First One & Other plinther announced

Want to see who gets on the plinth first..?

A housewife from Sleaford, a nurse from Brighton, and a Sri Lankan student from London will all take their places on the plinth on Monday 6th July 2009.

Rachel Wardell, a 35 year-old housewife from Sleaford in the East Midlands will be the first participant on the plinth for Antony Gormley’s One & Other it was announced today, Thursday 2 July 2009. Rachel will take her place on the plinth at exactly 9am on Monday 6th July and remain there for one hour.

Rachel will be followed at 10am by Jason Clark, a 41 year old a nurse from Brighton. Other plinthers on the first day include Jill Gatcum, a 51-year-old consultant from London, Suren Seneviratne, a 22 year-old Sri Lankan student and artist, and Ishvinder Singh Matharu, a 31-year-old optometrist from Chigwell.

Commenting on being chosen, Rachel Wardell said: “I am a stay-at-home mum with 2 young children. I have no great involvement in the Arts but felt moved to get involved with this project for several reasons. I like the idea of the Arts as inclusive rather than exclusive and feel like this is something that Antony Gormley, and this project in particular, embrace. I wanted to be able to represent normal, everyday stay-at-home mums who aren't normally a feature of major artworks - to show my kids now, and when they're older, that you can do, and be part of anything, no matter how ordinary you are or feel.

I never expected to get a place so hadn't thought about what to do and I never expected to be first. I don't want to say anything about me, but what is important to me is children. That's why I want to raise awareness of the NSPCC”.

The project, which is commissioned by the Mayor of London and produced in partnership with Sky Arts will see a different person take their place on the Fourth Plinth every hour, 24 hours a day for 100 days.

Open to everyone over the age of 16, One & Other has received applications from all over the country and from people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures, drawn from as far afield as Coleraine, N.Ireland to the Norfolk coast, and Paisley in Scotland to the West country. July’s 615 participants are aged from 16 to 83, and include a wheelchair-bound pensioner from Oxford, an aquatic scientist from Birmingham, and an English teacher from London for whom Trafalgar Square holds a special place in her heart. Applications for the project are still open and can be made at oneandother.co.uk.

Jason Clark, a nurse who has worked for the NHS for 18 years said he applied because he thought the democracy and openness of the installation was a great idea:
“I’ve never really been artistic, although I did participate in the Spencer Tunick naked photo installation at Selfridges - this time I will probably be clothed.”

Jill Gatcum commented on her place:
“I entered because no one in my family has ever been on an historic plinth - we're not generals, philanthropists, scientists or politicians - so it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. Part of the fun will be discussing it with my friends and family and it'll also be great my family in Australia will be able to see me via the webcam.”