Caveat: this is not me pitting 2 sculptures by women and of women against each other or me shitting publicly (metaphorically) on a trans sculpture (made by a cis woman). This is just an exercise in thinking about how trans women are seen in public sculpture and comparing 2 together cuz its interesting to see and no one has done this yet (as far as i can tell) so lets goooo
Welcome to part 2 (read part 1 here) where we will do exactly what I said I would do last month - compare 2 public sculptures featuring trans women like i’m writing an essay back in art school
So this time we are gabbin about Ribbons, a public sculpture here in Leeds made of corten steel (thats where they make it look rusty on purpose google has just told me) and was designed by Pippa Hale to hold the names of 383 women of Leeds, past and present, that were all submitted by the public
It symbolises strands of ribbon coming from the ground and leading into the ground to give the idea of many other women under the surface who are doing a lot of unseen work and is a nod to the textile industry that was the main industry in Leeds and was largely dominated by women (altho there it did include mixing of the genders and in 1800s was the first time some men had ever worked with women who they weren’t closely related to)
The sculpture itself sits on Quarry Hill between Leeds City College arts campus and Leeds Playhouse
The idea for this came from MP and Chancellor Rachel Reeves (eww) who took a well deserved break from being an absolute fuckin melt to notice in 2017 that there were no statues or sculptures of Leeds women in the city (probably the only sensible observation she’s ever made)
The sculpture has the names of women from all sorts of fields including the arts and music, sports and healthcare, education and politics as well as just women who are really fuckin good eggs.
This artwork happens to have the name of one trans woman from Leeds on - Angela Morely
Angela Morley
Angela Morely was born in 1924 on Kirkstall Road in Leeds. She was a composer and conductor who transitioned in the 70s and scored films such as Watership Down, Plague Dogs and The Little Prince as well as working on Star Wars, E.T, Home Alone, Jesus Christ Superstar, Karate Kid and Schindler’s List.
She won Emmys for her work with Julie Andrews and was the first trans woman (that we know of) to be nominated for an Oscar.
Angela Morley also has a Rainbow Plaque outside the BBC building and a Blue Plaque outside her childhood home on Kirkstall Road
Thats a brief overview of her without getting too into it and I’ve been told she was quite proud of being from Leeds and came back here regularly towards the end of her life seeing family and researching her own family history.
Leeds Response to Ribbons
The grand opening of Ribbons was later than originally predicted - 2021 but actually opened in 2024 and was very well attended (I went on a quieter day cuz i cba with that number of ppl) and has been talked about with a very positive attitude locally and nationally. There are even mentions of on news sections of Leeds NHS services cuz of some women working for the NHS being on the sculpture
Leeds response to Angela Morely being on the sculpture
Angela Morley is barely mentioned anywhere and where she is mentioned it is her being a Hollywood composer that is emphasised over her transness (its what she would’ve wanted)
There hasn’t been any big hoohaa about her being included but an obligatory head nod to her as we then go to get on with it - a very northern attitude indeed!)
I emailed Pippa Hale to ask about Angela Morley’s inclusion.
“I wasn't aware of Angela Morley prior to the project. However she received a number of nominations so obviously lots of other people know about her!” Pippa said. “I'm really pleased that Morley is included on the sculpture. She sounds like an amazing woman who was hugely talented and made a significant contribution to her art form enjoying great success at home and abroad. Also, she transitioned in a very different socio-political climate which must have been extremely challenging and would have warranted a huge amount of courage and steadfastness. I'm heartened by the support she received from her wife Christine Parker and happy that her inclusion on Ribbons will bring her story and journey to more even people.”
Compare and Contrast
Right so we got 2 public sculptures, both featuring trans women and both have been received very differently!
This could be for a number of reasons including the general public’s lack of awareness of Angela Morley despite her creating the soundtrack to every kids nightmares since 1978 (Watership Down! Admit it, it terrified u too as a kid!) so that could be a major factor here i guess
I also think a major factor here is the focus on which word. Mil Veces un Instante (A thousand times an Instant) is a public sculpture featuring trans women, while Ribbons is a public sculpture featuring a trans woman.
Tbh there is smth a bit wild about a sculpture that actually treats a trans woman as a woman being the one that flies under the raider but the sculpture that emphasises transness is the one that is getting the backlash.
The lack of personification also plays an integral role imo - as in Ribbons we don’t have faces or body parts, only names. Its not as easy to be angry at a name on a bit of metal (sorry Pippa thats not derogatory i promise!) but a plaster cast of a face than can be overanalysed for any proportion or feature deemed ‘manish’ and fragments of make up still on the cast? Thats smth u can be mad at.
I am also baffled that Leeds isn’t more proud of a woman who became a hollywood composer and conductor, but thats the (trans)misogyny inherent in the system i guess
There’s also been no big trans hoohaa or trans gathering at Ribbons like there was for Mil Veces un Instante (A thousand times an Instant) and i’m glad cuz i think that would ruin the quiet victory and acknowledgement there. Hell, even writing about it makes me wonder if i’m transgressing that northern sensibility to it!
I asked Pippa Hale if she had expected any trans women to be included in the public submissions and she said “I didn't know what to expect really as we didn't request diversity monitoring info from either the nominators or the nominees. As such we wouldn't know if there are other trans women on the sculpture or not, unless they self identify of course.”
This is personally what i want to see in a trans public sculpture/monument to trans women. A monument that includes us as women cuz we are women, not shoves us aside to include everyone else cuz we’re trans.
The Ribbons sculpture will live on for decades to come as Sky News puts it but Mil Veces un Instante (A thousand times an Instant) won’t. Personally i’m glad of this cuz it means the sculpture that actually treats a trans woman as a woman is the one that will outlast and that gives me hope. Slay
