Barnaby Barford's Twisted Trafalgar Square

Irreverent UK sculptor Barnaby Barford has just completed his largest piece to date. An installation comprised of 22 individual pieces, the work reflects his view of the corruption of London's Trafalgar Square.



Impish and sweet characters engage in vandalism, littering, violence, self-abuse and more in this sculptured narrative. Babies booze it up, little girls shoot rats for fun and muggings run rampant in this miniature world. Brandishing everything from alcohol to guns, the ceramic and enamel-painted subjects, who resemble Hummel figurines gone bad, are placed atop round slabs of concrete (this is the first time Barford has used concrete in his work).















As described on the artist's site:

Trafalgar Square has been described as the blank slab upon which Britain has inscribed it's modern history, in Barford's version Drink, Violence, Consumerism, Junk food, Protest and Terrorism all inhabit this world.

In the piece's centre is a Lion looking a great deal sadder than the ones in the real Trafalgar Square - It has been covered in graffiti. The piece is formalised by 4 columns with cherubs on top, each covered in pigeons and bird shit. The rest of the piece comprises of 22 individual pieces, each a vignette of contemporary life. The saccharine figurines have been transformed from chocolate box, romantic images of life into a new, jarring narrative. Added tension is given to the piece in the form of a loan sports bag, entitled unattended luggage. This is the first time Barford has attempted such a big scene and introduces concrete into his aesthetic.

The individual pieces (click on each to enlarge):














views of the overall installation:



Barnaby Barford's Battle Of Trafalgar Square is on view at the OA Gallery from 28th April - 30th June 2010


above: The Battle Of Trafalger Square, 2010, at the OA Gallery in Madrid

OA Gallery
Justiniano 8
28004 Madrid

Barnaby Barford

Come Rain Or Shine, Here's Fun Design. Color Changing Umbrellas From Squid London

Viviane Jaeger and Emma-Jayne Parkes of Squid London have designed a line of umbrellas made with a special white ink that turns colored when exposed to water. These umbrellas (or Squidellas) make a piece of art out of a utilitarian product that makes walking in the rain a sort of performance art.



They now have four different umbrellas; the iconic London Skyline one, one commissioned exclusively for the Tate, one whose proceeds benefitted a charity), and the final one for Suck UK.

Here's a video of them in action:


The Bird Squit, London Skyline, Squidarella (Paint Drips) and Clouds each retails for £25 ($42.00 USD) and all are sold at different places (but I have the links for you to buy each here in this post).




1. Color-Changing Bird Squit Umbrella:
A portion of whose proceeds go to support ChildReach International, a UK charity aimed at fighting child poverty in developing countries

Bird Squit (dry):

Bird Squit (wet):


buy it here.

2. Color Changing London Skyline Umbrella:
London Skyline (dry):

London Skyline (wet):


buy it here


3. Color-Changing Paint Drip Umbrella:
made exclusively for the Tate museum

Paint Drip (dry):

Paint Drip (wet):

buy it here.

4. Color-Changing Clouds Umbrella:




buy it here.

Squid London

Hate the rain? Then this might be a better umbrella for you:
Art Lebedev's'Fuck The Rain' Umbrella