

Which brings me here.

Unable to sleep, I logged on to the net and checked Twitter. Turns out a friend was going down to Trafalgar Square to see her dad, who had the 4-5am slot and was dressed in full Morris Dancing regalia with the intention of busting some jingly moves on a 6.7metres high plinth.

So I went to the website www.oneandother.co.uk and there was a woman sketching Trafalgar Square from a vantage point not many other artists are likely to get. Next was a pleasantly looking redhead who had a suitcase and just looked around for a bit. Slowly, over the hour, she started removing clothing - oh, got your grubby attention now, do I? Well I was as disappointed as you are about to be because she was wearing a LOT of clothes - layers of them and for an hour she admired the view and took off some clothes. That was her thing.

However, it was all promises and no proof as she never made it all the way. It was probably cold up there, or something. I would like to know what her idea was. Maybe it was a statement about stripping down the layers of society. Maybe it was a last minute idea; she was on holiday when she got the call and rushed back with no plan so it was spur of the moment - "I've got to stand on top of a plinth in Trafalgar Square for an hour and all I have is a suitcase full of clothes." I'm hoping it was actually a plan to wind up a heap of tabloids hacks and paparazzos who would be foaming at the mouth once the scent of possible public nudity hit the air. Only for their semi-tumescent meat sticks to be crushed when she packed up her bag and got back on the crane.

Following her was a gentleman performing a tribute to Morris men and women all over the country; perhaps my friend's dad. Yes, we laugh at them and think they are quaint, but these people get together and dance and they do it for nothing. They might get paid a beer or two but that's it.

'So what?' you might think. Well, these people are singing and dancing to music that is hundreds of years old. It's as much a part of our heritage and British folklore as Robin Hood. These people carefully preserve a part of history with no thanks, rewards or recognition. So I salute you.

This is one of the things that the project is about. Everyone has a different slant on it, from the guy dressed as a panda (because he thinks pandas are cute) to the people using it as a soapbox to address the nation's problems. It's about what we are and who we are. We are funny, we are clever, we are art, we read, we think, we are shy, we are happy, we sing, we play accordion. We are also racist, we are stupid, we are selfish, we are greedy, we are sad, we are fucked-up, we are oblivious, we are shameless-self promoters.

We are standing on a stone column being who we are and we are proud to do so.