Who are the three naked blue men who climb a wall on Borough High Street?
It’s hard to look upwards on Borough High Street. The pavements are so busy and narrow that a glance toward the rooftops can be a risky undertaking. Yet those who do might have spotted one of London’s more peculiar sculptures.
Three cobalt-blue figures, each clutching a golden musical instrument, climb up the side of Maya House, 124-138 Borough High Street. It’s Spider-man meets Brassed Off, via Avatar. But nothing to do with the Blue Man Group.
The azure trio were placed on the wall in March 2007, “to make a 1970s building look better,” according to the building’s owner Isaac Ella. They’re the work of Israeli artist Ofra Zimbalista (1939-2014), and collectively known as ‘Walls and Trumpets’. A quick Google image search reveals that Zimbalista had a bit of a thing for striking blue sculptures.
The fibreglass figures were cast from life. Three models were asked to strike the desired pose, then smothered in plaster-of-Paris. One hopes they were paid well.
An excellent place to view this eccentric artwork is the pub just opposite. This old but recently reopened (and excellent) drinking spot is appropriately called the Blue Maid. Perhaps, then, the owners of Maya House commissioned the dazzling blue artwork as a ‘response’ to the historic pub across the road, which was traditionally painted blue.
