What is the Fourth Plinth?
The Fourth Plinth is situated in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, in central London. It was built in 1841 and originally intended for an equestrian statue but was empty for many years. Now, every year, two pieces of temporary public art are chosen to take their place on the plinth. Previous works include Marc Quinn’s controversial sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant. In 2009, Antony Gorlemy was the winning artist with his project ‘One and Other’. Anthony Gormley was supported by Artichoke, creators of live events like the Sultan’s Elephant and the Spider, and was the first project of the Sky Arts Artichoke Season.
About the artist
Antony Gormley was born in London in 1950 and completed a degree in archaeology, anthropology and history of art at Trinity College, Cambridge. Following his degree he travelled to India, returning to London three years later to study at the Central School of Art, Goldsmiths College and the Slade School of Art.
Angel of the North
Probably most well known for his iconic sculpture, The Angel of the North, the 20m high figure overlooking the A1, near Newcastle, and Another Place, the 100 figures placed along a 3km stretch of shoreline in Crosby, Merseyside, Antony Gormley is one of Britain’s best loved artists.
Over the last 25 years, Antony has dedicated himself to an exploration of the body as a place of memory and transformation, often using his own body as his subject, tool and material. Since 1990 Antony has expanded his study to explore the concept of the collective body and the relationship between self and other in large-scale installations like Allotment, Critical Mass, Another Place and Domain Field.
Awards
He has won many awards for his work, including the Turner Prize in 1994 and the South Bank Prize for Visual Art in 1999. In 1997 he was awarded an OBE and in 2007 the Bernhard Heiliger Award for Sculpture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Trinity College, Cambridge and Jesus College, Cambridge, and has been a Royal Academician since 2003.