Our friends in London have new delight… appropriately close to where Tyburn Tree stood, near Marble Arch.
From ihorror.com:
There’s a new statue on public display in London that is meant to “inspire” and “delight” those who pass it on their daily commute, though we’re thinking words like “terrify,” “horrify” and “petrify” are more fitting for this particular piece of art.
It’s called ‘She Guardian,’ and Russian artist Dashi Namdakov has spent the last two years sculpting the towering figure out of four massive tons of bronze. Measuring 36-feet high, the artist says the attention-grabbing piece expresses a sense of maternal protectiveness, which we totally understand.
But here’s the thing. IT’S A FLYING DEMON DOG FROM HELL.
With wings, cloven hooves, and a set of fangs that would make Dracula jealous, ‘She Guardian’ looks like the sort of creature you’d expect to see guarding the gates of Hell, and perhaps even being ridden around by Satan himself. The sculpture is downright nightmarish, and I’m not sure I’m inspired or delighted.
But Councillor Robert Davis, deputy leader of Westminster City Council, insists that is the intended reaction.
“Marble Arch is our prime location for which we only use the best possible work,” said Davis. “Hopefully this piece will inspire and delight in equal measure.” [?]
Check out a few photos of ‘She Guardian’ below, and let us know what you think. Thanks to Now. Here. This. for bringing the statue to our attention.
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Soon people will just be numbed by it… get used to another image of something hellish.
But wait! There’s more.
Let’s go over to Breitbart for additional information.
‘MIGRANTS RUINED MY FEMINIST STATUE’ SAYS LONDON ARTIST
Russian artist Dashi Namdakov has expressed disappointment that his new installation by London’s Hyde Park has become a refuge for London’s vagrant migrant community. [Like the really ugly statue of John Paul II in front of Rome’s train station. HERE]
Namdakov is reported to be “upset” and “disappointed” to see pictures of the statue being used as a shelter and makeshift bed, and his son told the Evening Standard they had hopes Westminster council would be moving the migrants on: “It is obviously an unfortunate situation but we are hoping it will not be for too long and it can be sorted out”.
One of the migrants using the statue was bullish in his defence of their presence, telling the paper: “We are not stopping people from enjoying the sculpture. We are just here. We are looking for homes and jobs but this is where we will be. We aren’t moving”. He said his friends thought the marble base “comfortable” and convenient, as it provided them with shade from the sun. [LOL!]
The statue itself was unveiled last month and drew immediate comments about its demonic appearance – despite purportedly being symbolic of female strength and a desire to care for the young. [CARE FOR the young? More like DEVOUR the young! This could be Moloch’s sidekick!] London events blog Now Here This reviewed the installation as “London’s most terrifying new statue”, with Time Out’s art editor remarking “It’s Rodin meets Ridley Scott, in a bad way”. [Best line in the piece.]
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The next time I am in London, I think I’ll take some Holy Water if I go anywhere near Marble Arch.
This reminds me of the chapter in Voyage to Alpha Centauri by Michael D. O’Brien. (UK LINK HERE) in which the people have a ceremony in honor of the hideous stuff they find on the planet.
UPDATE 11 June:
In my voice mail, J from Philadelphia reported that in 2008 the London Institute of Contemporary “Art” set up a huge statue of the Assyrian god/demon (in the movie the Exorcist). HERE It’s as if someone is “marking” the city with hell dog demon piss. Photos HERE.
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The Dali statues by the Eye can be disturbing, but the posture of this looks like it was meant to be in a temple. Golden Calf 2.0?
Words fail. The mother of all gargoyles, but without a church to roost on.
It must be “guarding” London against Christianity.
Great model for the “Hound of the Baskervilles”! Sir Arthur would be pleased.
It really begs the question… are the vagrants responding more to the comfort and convenience of the marble base, or to the maternal protectiveness of the idol thereupon?
Looks like something you would put at the entrance of Minas Morgul.
The only maternal image this statue stirs up is Grendel’s mother.
I often wonder if people see the irony!
Words fail me. Modern art has reached its pinnacle right there.
Really, nothing says “a desire to care for the young” like bared fangs. I note that this is the second installation of a piece by Mr. Namdakov at this location. His previous exhibited work was an equestrian statue of Genghis Khan. (I guess the City of Westminster deemed it too tame.)
I do note that the statue is facing in the direction of Oxford Street. Is “She Guardian” protecting the young from Selfridge’s and Marks and Spencer’s?
Where’s Egon, Peter, Ray, and Winston when you need them. That monstrosity looks exactly like Zuul.
If I lived there, I’d already have thousands of names on my petition.
“Hopefully this piece will inspire and delight in equal measure.” [?]
Absolutely equal. Because Zero = Zero !
Meh. It’s just a really large gargoyle (albeit with prominent mammary glands). One can see suchlike on a smaller scale adorning cathedrals throughout Europe (and even some places in the U.S.). Sure, it’s out of place; it should be guarding a cathedral.
Somethings obviously missing in this ‘sculpture’ – two other figures….
You see, there were these two twins Londonus and Lemur who were abandoned and found by the She Guardian and suckled by her. Londonus wanted to found a great city near Westminster but Lemur wanted to found the city near Madagascar. They fought like most siblings do and eventually Londonus and Lemur were killed by the She Guardian, recycled and made into compost for her garden.
She liked Londonus better and so SHE founded the city herself and named it in his memory.
Thus endeth the story….
Gerard Plourde,
Thanks! At least it has its back to Tyburn Convent, then.
I actually think that nothing could possibly sum up the thought and moral leadership of John Paul II better than that statue at the Termini. It’s by far the most successful sympathetic commentary on his reign yet.
Not sure how I missed seeing it as I sat in the sun near Marble Arch on Sunday while waiting to join the Corpus Christi procession! There seem to be numerous strange works of so-called art springing up there and I am glad I missed this gruesome one.
Some of the comments in the link appear to think it is wonderful and one even wrote that they would like a smaller version to protect their house. I suppose it might deter burglars ! Years ago statues used to be erected in cities depicting ‘the great and the good’. I wonder if they have now run out of ‘the great and the good’ hence this hideous monster.
Dang! It’s Ephesian Artemis in dog form.
And a griffin is one of her attributes . . .
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My immediate reaction was Egyptian Artemis.
“Come unto me, all ye who are weary, and I shall give ye… well, basically but nothing wrapped up in a pretty cloak.” Honestly, what could be a better epitaph on JP2’s pontificate?
Well, …um…, it does sort of capture my reaction to world events.
What about the horrible obscenity of Queen Marie Antoinette’s ladyparts in the middle of the Versailles gardens? I do hope that is something temporary at least:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3112442/Huge-statue-queen-s-sex-organs-display-Versailles-Palace-gardens-sparks-anger-France.html
There is no Dana. There is only Zuul!
We have a gargoyle looking for a cathedral to haunt.
…Either that or else Prof Dumbledore needs to contact Azkaban Prison. One of their prisoners appears to have escaped….
Yes and as I said before
THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD!
I have some exorcised salt and exorcised holy water which maybe someone could sprinkle around the statue. : )
Imagine if that thing was in the movie NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM!
Now that would have been interesting.
Oh my oh my!
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Wow that winged monster is not original! There are two identical winged creatures attached to the rear of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington NY (built in 1930), they are in flight as if fleeing the building… this seated gargoyle is definitely a copy of some gargoyle.
PostCatholic- My last four children owe their lives to JPII (God and my husband had something to do with it too). After several children, I was on the brink of being talked into the Nuvaring by my Catholic OB when I read Male and Female He Created Them. I am not the only one who experienced a profound change of heart when shown the beauty of God’s plan for sexuality. There are people in existence today who would never have been born without JPII (pretty impressive for an old, celibate guy, no?).
While I wish that he had been a little more friendly to traditional liturgy, and a better administrator, JPII gave us:
– courage to stand up to the culture of death and unjust government
– an example of courage and hope in suffering
– an example of forgiveness as he forgave the man who attempted to kill him
– a wealth of teaching and a lifetime of prayers
JPII is probably praying for you right now.
I don’t know why, but every time I see that statue I think of Ghostbusters.