Sculpture

There but not there

Erection date: 2019

Inscription

There but not there

Site: There but not there (1 memorial)

NW6, Queen's Park

The south-east corner of this park is a fenced off formal garden, through which one can walk. We visited on the Saturday before Remembrance Sunday, 2019, and found one of these sombre outline statues at each of the two entrances.

These poignant silhouettes were part of a 2018 nationwide fund-raising art installation called ‘There But Not There’. We don't know how many of these identical soldiers were installed across Britain. We found our 'Tommy' in 2019 which suggests that the installation/campaign has been extended or revived.

Sustans have used a similar technique to create individualised portraits, of which we have found and published 18, so far (2020).

The word silhouette is derived from the name of Étienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister who, in 1759, was forced by France's credit crisis during the Seven Years' War to impose severe economic demands upon the French people, particularly the wealthy. Because of de Silhouette's austere economies his name became synonymous with anything done or made cheaply. Prior to the advent of photography, silhouette profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a person's appearance.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
There but not there

Subjects commemorated i

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came a...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Caryatid - left

Caryatid - left

SE16, Southwark Park

A nearby information board informs: The Caryatides of Rotherhithe Old Town Hall Designed and constructed {* see our note below} by Henry...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St Michael Cornhill WW1 Memorial

St Michael Cornhill WW1 Memorial

EC3, Cornhill, St Michael's

Unveiled by the Lord Mayor, James Roll.

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Millstream House - gargoyle

Millstream House - gargoyle

SE16, Jamaica Road, Millstream House

See the plaque at this site for more details.

1 subject commemorated
Anzac boulder

Anzac boulder

SW11, Battersea Park

This sandstone boulder (three quarters of a tonne) is one of 6 removed from a golf course next to Bondi Beach and delivered here by the A...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Festival of Britain - London Pride

Festival of Britain - London Pride

SE1, Queen's Walk

On the South Bank riverfront, between the Royal National Theatre and the river.

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators

Previously viewed

Workers of Woolwich

Workers of Woolwich

SE18, Woolwich New Road, Platform 1, Woolwich Arsenal Station

The mural depicts the activities carried out by workers at the former Royal Arsenal.

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators