Ribbons (sculpture)

Last updated
Ribbons
Ribbons sculpture by Pippa Hale.jpg
Ribbons (14 October 2024)
Ribbons (sculpture)
Artist Pippa Hale
Year2024
MediumCorten steel
SubjectWomen of Leeds
Dimensions5 m(16 ft)
LocationLeeds
Coordinates 53°47′55″N1°32′04″W / 53.7985°N 1.5344°W / 53.7985; -1.5344
Website https://www.ribbons-sculpture-leeds.co.uk/

Ribbons (2024) is an outdoor sculpture in Leeds, England, by Pippa Hale, which was unveiled on 12 October 2024. [1] Shaped like entwined ribbons, this corten steel sculpture celebrates and commemorates the achievements of women in Leeds, by featuring the names of 383 women nominated by the public. This redresses the gender imbalance in public art in Leeds.

Contents

Background

Segment of Ribbons, featuring geologist Maria Fearne, Alice Bacon, Mel B and Kay Mellor Segment of Ribbons, feat. Maria Fearne, Alice Bacon, Kay Mellor.jpg
Segment of Ribbons, featuring geologist Maria Fearne, Alice Bacon, Mel B and Kay Mellor

The project was begun by Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, who instigated a partnership between Leeds Arts University, Leeds City College and Leeds City Council to create a new public artwork that featured women. [2] Former leader of Leeds City Council, Judith Blake, was a key proponent of the project. [3]

In 2019 four artists – Wendy Briggs, Pippa Hale, Zsófia Jakab and Briony Marshall – were shortlisted after an open call. [4] The four created maquettes which were then exhibited at Leeds Arts University, where members of the public could view them and contribute feedback. This consultation was included in the decision-making process by a panel of judges, including Reeves, to chose the winning sculptor. [5] The chosen artist was Hale, who described her proposal for the sculpture as: "Ribbons tie many parts together, so the idea is that we are binding the names of these women together over time and space in a celebration of womanhood." [6]

The women who feature on the sculpture were nominated by public vote, which opened in October 2019. [7] [8] People were encouraged to put forward both famous women from Leeds, and also women whose everyday actions made a difference to the lives of those in their communities. [8]

Description

The sculpture is situated in outdoor space between Leeds Playhouse and Leeds City College's Quarry Hill campus. [2] [9] At 5 metres (16 ft) tall, it comprises five corten steel ribbons, with women's names cut into them. The names are in sans-serif capital letters without any titles or honorifics, and are arranged randomly. They represent 383 women from Leeds who were nominated to feature in the sculpture. [6] [7] [9] [10]

Construction

The firms involved in constructing the sculpture included Fish Fabrications, Norwich; [11] Skyhooks Engineering, Wakefield; [12] and the Fereday Cylinder Company, Dudley. [13] [14]

Reception

In 2020 Leeds City Council instigated a review its public art, which highlighted the lack of diversity in public sculpture. [6] [15] The review was led by Alison Lowe. [16] Ribbons was highlighted as an important part of the process to redress the gender imbalance in public art in the city. [6] At its unveiling Rachel Reeves described how it is "a chance to honour inspiring women from all walks of life, and celebrate the achievements of the many women who have made Leeds the wonderful city it is today". [2]

Selected women who feature

Segment of Ribbons with names of Angela Morley and Griselda Pollock Segment of Ribbons sculpture featuring Angela Morley & Griselda Pollock (cropped).jpg
Segment of Ribbons with names of Angela Morley and Griselda Pollock

The full list of the 383 women featured, with biographical details and, in most cases, images, is published on the project's website. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ribbon</span> Long, narrow woven textile, used for trimming, belts, filets, and straps of various kinds

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, and polypropylene. Ribbon is used for useful, ornamental, and symbolic purposes. Cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around the body, and as ornament on non-human animals, buildings, and packaging. Some popular fabrics used to make ribbons are satin, organza, sheer, silk, velvet, and grosgrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weathering steel</span> Steel alloys designed so that surface rust inhibits further rusting

Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericised trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting by forming a stable external layer of rust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Playhouse</span> Theatre in Leeds, England

Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1990 in the Quarry Hill area of the city as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, successor to the original Leeds Playhouse, and was rebranded in June 2018 to revert to the title "Leeds Playhouse". It has two auditoria and a studio space, hosts a wide range of productions, and engages in outreach work in the local community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarry Hill, Leeds</span> Area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Quarry Hill is an area of central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is bounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road in the east and north and the Leeds – York / Hull railway in the south. The area falls within the City and Hunslet ward of Leeds City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon</span> English Labour Party politician (1909–1993)

Alice Martha Bacon, Baroness Bacon, was a British Labour Party politician born in Normanton, West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Stowe</span>

Marilyn Stowe is an English family lawyer. She founded her firm in a converted cobbler’s shop in Halton, Leeds, in 1982. An attack by three masked men outside her office on 3 December 2003 led to the closure of her offices in Leeds, followed by a reopening in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The success of this office inspired Stowe to open branches across the country, and she eventually grew the firm into the UK’s largest family law specialist. In February 2017 she sold her firm and blog for a ‘substantial’ eight figure sum to private equity investors Living Bridge. Her first clients were legally aided. Later they included members of the aristocracy, and some of the wealthiest and best known figures in the UK and abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds City College</span> Further education college in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds City College is the largest further education establishment in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with around 26,000 students, 2,300 staff, with an annual turnover of £78 million. It officially opened on 1 April 2009. The College was granted official status in January 2009 and was formed from three large colleges, Park Lane College, Leeds Thomas Danby College and Leeds College of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Reeves</span> British politician (born 1979)

Rachel Jane Reeves is a British politician who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds West and Pudsey, formerly Leeds West, since 2010. She previously held various shadow ministerial and shadow cabinet portfolios between 2010 and 2015 and from 2020 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Ford</span> English social reformer (1855–1924)

Isabella Ormston Ford was an English social reformer, suffragist and writer. She became a public speaker and wrote pamphlets on issues related to socialism, feminism and workers' rights. After becoming concerned with the rights of female mill workers at an early age, Ford became involved with trade union organisation in the 1880s. A member of the National Administrative Council of the Independent Labour Party, she was the first woman to speak at a Labour Representation Committee conference.

<i>Lift Off</i> (sculpture) Public artwork in Washington, D.C. by David Black

Lift Off is a public artwork by American artist David Black, located at the CityVista Condominium at the intersection of 5th St NW & K St NW in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. Lift Off was created through DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Adams</span> British boxer (born 1982)

Nicola Virginia Adams is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2017 to 2019. She retired with an undefeated record and held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) female flyweight title in 2019. As an amateur, she became the first female boxer to become an Olympic champion after winning gold at London 2012, and the first double Olympic champion following a second gold medal at Rio 2016, both in the flyweight division. As of 27 May 2016 she was the reigning Olympic, World and European Games champion at flyweight, and won the entire set of amateur championships available to her – Olympic, Commonwealth and European Games' titles, and the World, European and European Union championships.

<i>Gate to the Northwest Passage</i> Sculpture by Alan Chung Hung in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Gate to the Northwest Passage is a 1980 sculpture by Alan Chung Hung, located adjacent to the Vancouver Maritime Museum in Vanier Park in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 4.6-metre (15 ft) sculpture of a square, cut and twisted "like a paper clip" to form an arch, is composed of weathered Corten steel that rusts to provide a protective layer. The work was installed in 1980 to commemorate the arrival of Captain George Vancouver in Burrard Inlet, following a competition sponsored by Parks Canada one year prior. Gate to the Northwest Passage received an adverse reaction initially, but reception has improved over time. The sculpture has been included in walking tours of the surrounding neighborhoods as a highlight of Vanier Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Blake, Baroness Blake of Leeds</span> British Labour Party politician (born 1953)

Judith Vivienne Blake, Baroness Blake of Leeds is a British Labour politician serving as a life peer in the House of Lords since 2021. She serves as a Baroness-in-Waiting in the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gertrude Paul</span> British-West Indian teacher (1934–1992)

Gertrude Maretta Paul was a teacher and advocate for the British Caribbean community in Yorkshire.

<i>Rise up, Women</i> (Emmeline Pankhurst statue) Bronze sculpture in St Peters Square, Manchester depicting Emmeline Pankhurst

Rise up, Women, also known as Our Emmeline, is a bronze sculpture of Emmeline Pankhurst in St Peter's Square, Manchester. Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the suffragette movement in the United Kingdom. Hazel Reeves sculpted the figure and designed the Meeting Circle that surrounds it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Sayce-Zelem</span> Head of technology at Sky

Natasha Sayce-Zelem is the Global Head of Partner Engineering at Amazon Prime Video. She is a founder of 'Empowering Women with Tech', a social enterprise showcasing female role models working in digital media, science, and technology with the goal of getting more women to consider a career in STEM in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazel Reeves</span> British sculptor

Hazel Reeves, MRSS SWA is a British sculptor based in Sussex, England, who specialises in figure and portrait commissions in bronze. Her work has been shown widely across England and Wales. Public commissions can be found in Carlisle, London, Congleton and Manchester. Since 2021, Reeves' work increasingly embraces soundscapes of nature and movement.

The Northern Art Prize was an annual arts prize, established in 2006 and first awarded in 2007, that was created to celebrate contemporary artists practising in the North of England, which it defined as the North, the North West and Yorkshire and Humber, as per the boundaries operated by Arts Council England. It was open to professional artists of any age and working in any medium. In 2008 it was described by The Guardian as the "Northern Turner Prize". It was last awarded to Margaret Harrison in 2013.

Pippa Hale is a contemporary British artist, founder of the Northern Art Prize and co-founder of Leeds contemporary art gallery The Tetley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Moore (Wikipedia editor)</span> British archaeologist and Wikipedia editor

Lucy Moore is a British curator and doctoral student known for improving the coverage of women on Wikipedia. She was UK Wikimedian of the Year in 2022.

References

  1. "New sculpture of nearly 400 inspirational Leeds women to be unveiled". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2024-10-09. Archived from the original on 2024-10-09. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Vernon, Hayden (2024-10-12). "Leeds sculpture celebrates 400 women, from suffragists to boxers". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  3. Mort, Don (2 June 2024). "'Ribbons' sculpture celebrating inspirational Leeds women set to be installed near Leeds Playhouse". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  4. "Artist Pippa Hale chosen ..." SOYO. 2019-06-14. Archived from the original on 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  5. Blow, John (14 June 2019). "Leeds artist's design picked for Quarry Hill sculpture celebrating city's women". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Leeds: Ribbons sculpture celebrates city's inspiring women". BBC News. 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  7. 1 2 "Ribbons sculpture, Leeds – Pippa Hale". Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  8. 1 2 "Names plea for Leeds sculpture celebrating notable women". BBC News. 2019-10-15. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  9. 1 2 "Leeds sculpture to celebrate city's notable women". BBC News. 2024-05-05. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  10. "About". Ribbons Sculpture Leeds. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  11. "About us". fishfabrications.co.uk. Fish Fabrications. Archived from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  12. "About Us". skyhooksengineering.co.uk. Skyhooks Engineering. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  13. "Renowned metal fabrication firm located in the West Midlands". www.feredaycylinder.co.uk. Fereday Cylinder Co. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  14. "About [video]". Ribbons Sculpture Leeds. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.The three firms are named in the video at 1m12s, 1m40s & 1m51s
  15. "Decision – A review of statues in Leeds in response to Black Lives Matter". democracy.leeds.gov.uk. 2020-10-21. Archived from the original on 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  16. "Public sculpture Ribbons launched to champion women of Leeds: results of public nominations announced! | Leeds Arts University". www.leeds-art.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "383 Inspirational Women of Leeds". Ribbons Sculpture Leeds. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 westleedslife (2024-04-25). "Inspirational women feature in new city sculpture". West Leeds Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Release, Press (2024-04-25). "South Leeds women among those recognised on new sculpture". South Leeds Life. Archived from the original on 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  20. Hindmarsh, Courtney (2024-04-24). "Public sculpture Ribbons launched to champion women of Leeds". Leeds City College. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  21. 1 2 "NSCD staff celebrated in new public sculpture for Leeds". Northern School of Contemporary Dance. 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  22. "Karen to appear on public sculpture championing women of Leeds". East Street Arts. Retrieved 2024-10-13.