Una White
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Una White (died April 1997, aged 58) was an ordinary citizen of Birmingham, England. She achieved posthumous notability when her name was placed, in 12-foot high illuminated lettering, on Birmingham Central Library as an art installation by Joshua Sofaer, part of the city's Fierce! festival. The sign was illuminated on 17 May 2007.
Her name was suggested for use in the artwork, by her daughter Carol, after a public appeal for people to nominate a friend or family member who deserved to have their name in lights.
The artwork was said to be a response to the culture of celebrity epitomised by reality television programmes[citation needed] and Sofaer said the project was "aimed at encouraging people to think about the meaning of celebrity".
Formerly a hairdresser, White came to Britain from Jamaica in the 1960s and trained as a nurse.
[edit] References
- Kenny, Lee That's mum on the roof!, Birmingham Mail, 18 May 2007, p 6.
- Pinch, Emma, Heroic Una's name up in lights, 18 May 2007
[edit] External links
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