Choosing an Inspirational Statue

An exhibition of models shortlisted for the next Fourth Plinth statue in Trafalgar Square recently opened in the National Gallery. The public are invited to comment on the next commission to occupy the plinth. They can choose between the 5 models on show. 

The current occupant of Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth is David Shrigley's thumbs up statue 'Really Good'. I am uncomfortable with this statue. Hand signals do not always have the same meaning in other cultures and can even be offensive in other parts of the world. It should always be remembered that Trafalgar Square is a popular destination for people from all nationalities and ethnicities.

David Shrigley's statue on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square

The End by Heather Phillipson

Newspaper reports seen to date seem to focus on the enormous ice cream with a cherry on top, a drone and a huge fly. It's bright and eye-catching. It would appear that this is the National Gallery's favourite. It certainly has the best-lit position.

Visually the piece seems to fit with the environment. It's a contemporary artwork that evokes the upbeat, fun aspect of Trafalgar Square. It will look particularly good in summer when large crowds gather for events. 

The artist's suggestion of impending collapse doesn't work so well. Concerns about national security and invasion of privacy are very topical. Who does the artist intend us to understand as parasites? She doesn't stipulate. I fear that this could be problematic in the current Brexit climate.

Higher by Damian Ortega

Two other models do not appeal for other reasons. Huma Bhabha's model doesn't even have a name. Michael Rakowitz's recreation of an ancient Middle Eastern statue doesn't seem appropriate for the contemporary Fourth Plinth. 

Damian Ortega's Higher model did catch my eye (see photo at the top and right). The Mexican artist's proposal suggests impending collapse. The ladders are reaching for the sky. This model suggests social mobility to me - something our Prime Minister has expressed her concern about. 

The statue is built upon a VW van. That makes me think of the emissions scandal. I like the statue and would like to see it commissioned. I think it would look better on the South Bank. Or perhaps a spot should be found for it near the current or future American Embassy in support of the Mexican people and South America?

My actual choice for the Fourth Plinth would be the Raqs Media Collective's The Emperor's Old Clothes, although renamed and for reasons beyond their explanation. The artists intend it to invoke a statue that is a relic of the British Empire in Delhi's Coronation Park, India. Many Indians live and prosper in London today. Deep reflection on Britain's colonial past is perhaps overdue. I just wonder if the statue would be more appropriately placed in Westminster if that were its full meaning?

We are living in a time of great social and constitutional upheaval in Britain and the World. As opposed to merely thinking about the past, we should use the new Fourth Plinth statue to reflect on what sort of society we want in future. Maybe the reflection should be two-way? If India wants Britain to reflect on its colonial past, maybe Britain can ask India to reflect on how its treats woman in the present day? Trafalgar Square staged a major Women's March just last weekend.

When I saw the statue I thought of Charles Handy's book 'The Empty Raincoat'. I saw not what was missing, but asked myself what do we place inside the statue today? What sort of society and leadership do we want in future? Multiple themes are possible:

1. Reflection on colonialism
2. Women in society
3. Multicultural Londoners - feature a different Londoner every day?
4. Diversity in society 
5. Social mobility and education
6. Reflections on technology, security, intrusion, privacy and public spaces
7. The future of employment, pensions, healthcare, social care and leisure time
8. Reflections on sustainability and climate change against corporate concerns
9. Responsibilities towards other nations
10. What leadership qualities do we want? What should a leader's legacy be for us to want to build a future statue to them?

When I first saw this statue, it looked very uninspiring in the dark. I would propose lighting it up from the inside with different colours - rainbow colours too - to inspire people to think about the future they would like to see.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Australian Impressionists: Glocalisation in art?

Snow was forecast in London. It was a good day to appreciate the light of the Australian Impressionists Exhibition inside the warm National Gallery. The exhibition features the work of Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and John Russell.

9 by 5 Impressionism

I had no prior knowledge of Australian Impressionists. I greatly appreciated the audio guide and the 15-minute introductory film at the start. The audio guide explained the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition of 1889. The artists painted on cigar box lids that were 9 by 5 inches. This artist-led exhibition created controversy. Critics were not impressed. Australians turned out in numbers to see what all the uproar was about for themselves.

Uniquely Australian

Arthur Streeton was undoubtedly the greater talent. His talent was already evident in his early twenties, before any French Impressionist or Whistler influence could have been possible. His work portrays recognisable Australian scenes as well as the unrelenting light.

Streeton’s Golden Summer had visited London before. It was shown at the Royal Academy in 1891. It won a Mention Honorable at the Paris Salon of 1892.

Three Sisters in Blue Mountains, Australia c. dinozzazer

Another huge Streeton landscape appeared alongside: Fire’s On (1891). It depicts the building of a railway tunnel in the Blue Mountains. The audio guide explained the story of the dead man being carried on a stretcher after a rock fall from an explosion. It captures how hazardous life was in Australia at the turn of the century.

The Australian Impressionists captured Australian life and energy as the country came of age. There was also a depiction of a heroic Melbourne fireman’s funeral. Tom Roberts’ The Break Away depicted the scene of a getaway by contrary sheep. The guide explained how the square frame captured the energy of the scene. No single focus conveys the chaos and spontaneity. They took inspiration from European artists and developed their own uniquely Australian approach to their country’s landscapes. Aborgines are noticeable by their complete absence.

Russell

The third section of the exhibition shows the work of John Russell. He went to France as a young man. He worked with and was influenced by many great artists of the time – especially Monet and Van Gogh. He even mentored Matisse. He used an unnatural colour palette and painted French landscapes in an expressionist style. Among his collection were paintings of Antibes and Brittany.

This begs the question as to whether Russell was an Australian artist at all. Should he be considered French? It’s an intriguing question in an age of even greater mobility and international influences.

Glocalisation in art?
Since my visit I recalled the glocalisation presentation at the University of Westminster's Translation and the Creative Industries Conference of October 2016. I suppose that Australian Impressionism is an example of glocalisation in art. The Australian artists were influenced by the French Impressionists, but then found their own uniquely Australian way to adapt it to their own landscapes and culture. Could Russell's work be an example of non-native translation in art? Somehow his work doesn't have the same expressive quality as the French or Australian artists painting their respective homelands.

The truly Australian paintings are the ones that stand out in this exhibition. They capture a new nation finding and expressing its unique identity.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Painting Naturally

Dutch Flowers followed by My Back to Nature. Two National Gallery exhibitions in one day; two entirely different approaches. Both had Nature as the subject. Both inspired reflections on the ‘arts’ of translation and copywriting. A difference in artistic perspective?

Art v Text

If I were to pick up a paint brush, I wouldn’t choose to follow either exhibition’s style. Artists are lucky. No-one is likely to come along and decide that they have got that bit wrong and should redo it. (Unless you are my fellow Bristolian Banksy and positively invite it). 

An unfortunate drip of paint may be incorporated into a painting. The viewer simply assumes the ‘slip’ was part of the artist’s intention.

You can admire elements of someone else’s style or approach without feeling the need to intervene. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case with translations and copywriting.

No-one would dare to smudge out a few bits of a painting, having just progressed beyond painting by numbers.

If you are a translator or copywriter, you may well be subjected to a reviser’s Michelangelo flourish in the middle of your Pop Art.

Claims of artistic licence and originality will not wash. The reviser will not see the creativity for the textual equivalent of a drip of paint.

The two exhibitions at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, UK:

Dutch Flowers

Exhibition runs until 29 August 2016

Free admission

George Shaw: My Back to Nature

Exhibition runs until 30 October 2016

Free admission

Invisible translator revealed

He was invisible. I toured Room 62 and failed to spot him. Rendez-vous at 4pm. They say the best translators shouldn't be seen. Evidently, Jerome was wary of the spotlight.

I looked elsewhere. A friendly guide sent me back to Room 62. On closer inspection, I spotted him. He had been there all along between Christ Blessing and Portrait of a Man. All three painted by Antonello da Messina (active 1456, died 1479).

Our guide Matthew arrived. The National Gallery's 10-minute talk on the Saint Jerome in his study painting began. If Antonello hadn't taken some artistic licence, the Patron Saint of Translators would have remained invisible. The artist removed the roof and walls to reveal him reading in his study.

St Jerome translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. His version of the Bible is known as the Vulgate. He was recognised as a renowned scholar even in his lifetime (c342-420 AD). His sainthood was not a result of martyrdom. He was not a popular man in his time. He fell out of favour with the Pope and is often depicted in the wilderness. Antonello's painting shows him studying in a monastery in Bethlehem.

The painting's contents fascinate art historians. Appropriately for a translator, the picture is full of double meanings.

Peacock
The peacock can be interpreted in two ways. In the 15th Century it was believed that peacock flesh did not rot, suggesting the immortality of Christ. However, the tail feathers are symbols of pride.

Partridge
The Partridge is a symbol for promiscuity. Yet, it was also believed that a partridge could always find its mother within a large covey. The partridge can make the right choice and recognise the Truth.

Cat
The cat is a symbol for heresy. Able to see in the dark, the cat also symbolises the ability to understand the Truth.

Birds
There is a marked contrast in light and dark, good and bad. Birds represent souls flying up to heaven on the right-hand side of the painting. They are noticeably absent on the left-side, as are people on the right.

Lion
And what of St Jerome's trusty lion companion? While St Jerome is a genuine historical figure, it seems that tale of him removing a thorn from a lion's paw is a Golden Legend.

Where's the beard?
The absence of St Jerome's beard is an unsolved mystery. Possibly a concealed portrait? Could it be the likeness of the person who commissioned the painting? We will never know.

Invisibility, double meanings, learning, understanding, unanswered questions... all sound so familiar to a translator.

If you wish to find the elusive translator for yourself, St Jerome can usually be found in his picture frame in Room 62, in the Sainsbury's Wing of Britain's National Gallery. Other artists have also captured his image there.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
visible French
to English translator
and a versatile
content writer
with a sense of fun.

Contact karen@anglicity.com
for further information.

How to reach out to new clients

In Anglicity's previous blog, I commented on diametrically opposed viewpoints on Frederick Wiseman's National Gallery documentary. 

How can we reach out to new clients?

Reaction to our craft

Many years as a translation project manager taught me that languages leave many clients completely cold. Translation is often incredibly dull to them. (Sacrilege, I know). When we try to explain our craft, our quality concerns, the finer points of grammar... well, their eyes glaze over in boredom. Just like opposing reactions to the National Gallery film.

Black and white v. colour

When translators explain their art, they generally use the written word. (Just like I am doing now. I plead guilty). Reams and reams of print-heavy text. Pictures make rare appearances. Lots of black and white. Marketing clients are immersed in a much more visually appealing world on a daily basis. That's their "language". If we really want to reach out to them, we have to speak their language.

Visible translators

Most translators are used to being invisible, hidden behind agencies from end-clients. Today, freelance translators need to argue their added value. Human translators need to be visible in full colour, in 3D and in full animation.

3D effect

There was a ballet performance during the film. Two dancers created a 3D effect in front of two pictures. The audience's focus was on the ballet in the foreground. Gradually, I found my eyes drawn from the angles of the dancers' limbs to the quality of the painted limbs behind. This is the attention that is required by the translation world. By using other media in a coordinated marketing campaign, we bring appreciation back to the quality of the translated word in print.

Check back for tomorrow's post.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.

How to reach a disinterested target audience

'A great, great film' according to the Telegraph's 2014 Cannes Film Festival review. Why did the restless Ciné Lumière audience shuffle out disappointed then? They muttered that the very same 3-hour film was too long and boring.

Frederick Wiseman's documentary on Britain's National Gallery has some rave reviews. I went to see it at the French Institute's cinema. Afterwards, I wondered what marketing techniques might work with a disinterested target audience. What appeals to one audience leaves another completely cold. The finer points of human translation go largely unappreciated. Can we learn from the marketing techniques used by an art gallery? Could they help win over a public besotted with machine translation? Over the coming week, I will post blogs on targeting a disinterested audience.

Right at the beginning of the film, senior gallery management expressed the desire to appeal to a wider audience. Their very involvement and comments were often at odds with attracting that new audience. The film reeked of excessive intrusion in the film's production and content. The majority of senior management discussions should have remained on the cutting room floor.

Yet, the film contained some precious nuggets of information. Conservation work behind the scenes was fascinating. There were some engaging cameos from guides in front of the public. I was reminded of airport documentaries on TV. The production team singles out their stars. Their cameras capture everyday workers and some unexpected characters going about their jobs. Problems are aired and solved on camera. Even VIPs have walk-on and walk-off parts. Interest is in the work behind the scenes, in the build-up to a VIP's arrival.

The National Gallery seems to offer a fascinating range of events for different audiences. Personally, I would have made the film's best scenes into short videos to view from their website. Just a few examples:

1. The hidden picture behind a Rembrandt
2. Lighting in Samson and Delilah by Rubens
3. A guide explaining a picture to children on his knees

This bite-size approach would have been far more likely to draw in new visitors. In the digital age, video can share a guide's enthusiasm for a seemingly flat picture with a new audience. 

Three hours of boredom can lead to total and permanent switch-off. Three minutes of engagement leaves an appetite to find out more. 

Check back for tomorrow's post.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.

London's Solidarity with Paris

London's Tower Bridge lit up in red, white and blue

On Sunday 11th January 2015, London showed its solidarity with Paris following a traumatic week there. The history of our two great nations has been closely tied for centuries - both in peace and in times of war. Today, our two capitals are peaceful trading partners within the European Union. A large French population lives and works in London. Many French residents congregated in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Their numbers were not as high as those who marched in Paris on the same day. They still held up the same French banners for freedom of expression.

"I am Charlie" and "Ink must flow, not blood" banners

A number of other nationalities were also present in solidarity. On the pavement in front of the National Gallery, there were chalk flags from numerous other nations, alongside the French flag and Union Jack. The atmosphere was friendly and many age groups were represented. The Metropolitan Police even assisted in taking photographs.

A great cheer went up just after 4pm. Lights projected the French tricolour onto the front of the National Gallery. The crowd broke into the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. The square's fountains spurted alternately in red, white and blue lighting.

London's famous Tower Bridge was also lit up in solidarity with the French. The colours alternated between red, white and blue from 4pm to 5.30pm. Then the lights went out, leaving the iconic bridge in darkness.

I travelled from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill to "Little France" in South Kensington. I saw the French flag projected onto the National Gallery. My day ended by seeing an English film about the National Gallery projected at the French Institute's Ciné Lumière. The culture of two nations intertwined.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant.
She has a keen interest
in the French language
and French culture.



Contact: karen@anglicity.com for further information on Anglicity's services.