Cast your mind back to the summer of 2004. Prince Charles came to visit, they were revelling in Gorey, a needle was let loose on the Waterfront and the first holographic portrait of the Queen was revealed at the Jersey Museum. The image of the unsmiling Queen, by light artist Chris Levine, is tinged in blue light and appears to move as the viewer walks past. Jersey Heritage Trust commissioned the work to celebrate 800 years of the islands loyalty to the crown. The image To create the image, Levine took more than 10,000 images of the monarch during two sittings in the Yellow Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace before selecting the ones for the final hologram. It is made up of more than 200 frames and gives the impression of the Queen’s eyes following the viewers as they walk around it.
It was unveiled at the Jersey museum by Prince Charles when he visited the island as part of the 800 years celebrations in 2004. The portrait cost the States of Jersey £150,000 and was originally exhibited in the Jersey Museum in St. Helier before heading off to be displayed in various places around the UK. On Tour As well as the Jersey Museum and Mont Orgeuil it has been on display at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Hampton Court and Scotland’s Scone Palace. It will now go on display at the Palace of Westminster in London. While at the palace sound effects will be added by sound artist Leander Brass. The noises are described as mystical, choral and majestic, and will seem to come out of the portrait. When asked why music was added, Freddie Cohen from the Jersey Heritage Trust said that “We wanted to add a new dimension to the hologram, to add a fourth dimension to a three dimensional portrait of the Queen sounded like a good idea.”
Listen to a 30 second sample of the soundtrack by sound artist Leander Brass, that is being added to the Palace of Westminster display of the holographic portrait.
 Listen to a sample of the soundtrack >
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It’s the first time Jersey has hosted an event inside the Palace of Westminster. What do you think? In the last few years we have had Bronze Cows in West Park, the Crapaud in Charing Cross and the Waterfront Needle as well as the Holographic Portrait. How important is public art to society? Should we be paying for it out of our taxes or should it be down to businesses to fund the works?
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