Do NOT climb on Mark Wallinger’s White Horse on the Mall, London

“Do not climb on the horse” says the warning sign by the eminently climbable and hugely inviting White Horse sculpture on The Mall, in central London.

No sooner had I got my camera out than a bloke quickly leapt on the horse and posed for his friend’s pics.

The White Horse is the work of Turner prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger, and is a scaled-down version of a proposed 50m-high (164ft) sculpture to be erected in the countryside of Kent (which would be visible from the Eurostar).

Funding for the full-size horse has so far proved to be a victim of the recession, although if it does get the go-ahead, it would stand more than twice the height of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North statue, and cost up to £15m to complete.

Wallinger hopes that the mini-me marble and resin version in The Mall will help “prod” funding for the bigger version.

The life-sized sculpture was made by scanning a horse named Rivera Red – partly owned by Wallinger – in a white light scanner, with the resulting scan being moulded into a robust resin, marble and steel structure.

Commissioned by the British Council Collection and unveiled in March 2013, the horse may only remain in place – and continuing to tempt wannabe riders – for a little while longer. [—]

Chat about the sculpture -and see some novel ideas for how it might be improved – on the urban75 forums.

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