Titles

["Simon Brown" <moonsong@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

A belated addition to the discussion about naming- sometimes the best names
are chosen by others.

A brilliant public sculpture recently completed by Sebastian Di Mauro in
Brisbane titled 'Chat' was immediately given the alternate title 'Hopoate'.
(Tongan footballer) John Hopoate was notorious at the time of the
installation for poking his opponents in the field up the bottom.
Sebastian's huge aluminium hand sculptures lended themselves to this concept
rather more than his artistic intentions.

I spent a brief time in Jakarta years ago, being shown around the city by
expat friends who had an irreverent name for every public statue. Jakarta,
inundated by foreign interests who have sought to display their commitment
to the people by building bigger and better monuments, features the
irreverently titled 'Hot Hands Harry' (otherwise known as 'The Pizzaman');
'Seven-Up Man'; 'Hey Mister, Want My Sister' etc

Dublin City has some monuments I've only read about, 'The Dublin Spire'
otherwise known as 'The Stiffy by the Liffey'; 'The Stiletto in the Ghetto';
'The Spire in the Mire' or 'The Eyeful Tower' among other unprintables; 'The
Floozy in the Jacuzzi' (or 'The Whore in the Sewer' (goddess Anna Livia)
recently moved). Alternative titles for other Dublin spectacles include 'The
Tart with the Cart' (Molly Malone); 'The Prick with the Stick' (James
Joyce); 'The Hags with the Bags' (two women shopping) and 'The Time in the
Slime' (Millennium Countdown Clock in the River Liffey)

Do any Listers know of similar local titles for public art?

Simon