(Above) True Yank. Picture courtesy Ian Williams, © Urbis and Leon Reid IV
An historic monument in the heart of Manchester will be dressed in a baseball cap and adorned with multi-coloured bling today (April 9 2009) as part of a new exhibition at the city's Urbis gallery.
The pioneering American street artist known as Leon Reid IV will be giving the dramatic makeover to the statue of Abraham Lincoln, in Manchester's Lincoln Square, to mark the opening of the State of the Art: New York exhibition.
Labelled True Yank, the cheeky temporary decoration will commemorate Manchester's vital role in the outcome of the American Civil War and the ending of slavery.
"There are three main things I hope people take away with them from seeing the work," proposes Reid, a graffiti-inspired experimentalist who studied at Saint Martins after graduating from New York.
"Firstly, recognition that the statue of Lincoln is here in Manchester at all, as it seems many people don’t know this. Secondly, I want people to ask 'who was Lincoln?' – clearly he was not a guy from the hip-hop age, and hopefully my additions can raise questions about his identity and significance for African Americans."
The iconic leader will be kitted out in a Yankee cap, gold earring, silver medallion and bracelet chain among other treasures which, according to Reid, provide "a 150-year update of President Lincoln's gear."
The American artist is giving the statue an eye-catching makeover. Picture courtesy Ian Williams, © Urbis and Leon Reid IV
"Homeboy needed it," says Reid, speaking 200 years after the birth of the man Barack Obama names as his political hero.
"Honest Abe had been standing there with decade-old clothes even when the statue was made in 1919. He now has some bling to accompany his rock hard pose, and an oversized hat to represent the Yankees.
"Although the installation looks guerilla in nature, it actually couldn't have happened without the permission and support of Manchester City Council and the generous comisssion of Urbis. The work is funny to me and I hope raises a smile for the people of Manchester."
Urbis Chief Executive Vaughan Allen feels there's "no better time" to recognise the impact of America on British politics and culture. "True Yank invites a fresh look at an everyday feature of Manchester, highlighting its important historical significance," he said.
"It shows that artists make an invaluable contribution to the culture of a city, often bringing a different perspective that helps us to understand the complexities of urban life. That's what Urbis is about."
Installation runs until May 1 2009. Instant Manchester Tours, including an introduction to True Yank, run Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays until April 26 2009.
