Daily Archives: September 30, 2011

Trafalgar Square:Who Is Watching Whom?

sketch of Trafalgar Square
“Trafalgar Square: Who Is Watching Whom?” by Kerry McFall

It has been too sunny to stay inside museums for a whole day, so on Wednesday I took a break from the National Gallery and wandered out to Trafalgar Square, which is basically just down the steps.  Which, incidentally, are clearly posted, “Do Not Sit on Steps.”  So of course, hundreds of students and tourists of every nationality were doing exactly that.  They were watching the antics of several mimes, acrobats, and “statue people”, obliviously gathered in perfect little packs for pickpockets to ply their trade… tsk.  But not to worry, because at every public facility there are large signs saying, “CCTV in use for your protection.”  There was an even a photo in the free subway newspaper the other day showing a pickpocket at work in case you didn’t already know how dangerous it is to leave your purse hanging on the back of your chair.  And at every pub and cafe, there are smaller signs saying, “Pickpockets in the area, watch your belongings.”  So no matter what you do, someone is watching you, you may be assured!  Thus, the eye in the middle of the sketch, which really bothers Griff but I quite like it.  And if the Queen will pardon me saying so, I think it is definitely time to stop adding new monuments and fountains and whatnot in that particular location, Olympics or not – they are seriously over limit, and none of them “jive” with each other the way the art of different eras seemed to do in the Koln Cathedral.  The Olympic statue is some kind of countdown clock, and it just looks plain silly.  The pigeons won’t even have anything to do with it!  I’m sure that Admiral Nelson up there on his pillar would agree.

All that aside, it is such fun to do this kind of sketch!