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Yonex All England Badminton Championships

Forward, Centenary Square (428 KB) "Forward", by Raymond Mason (Edgbaston born) The making of the Sculpture took 3 years. It's made of Steel-reinforced polyester resin and measures 13 ft. wide, 15 ft. high and 30 ft. long. "Forward" was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II, 12 June 1991. The City Counsil voted £275.000 for the monument!! The highest amount of money a provensial city has paid for a work of public art. The artist is Birmingham-born (Edgbaston), in 1922, but in 1949 he moved to Paris, France. But - why exactly this shape of the sculpture? "The sculpture shows a group of workers striding on from an industrial (Victorian) past towards a bright new future" In an interview with Paula Weideger in the Independent 5 June 1991, Raymond Mason said: "For one precise moment in history Birmingham was unique. It founded a tradition of fine craftmanship and fine machinery. That shouldn't be forgotten. They tore the heart out of Birmingham. When I was asked to do a monument I said 'YES' - if I could evoke this city they had taken down [Mr. Mason never specified who 'they' were! /Editor] It would be a great pity to forget what was a great monument in the human saga of fine work. The possibility of evoking the Birmingham workman was irresistable. I want to pay a debt to the city I love. Centenary Square is the ideal situation for my sculpture. The front figures will receive the setting or late afternoon sun. If the sculpture is successful it will light up that square" Mason named the sculpture 'Forward' since "Birmingham has a great past tradition in industry but also has a great future. That is why I called it "Forward" If it's good it won't be vandalised!" To Raymond Mason it was very important that 'Forward' should show what Birmingham has, and used to have, to offer. Being craftmanship, products and materials. That made the historian Dr. Carl Chinn, comment on a small detail: The choice of Steel-reinforced polyester resin is not a birmingham material! Among the critics of the sculpture lots of less flattering comments has filled the air. To mention just a few: The sculpture is a hailing of all that's russian and that Centenery Square should be renamed 'The Red Square' (actually Centenery Square has red tiling all over!)It's called 'humourless' and an eyesore...! Popular or not: The sculpture is a 'focal point', especially to Newlyweds and their guests...

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