A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020

A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020 stands in Bristol’s city centre on the plinth where Edward Colston’s statue once stood. The black resin sculpture shows Jen Reid, a Black Lives Matter protester, raising her fist in a Black Power salute. It was placed there secretly in the early hours of 15 July 2020, just weeks after Colston’s statue was pulled down during George Floyd protests. Marc Quinn created the work after seeing a photograph of Reid’s spontaneous gesture on the empty plinth. The sculpture measures 2.3 metres tall and was made using 3D scanning and printing before being cast in resin and steel. Reid and Quinn describe it as a collaboration, with Reid calling it a crystallisation of her moment on the plinth. The work captures a pivotal moment in Bristol’s history and the wider fight against racism. Quinn has said the sculpture aims to keep the conversation about institutional racism alive in the public mind. Jen Reid described her original gesture as a way to honour enslaved people and empower Black communities. The statue sparked debate, with some praising its bold statement and others criticising it as a stunt. Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo praised its commitment to Black Lives Matter and the lack of public statues of Black women in the UK. Visitors to the site find a life-size figure in casual dress, her fist raised high above her head. The sculpture stands on a shallow square plinth, its dark form contrasting with the Portland stone base. The surrounding area in Bristol’s Centre remains a focal point for discussions about history and justice. The work was removed the next day, but its brief presence left a lasting impression. The empty plinth now waits for a decision on what should stand there next.