| Cordal is sympathetic toward his little people and we empathize with their situations, their leisure time, their waiting for buses and their more tragic moments such as accidental death, suicide or family funerals. His sculptures can be found in gutters, on top of buildings, on top of bus shelters — in many unusual and unlikely places.
This book is the first time his images have been shown together, and many images have never been seen. Cordal’s concrete sculptures are little gifts to the public, left to their own devices throughout London. A few lucky people will see and love them incarnate, but so many more will have missed out.
What really makes these pieces magical is their placement — they bring new meaning to little corners of the urban environment. They express something vulnerable, but deeply engaging. So Cordal’s men in grey are a little message of hope in spite of their forlorn appearance; they are there to remind you that pessimism is not common sense, it’s just pessimism.
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