'An awkward, lifeless shrine - the Diana, Princess of Wales statue is a spiritless hunk of nonsense'

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Sat Jul 3, 2021, 08:48 PM - Edit history (1)

The Guardian, July 1, 2021. The only provocative thing about Ian Rank-Broadley’s characterless sculpture is how shamelessly it plays up to mawkish Diana worship

Ian Rank-Broadley’s statue of Diana, commissioned by her sons, was kept secret until its unveiling as if it might be wildly provocative. Looking through the artist’s previous oeuvre, I noticed he has a taste for the nude and created a statue for the late Felix Dennis called Lord Rochester, His Whore and a Monkey. That raised the fascinating prospect of a naked Diana for everyone to get furious about.

Instead, he’s let it all hang out in a different way. The sentiment splurges across the flower beds like an uncontrolled wail of artistically absurd pathos. A larger than life Diana, who stands in an awkward, stiff, lifeless pose and has a face that’s more manly than I remember, modelled apparently with thickly gloved hands and no photo to consult, protects two children in her arms while a third lurks behind her.

This sculpture invites us to see Diana as a modern Mary – and they say they don’t want it to be a shrine?

It is a religious image that shamelessly plays up to the most mawkish aspects of Diana worship. She deserves to be remembered. But does she need to be turned into a colossal divine protectress of all children? If that is how Harry and William think of her that’s up to them. But this looks like the art of a new religion. For the maternal shielding blatantly echoes one of the greatest images of the Virgin Mary in Christian art, by Piero della Francesca, of the holy mother protecting an entire community under her robe. Even without that specific allusion the image of mother and child has been a Catholic mainstay for over a millennium and before that featured in Egyptian religious art. So this sculpture invites us to see Diana as a modern Mary, or even Isis with her son Horus. And they say they don’t want it to be a shrine?

It will be, but not for art lovers. Or for anyone who is easily embarrassed. Perhaps not even for Diana’s sincerest believers, for the statue group’s emotive symbolism is undermined by its aesthetic awfulness. In style it breathes the kind of repression and formality which Harry has claimed to reject. Are we sure Charles had no hand here? It looks like his insipid artistic taste. Flat, cautious realism softened by a vague attempt to be intimate make this a spiritless and characterless hunk of nonsense...

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/jul/01/the-diana-statue-ian-rank-broadley-sculpture
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*ETA: 'Diana deserved better': Critics savage 'frumpy' new statue,' Yahoo,
https://news.yahoo.com/art-critics-round-statue-princess-diana-102239176.html

[wryter2000]

1. LOL

I thought they meant the goddess Diana.

[appalachiablue]

2. I fixed it, the title. The statue is fairly

dreadful artistically. What a letdown.

[FalloutShelter]

3. I am an artist and the first thing so thought

when I saw this monument to mawkishness was... WOW how awkward and sort of ugly.

[appalachiablue]

5. Where to begin, the proportions of all

three figures are extra elongated and weird, esp. the childrens' bodies. They couldn't even capture her pleasant, beautiful face and graceful long form made for art.

Clumsy, rough and degrading to her memory.

[spooky3]

8. Totally agree. But if her sons are happy with it, I guess there is that. nt

[Joinfortmill]

4. I was disappointed, too. It seems to lack emotion.

[appalachiablue]

6. Very disappointing, you're correct. And

it lacks warmth, empathy and joy which defined Diana.

[secondwind]

10. She's not in this statue....

[Mosby]

7. I like it. nt

[Wingus Dingus]

14. I do too.

[secondwind]

9. HER ARMS!!!

Can they be any LONGER???

[appalachiablue]

12. IK, what an amateur portrayal...ugh

[Duncan Grant]

11. They're as lifeless as department store mannequins. An insult.

As someone remembered as vibrant, original and beautiful — this is a total and complete failure.

This sculpture should be breathtakingly modern and relevant. It’s not. It’s dead, static and meaningless.

I hate bad art.

[appalachiablue]

13. Dept. store mannequin is right.. cloddish

and certainly not 'art' befitting the subject.

[LakeArenal]

15. I told you I like faces. But geez.

She’s so manly.

She had grace and charm totally lacking.

She should be sitting or kneeling by a child with limbs missing from mines or a child with aids. That’s how I remember with children.

Otherwise she should look elegant and fashionable.

[msongs]

16. cant really say from pics provided, need some closeups nt

[appalachiablue]

18. There's a brief video ABOVE now in the OP

Not too much more of the Diana statue but better than the photo.

[lunatica]

17. That's what I call a hatchet job!

That critique could have been softened considerably had the person put themself in the shoes of the Diana worshippers.

And why go the extra length to trash Charles and the boys? Really unnecessary and uncalled for.

[appalachiablue]

19. Some of it OTT, he's really reaching w

the Virgin Mary, Piero della Francesa references and the snarky personal treatment. When the story came out a few days ago I was focused on the statue, and got lazy taking this article for my final post last night.

The BBC didn't do much better, the intro. to their video focused entirely on the rift between Harry and Charles, and how members of the Spencer family and other notables at the event were getting along despite tensions. The Daily Mail wasn't so great either.
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The statue has received a considerable amount of criticism,
https://news.yahoo.com/art-critics-round-statue-princess-diana-102239176.html

Art critics have labelled the new statue of Diana "horrible", "flat" and "spiritless" as they say the late princess "deserved better".

Prince William and Prince Harry united on Thursday afternoon to unveil a long-awaited statue of their mother, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

The brothers announced plans for a permanent memorial for her in 2017 as they marked 20 years since her death. But the statue has been delayed, in part by coronavirus restrictions.

Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times chief art critic, said the statue featured a "frumpy 1980s outfit", calling the skirt "sedate" and suggesting "Laura Ashley has made it on to a public monument". She said: "The new Diana statue has a devotional aura. Perhaps this is (what those who) worshipped the princess would want...