Prue Leith's Pursuit for the Plinth
“It had been a five-year war, but we’d won it. The whole Bilbao Guggenheim took less time to design, build and open. But this is England, we do it the hard way” ~Prue Leith
Prue Leith's Letter
In 1994, British-South African restaurateur and broadcaster Prue Leith wrote a letter to the Evening Standard newspaper suggesting that something be done about the empty plinth that stood in such a visible part of London city.
Collage Newspaper Headlines (2016) by The Mayor of LondonMayor of London
Prue, also a cookery writer and novelist, is now one of the judges on Channel Four’s Great British Bake Off TV show. Back in 1994 however, she wrote this letter in her capacity as the chair of the RSA.
There was a great response from the media and the public with a deluge of suggestions for statues, ranging from Paul Gascoigne, the footballer of the day, to The Queen, to Nelson Mandela and even a giant pigeon. There was a mammoth national debate on the matter.
Empty Fourth Plinth (2014) by Greater London AuthorityMayor of London
As the debate widened, the RSA formed an advisory committee to consult all the interested and relevant stakeholders on just what to do with the Fourth Plinth. After much deliberation, the committee backed one idea: to use the plinth for a rolling commission of contemporary works of art.
Fourth Plinth (2005) by Marc QuinnMayor of London
The committee invited 17 British artists to submit proposals for designs; three were chosen to occupy the plinth over a two-year period after which the public would choose one to become a permanent feature. Funding was provided by the Arts Council and the Cass Sculpture Foundation and architectural support by Arup Associates.
However, it took five years for the committee to secure all approvals before the first sculpture could be placed on display.
Learn more about the Fourth Plinth at g.co/fourthplinth or see the 2021 shortlist artists here.
Text by L Rhoda Molife
