London: The Meeting Place Sculpture!
The Meeting Place is a 9-metre-high (30 ft), 20-tonne bronze sculpture that stands at the south end of the upper level of St Pancras railway station. Designed by the British artist Paul Day and unveiled in 2007, it is intended to evoke the romance of travel through the depiction of a couple locked in an amorous embrace.
The statue, which stands in the Eurostar terminal, is reported to have cost £1 million and was installed as the centrepiece of the refurbished station. The work, commissioned by London and Continental Railways, is modelled on the sculptor and his wife.
Today it is a popular place meeting place for people waiting for family and friends to arrive.
Artists Hate It
The sculpture received a poor critical reception, being cited by Sir Antony Gormley (one of UK’s best known sculptors) as "a very good example of the crap out there," comparing it to other examples of public art in the UK.
Tim Marlow of the Royal Academy of Arts referred to as a "terrible, schmaltzy, sentimental piece of kitsch" and Jeremy Deller, a UK conceptual, video and installation artist dismissed it as "barely a work of art".
Day responded by saying "[a] lot of people will no doubt detest it because it is not violent or controversial."
Somber Stories
Further controversy was caused by Day's addition 2008 of a bronze relief frieze around the plinth. The original concept depicted a commuter falling into the path of an Underground train driven by the Grim Reaper, but was revised before the final version was installed.
Today, the plinth is surrounded by a series of strange and somber stories:
tube train driven by a skeleton
a bearded drunk swaying precariously close to the passing train.
attempted suicide of a jilted lover under a train reflected in the sunglasses of a fellow passenger
woman in a short skirt with her legs wrapped round her lover while they wait for the next train.
soldiers leaving on troop trains for the First World War
evacuation of London's underground network after the terror attacks of 7 July 7, 2005.
Public loves it
Despite harsh criticism from major figures in the British art world, the statue has become popular with the public and contributed to its perception of St Pancras. In 2011, an edition of "The World’s Most Romantic Spots" by Lonely Planet described the station as one of the most romantic meeting places in the world, citing the statue as a key reason.
Stephen Jordan, from London and Continental Railways, which commissioned the piece, said: "The Meeting Place seeks to challenge and has been well received by visitors who love to photograph it. In addition, it performs an important role within the station, being visible from pretty much anywhere on the upper level of St Pancras International and doing exactly what was planned, making the perfect meeting place for friends."
Link: BBC Travel: The Meeting Place
Last Word
Personally I loved the piece. The embracing couple has a playful pop art like sensibility that recalls American artists Roy Lichtenstein or Alex Katz, while the frieze depicts human suffering and reads like the station of the cross in a Catholic church, creating an interesting tension.
Calgary’s equivalent would be “The Conversation” by William McElcheran on Stephen Avenue or “The Famous Five” by Barbara Paterson, at Olympic Plaza, which ironically also serve as meeting places.
The Conversation sculpture is a popular place to meet on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue Walk.