A new sculpture, on loan to Mansfield College from artist Antony Gormley, has divided opinion among students.
The artist has continued his association with Oxford with the loan of the statue to Mansfield college, and depicts a human body erupting upwards from the head of another. Like most of Gormley’s work, it is made from cast iron.
Many Mansfield students are unconvinced by the artwork. One Mansfield student told Cherwell, “The statue itself is quite interesting but it is right in the middle of the quad and looks quite out of place.”
Other students criticised the lack of discussion with the JCR. One undergraduate commented, “I think it is bad that the JCR was not consulted about it at all and everyone had to find out through rumours or a nasty surprise at the beginning of Trinity term.”
Another Mansfield student remained unconvinced, telling Cherwell, “No matter what the meaning behind it, it’s absolutely hideous…Also the penis appears to defy gravity.”
One JCR member told Cherwell, “It might not be so bad, but it jars with the old architecture.”
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Principal of Mansfield College, defended the display of the sculpture. She told Cherwell, “The Governing Body of Mansfield College were absolutely delighted that [Antony Gormley] chose to lend the piece to the college because as an artist he was interested in the history of the college, its ethos and the plans to create an Institute of Human Rights here.”
She added, “We have greatly enjoyed his active participation with us in the erection and display of the work. The nature of art is that it should provoke and challenge us to think and imagine. It should give rise to debate and active discourse on the nature of art and on our humanity. Anyone who knows Antony Gormley’s work knows that he is very attentive to space and location. The idea of our sense of place as human beings and the state of our world is central to his work. We feel delighted to provide a locus for such a brilliant piece.”
Several students have praised the statue. One student said, “Everyone has come up with strange theories for what it is supposed to be, including a torture chamber in which someone has fallen foul of an electrical iron maiden and a freak gymnastic incident that has gone wrong.”
Students have speculated about the opinion of the college cat, Erasmus.One student told Cherwell, “He did a poop in the base of the statue. I think it is clear what his opinion of it is.”
