File:Reflections on Brushfield Street (20715064368).jpg

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This space at the western end of Brushfield Street is called Bishop's Square.

The sculpture of a white goat on a grey plinth - intended to resemble packing cases - is by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Hunter" rel="nofollow">Kenny Hunter</a>. It's called: "I Goat". It won the Spitalfields Sculpture Prize of £45,000 in 2010. At the unveiling ceremony on 11 January 2011, Kenny Hunter is reported as saying:   "Goats are associated with non-conformity   and being independently-minded. That is   also true of London, its people and never   more so than in Spitalfields."

I don't know whether he actually uttered this hot air. (Or for example, if it was in a press release.) In my Google search the exact same words turned-up on seven separate webpages before I gave up looking for an independent-minded blogger or site admin.

Other remarks attributed to Kenny Hunter include the I Goat as a symbol for the various waves of migration that have found sanctuary in Spitalfields and helped to shape it. (Source: please see links below.) Also:

  "The goat, as an image of persecution and   sacrifice, reflects how each successive group   of immigrants have faced their own combination   of conflict, oppression and poverty, all eventually   finding a new home in London."

Offered these prize examples of art-burble, my hope is that the independent minded, smooth, shiny, marble-white I Goat is eyeing the reflected greenery and wondering about a late lunch.   Alternatively, that a non-conformist female goat, rejecting the dominance hierarchy of the male goats in its herd, has refused to climb the nearby trees. Instead pointing its arse to the established church. Here represented by the beautiful Christ Church Spitalfields in Commercial Street at the corner of Fournier Street.

The Goat as a symbol of artwashing?

Conflict, oppression and poverty? There has been plenty of that in Spitalfields' past. But now? Is the I Goat sculpture more than a £45k prize and some artwash for an expanding rich area? Another bit of London where the City of Money gobbles up surrounding streets. Here completing the makeover of Spitalfields Market as it turns into a posh mall. A tagline in 2015:

 —- "Old Spitalfields Market is "the perfect shopping destination".

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§ Say 'Hi' to I Goat with <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@51.518982,-0.0779368,3a,90y,4.8h,78.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sT2gJuhAXEQ5_Li0NHW5GLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656" rel="nofollow">Google Street View</a>. § Googling: "perfect shopping destination" gave me an international list. § In November 2009 <a href="http://artdaily.com/news/34141/Spitalfields-Announces-Eight-Strong-Shortlist-for-Inaugural-45-000-Sculpture-Prize#.W8yqTvlRdEY" rel="nofollow">ArtDaily website</a> reported that there had been an "Eight-Strong Shortlist for Inaugural 45,000 Sculpture Prize". The illustration for Kenny Hunter's goat showed a dark grey sculpture sitting on three packing cases. The then description was "Scapegoat". The rationale? "A symbol of the various waves of migration that have found sanctuary in the area and helped to shape it, the goat also ties in with the various religious symbols of those communities that have made their homes nearby." § Drawing of an iGoat by <a href="http://happykitty.deviantart.com/art/igoat-103861250" rel="nofollow">Happy Kitty, Deviant Art</a>. § In an example of missing-the-point-itis <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2016/jul/18/artwashing-new-watchword-for-anti-gentrification-protesters" rel="nofollow"> Guardian arts writer Jonathan Jones offered a stirring defence of artwashing</a>. He urges the rich to live in poorer areas of cities; and tells us of his touching faith in big art museums as among the "... creative forces that can save cities". (Article 18 July 2016).

§ Housing journalist Dawn Foster suggests that artists: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/may/13/hipsters-artists-gentrification-social-cleansing-developers" rel="nofollow">"are used to clear the way for developers".</a> (The Guardian: 13 May 2016.)
Date
Source Reflections on Brushfield Street
Author Alan Stanton
Camera location51° 31′ 08.63″ N, 0° 04′ 39.9″ W Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMapinfo

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This image was originally posted to Flickr by Alan Stanton at https://flickr.com/photos/53921762@N00/20715064368 (archive). It was reviewed on 29 November 2019 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-sa-2.0.

29 November 2019

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