If there were a prize for the UK’s biggest champagne socialist, I’d nominate Justine Simons OBE, London’s £151,465 per year Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries (one of Sadiq Khan’s NINE deputy mayors).
Simons, in case you didn’t know, is responsible for commissioning the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, meaning she is behind its latest exhibit Lady in Blue - which has got everyone talking, to say the least.
In a press release announcing its unveiling, Simons said “Today marks the next chapter, as we unveil a new artwork by Tschabalala Self, one of the most compelling artists of her generation. Monumental in scale – but at the same time relatable, Lady in Blue strides confidently through the city with dignity and purpose and I know London is going to love her!”
The year before Simons unveiled Mil Veces un Instante, the 15th “artwork” for the Fourth Plinth, which was created by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles and features plaster casts of the faces of 700 trans people. “Here in London our diversity is our greatest strength”, wrote Simons about the exhibit at the time.
When Simons isn’t unveiling so-called “artwork”, she can be found at numerous fabulous events, as you can see from photographs from her social media output…
