Tschabalala Self’s Fourth Plinth Sculpture in London Receives Mixed Reviews
New York–based artist Tschabalala Self has installed a bronze sculpture titled Lady in Blue on London’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, making it the 16th artwork to appear there since the program began in 1998. The work depicts a Black woman walking in a baby blue dress and heels, and London deputy mayor for culture Justine Simons described it as a tribute to everyday women. Reviews have been mixed: Laura Freeman of the Times of London and Jonathan Jones of the Guardian each gave it four stars out of five, while the Daily Telegraph awarded two stars and called it an “artistic dud,” and writer Steven Barrett criticized it on X. In a Guardian interview dated September 1, Self said she expected a “whole gamut of reactions” and was not nervous about differing opinions.
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This story was covered in Museum Price Tags, Stolen Legacies, DNA Secrets