Wolstenholme
Square was once a most fashionable address. It is typical of Liverpool's
nineteenth century development that the elegance was swept away by a
utilitarian tide of warehousing. The undistinguished buildings of
Victorian and later times have now been decaying and disappearing for
seventy years. Times are changing for this square though, on every side
regeneration is closing in. Approached through Tunnage Square
(effectively an alley, recently punched through from Duke Street), the
enormity of Penelope challenges the viewer with its size, colour and
reach.
The Cuban-born sculptor created this piece for the 2006 Biennial and it
is arguably the largest piece of public art in the city centre. In
Homer’s Odyssey Penelope was Ulysses’ wife. Penelope faithfully
awaited her husband’s return from the Trojan war. She put off numerous
suitors by saying she had to finish weaving a robe, unravelling her
day’s work each night to maintain her fidelity. The stalks are
references to both Penelope’s weaving and to the local history of
rope-making. The Tate Director of 2006 said “Penelope is monumental
without being domineering or overpowering. It is a work that is bold,
dynamic and exhilarating while directly referencing the history of the
city and its immediate architectural situation”. Pardo was born in Cuba
in 1963 but was taken to Los Angeles at the age of six.
Sources:
Tate.org,uk
360Spin.co.uk
The-Artists.org
Sculptures & Installations |
Home
|