England hit the wall....

[Gob]

An enormous monument recording the scoreline of every England national football team defeat is expected to sell for £600,000 at auction.

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created the untitled piece in 1999 to celebrate the England national side's regular disappointments. Etched into black granite was every occasion the England side lost, from their 2-1 defeat to Scotland in 1874 up until Romania's 2-1 victory at the 1998 World Cup.

The artwork, which is made of black granite set in MDF and steel, is 7.2ft high, 10ft wide and 2ft deep. The piece starts with England's 1874 loss to Scotland and ends with its 1998 World Cup loss against Romania. If continued until today, it would also incorporate Britain's losses to Uruguay and Italy in last year's World Cup. Also etched onto the granite would be the team's 4-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in 2010 and the 2006 exit on penalties against Portugal. The piece of art will be auctioned off next week at Sotheby's New Bond Street gallery in London.

The monument is being offered with a guide price of £400,000 - £600,000, which the average England footballer could pay for with one months' salary. CNN reported Cattelan as explaining it was 'a piece which talks about pride, missed opportunities and death'.

Cattelan is notorious for his often satirical and biting art displays. Perhaps his best known piece is an effigy of Pope John Paul II being crushed by a meteor.

[MajGenl.Meade]

On one level it's amusing. On the other - too much like many serious and important monuments (Vietnam in DC for example) to really be a good "joke". Couldn't he have done it on something other than black granite - something that Peter Bonetti could dive over. (World Cup 1970: England 2 W. Germany 3)

[Lord Jim]

too much like many serious and important monuments (Vietnam in DC for example) to really be a good "joke"

That was exactly my reaction...

This was an obvious attempt at a "humorous" parody of The Vietnam Memorial Wall....

Equating soccer defeats with the combat deaths of young men...

Absolutely hilarious...

ETA:

Perhaps his best known piece is an effigy of Pope John Paul II being crushed by a meteor.

Gee, that's a real thigh slapper...

There appear to be no limits to this fellow's comedic talents...

[Long Run]

Plus, he did not leave near enough space for all the future defeats to come.

[BoSoxGal]

I'm not sure it's a parody of the Vietnam Wall - names etched on black granite is a very common memorial style.

[MajGenl.Meade]

That is true, BSG but take a look at a partial list of black granite memorial walls and I think we can all note a common theme (which is not something as trivial as real football):

Vietnam Memorial
Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall
Police Officers Memorial Wall NYK
Royal Australian Airforce Memorial Wall
Holocaust Memorial Wall
The Monument to Memory and Truth in San Salvador
The Indianapolis 9/11 Wall
The Oregon WW2 Memorial Wall
Oregon Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial Wall
Veterans Memorial, Appreciation Park, Springdale, Iowa
The Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall, Guam
Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars memorial, Cumberland, MD
The Middle East Conflicts Wall, Marseilles, IL
NVC Foundation Japanese American Memorial Wall, Seattle WA
All Veterans' Memorial Park Wall Freeport IL
Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing & Peace Garden, York PA

I believe his wall is a parody of memorial walls such as these, though he may never have heard of any of them other than the Vietnam Memorial in DC... perhaps the Holocaust Memorial. His "joke" is about the death of dreams and, in effect, the death of the future - for what was hope and for what will never be reaslised.

Had he simply created generic tombstones, his "joke" would be sophomoric (if that). As it is, I think it's insulting.

[Gob]

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This was an obvious attempt at a "humorous" parody of The Vietnam Memorial Wall....

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I doubt it Jim, what wall are you talking about?

It would have been more "funny" and apt to have modeled it on the Cenotaph or a WWII or Falklands memorial, if that was his intent. I think your parochialism is showing again

Remember, England didn't play a large part in your Vietnam conflict, (as Aus did.)

[Lord Jim]

I doubt it Jim, what wall are you talking about?

If you don't know what The Vietnam Memorial Wall is, then I'm not the one with the "parochialism" problem...

ETA:

And if you're point is that he's attempting to be "humorous" by satirizing the deaths of young men who died in combat in some "other" war, it's not immediately apparent to me how that would be an improvement...

It seems to me this guy is about as "funny" as a burning orphanage...

[Gob]

I doubt it Jim, what wall are you talking about?

If you don't know what The Vietnam Memorial Wall is, then I'm not the one with the "parochialism" problem...

Touche'!!

And if you're point is that he's attempting to be "humorous" by satirizing the deaths of young men who died in combat in some "other" war, it's not immediately apparent to me how that would be an improvement...

I don't think he is, I think he's created a memorial to English soccer defeats in the style of war memorials (generic.) I think it's a play on the old Don Whillans line;

Don Whillans participated in the 1972 European Everest Expedition, attempting to climb Mount Everest's southwest face. The expedition was plagued with personality conflicts and the withdrawal of many climbers. While in camp, some other climbers overheard news that England had lost a soccer game to Germany. "It seems we have beaten you at your national sport", said a German. After a pause Whillans replied, "Aye, and we've beaten you at yours...twice."

[MajGenl.Meade]

He's an Italian - the nation with tanks that have 16 reverse gears





... and three forward in case the enemy attacks from the rear.

[Lord Jim]

And glass bottom ships...

So the new Italian navy can see the old Italian navy...

[MajGenl.Meade]

... or the Italian battle flag... a white cross on a white background



... suitable emblem for the army with the most sun-burned armpits.