"The plinths have been dominated for more than a century by now weathered statues representing great lawgivers throughout the ages — all of them men. Standing among Moses, Confucius and Zoroaster is the shimmering, golden eight-foot female sculpture, emerging from a pink lotus flower and wearing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s signature lace collar. Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation... The sculpture is located at the courthouse of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court at 27 Madison Avenue."
In 1955 the court removed a turn-of-the-century, eight-foot-tall marble statue of the Prophet Muhammad when the Pakistani, Egyptian and Indonesian Embassies asked the State Department to intervene; many Muslims have deeply held religious beliefs that prohibit depictions of the prophet.
I don't think this is a bad sculpture. It's not a permanent installation, so the question whether it belongs with the other historical law-givers isn't all that important. And yet, it does highlight the absence of female law-givers in history. One has been imagined, and it suggests that female law-giving would be something quasi-religious — rising out of a lotus, hair spiraling demonically. And yet the male law-givers on the building are religious — Moses, Confucius, Zoroaster, and the no-longer-there Muhammad.
Before I saw the photograph of the statue, I heard Ben Shapiro (on his podcast) railing about it. Here's that rant (with video and pictures I was not seeing):
Given Ginsberg's long-standing association with the racist eugenics-oriented Planned Parenthood, the demonic figure with Ruth's lace neck apron seems appropriate. At least they didn't give her a giant penis, NTTAWWT.
I don't think it's a good sculpture. Is it actually supposed to represent RBG, or just be a female figure with some well known attribute of her?
Why can't a decent statue of a 'female lawgiver' (suggestions, anyone?) be put up just to honor that person; why does the statue need to have the "form of 'resistance'"? (BTW - I don't see judges as being lawgivers; they are law-interpreters in my view - lawgivers = lawmakers = congress in our system).
And of course, in this age, we have to ask why the statue necessarily depicts a female, since at least one of our 'lawgivers' on the SC wouldn't be able to identify the sex represented by the statue. Those twirly braids look like male rams horns to me.
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation..."
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation...
I kind of like it -- much better than the recent sculpture of MLKJr. But I also find it amusing that the female "lawgiver" is depicted as some kind of eldritch horror with creepy tentacle (or antler?) arms. Not sure that was what the artist was going for. Or perhaps it was, and the joke is on people who took the artist's po-faced blather about resistance and patriarchal representation at face value.
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation...
It is time for the Supreme Court to rule that secularism is a religion and may not be given preferential treatment by the government over other religions. Also, separation of church and state should apply. The law has become an enemy of religion which is hard to believe given the guarantee of freedom to exercise one's religion is the supreme rule of law.
1) How do we know the being depicted (Zuul? Gozer?) identifies as a woman? 2) There have been many female lawgivers of the She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed variety, the men portrayed are law systematizers, a stereotypically mail activity. 3) The desire for religion (a binding between (wo)man and the gods) cries out in the modern heart of Manhattan.
Highlighting the absence of female lawgivers? Adorning a courthouse with statues of actual lawgivers make sense. Adding one of a purely mythical female lawgiver represents what? A belief that we'd be better off with a different history that included females lawgivers? That we should throw out some (or all) of the law we've gotten from all those icky men and replace it with new laws from women?
So we woman get to be specifically represented by this hideous garish monster? Is it supposed to be pro-woman or anti-woman? If it were anti-woman would it look any different?
... and wearing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s signature lace collar...
Austin Powers wore it better.
That's who I thought of first when I saw the statue. The second was the frottoir used in zydeco music. Third was Trelane from the Star Trek episode Squire of Gothos.
It looks like someone took a plastic kids toy and just scaled it up. Compared to the others up there, there is a lack of detail, or of artistic expression, making it (IMHO) bland but slightly unpleasant, maybe because of its tentacle aspects. How do the ram's horn hair (a male symbol) and the tentacles evoke the law, I wonder? We traded a Teddy Roosevelt statue for this thing?
...in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation.
This clause is simply wrong. Ideal abstractions in art in Western cultures have long been represented by female figures. In this case (as others pointed out) Justitia, aka Lady Justice. Who in turn is partly based on older idealized representations of justice, also female.
So, the most bestest example of a female lawgiver they could come up with was RBG? Well, not RBG, It just has an attribute of hers—the neckpiece.
So, the most bestest example of a female lawgiver they could come up with was a fictional composite? That's Just Sad.. There HAD to be far better examples they could have come up with Sandra Day? Althouse? Somebody real?
"And yet, it does highlight the absence of female law-givers in history." Oh, my sides are hurting from ten minutes of belly laughing. I love Althouse, but that's a whopper of a non-sequitur that can only be taken seriously by readers of the NYT.
To truly honor the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg it should be holding in each of its hands the two portions of a chopped-in-half fetus. The statue would be short holding each half of the corpse by the foot, one severed portion would have the head, the other would have the arms and most of the torso with the viscera hanging down. We know that the fierceness and resistance celebtated sndcenshrined by feminism is slaughtering the innocent and helpless, so that should be graphically displayed.
Also, the statute is depiction of a conventionally sexually attractive female body, with a defined waistline. This is offensive and hurtful. It should be obese. Otherwise it is implicitly shaming. Also it valorizes the kind of figure that the hungry male gaze looks for, seeking violence and rape. A biologically average body shape would be more appropriate as a symbol of female unity.
By the way, this whole kerfuffle about the absence of statues of female "lawgivers" seems very weird, considering that Lady Justice herself portrays the very spirit of law as a woman, in innumerable statues.
Interesting that the "woman" holding the scales of justice isn't even considered for this discussion. Don't know if they have one of those but everyone whining about women not being represented seem to ignore that the really important roles, like Lady Liberty, and blind Justice, are not limited by name or religion.
I can see the knee jerk reactions about satan and baal and paganism but honestly, if we were saying this represents women in justice, well, that's just sad.
Seems somewhat diminishing of women to just include a sculpture of some recently contrived figure just to include something female. It is especially odd since, at least in America, probably the most well known figure associated with justice is the female figure of Lady justice.
What does the phrase "urgent form of resistance" mean? Can anyone explain it? Like a lot of political slogans, it seems like some unrelated words strung together.
Alright team! We have been tasked with designing a statue representing a female law giver. She should be capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Moses, Mohammad (although removed) and Confusis.
What 'cha got.... (crickets). C'mon people there must be someone.
How about RBG?
Really? Famous judge but "law giver" equal to Moses? That's a hard no.
Name after name floated... Hillary, Sally Ride, Elanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir. None close to the target....
We thought declaring Moses bisexual was a winner, but, nah.
Eventually we knew we got nuttin'. Must be that old patriarchy.
OK, back to symbolism. What should this woman image include. Ram horn hair? Uhhhh, (sigh of resignation) OK. Tentacle arms? Sure, sure. Full hips, tiny waist, large breasts, but, but, but...I guess that's womanly unless you are a biologist....
But we are forgetting the second most important part is LAW GIVER.... hours pass. Finally someone says, how about RBG's neck ruffle.
Exhaustion follows with a weak, let it be done.
Now find a loony sculptor where we can play the progressive/edgy/resistance card before they toss us out on our collective ears.
So...if I understand this, there are nine statues of actual men who were great lawgivers, and now one stature of a made up female Goddess-like figure who will represent those great female lawgivers?
TR is to shocking but Baphomet is okay (find a profile of the statue's visage - it looks like the light giver). "New York, New York, it's a Hell of a town."
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59 comments:
Not a bad statue, but I would never have known it was RBG absent the statement from the sculptor. Looks like something Egyptian.
Given Ginsberg's long-standing association with the racist eugenics-oriented Planned Parenthood, the demonic figure with Ruth's lace neck apron seems appropriate. At least they didn't give her a giant penis, NTTAWWT.
Of course abortion is a sacrament so it is only fair.
Demonically is key. It is no coincidence.
Hasn't she forgotten Lady Justice, holding the scales of justice?
Asking the question: should a judge be a lawgiver?
THERE IS NO GINSBURG ONLY ZUUL
Medusa in all her glory.
What, no camel toe?
I don't think it's a good sculpture. Is it actually supposed to represent RBG, or just be a female figure with some well known attribute of her?
Why can't a decent statue of a 'female lawgiver' (suggestions, anyone?) be put up just to honor that person; why does the statue need to have the "form of 'resistance'"? (BTW - I don't see judges as being lawgivers; they are law-interpreters in my view - lawgivers = lawmakers = congress in our system).
And of course, in this age, we have to ask why the statue necessarily depicts a female, since at least one of our 'lawgivers' on the SC wouldn't be able to identify the sex represented by the statue. Those twirly braids look like male rams horns to me.
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation..."
In other words, Shahzia is a walking cliché.
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation...
In other words, Shahzia is a walking cliché.
I kind of like it -- much better than the recent sculpture of MLKJr. But I also find it amusing that the female "lawgiver" is depicted as some kind of eldritch horror with creepy tentacle (or antler?) arms. Not sure that was what the artist was going for. Or perhaps it was, and the joke is on people who took the artist's po-faced blather about resistance and patriarchal representation at face value.
Darn it! When you really really need a horde of Brazilian protestors to destroy some art, there's none to be found.
Some are already calling it "The Goddess of Abortion."
Shahzia Sikander... 53, the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work... 'She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation...
In other words, Shahzia is a walking cliché.
It is time for the Supreme Court to rule that secularism is a religion and may not be given preferential treatment by the government over other religions. Also, separation of church and state should apply. The law has become an enemy of religion which is hard to believe given the guarantee of freedom to exercise one's religion is the supreme rule of law.
Bush-Cheney lawyer Ben Ginsburg is wondering when he's getting a statue and if it will have to be naked.
But "plinth" is always the word of the day.
"Zócalo" es la palabra española del día.
Pagan. It represents Satan.
FemaleX
Several reactions:
1) How do we know the being depicted (Zuul? Gozer?) identifies as a woman?
2) There have been many female lawgivers of the She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed variety, the men portrayed are law systematizers, a stereotypically mail activity.
3) The desire for religion (a binding between (wo)man and the gods) cries out in the modern heart of Manhattan.
Highlighting the absence of female lawgivers? Adorning a courthouse with statues of actual lawgivers make sense. Adding one of a purely mythical female lawgiver represents what? A belief that we'd be better off with a different history that included females lawgivers? That we should throw out some (or all) of the law we've gotten from all those icky men and replace it with new laws from women?
So we woman get to be specifically represented by this hideous garish monster? Is it supposed to be pro-woman or anti-woman? If it were anti-woman would it look any different?
So...9 important lawgivers who influenced the development of western civilization and 1 diversity hire with no real significance at all. Seems right.
Not bad, but it would be a better fit for a Marvel comic.
“ Is it actually supposed to represent RBG, ”
No.
It just has an attribute of hers—the neckpiece.
I'll have to see what her butt looks like before passing judgement.
Trying to decide if it’s better than the MLK sculpture.
... and wearing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s signature lace collar...
Austin Powers wore it better.
That's who I thought of first when I saw the statue. The second was the frottoir used in zydeco music. Third was Trelane from the Star Trek episode Squire of Gothos.
I like it. The nation was short on Baal statues.
Barbie.
It looks like someone took a plastic kids toy and just scaled it up. Compared to the others up there, there is a lack of detail, or of artistic expression, making it (IMHO) bland but slightly unpleasant, maybe because of its tentacle aspects. How do the ram's horn hair (a male symbol) and the tentacles evoke the law, I wonder? We traded a Teddy Roosevelt statue for this thing?
A trifle too satanic.
She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance...
So she's resisting what exactly? Justice?
...in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation.
This clause is simply wrong. Ideal abstractions in art in Western cultures have long been represented by female figures. In this case (as others pointed out) Justitia, aka Lady Justice. Who in turn is partly based on older idealized representations of justice, also female.
So, the most bestest example of a female lawgiver they could come up with was RBG?
Well, not RBG, It just has an attribute of hers—the neckpiece.
So, the most bestest example of a female lawgiver they could come up with was a fictional composite?
That's Just Sad.. There HAD to be far better examples they could have come up with
Sandra Day?
Althouse?
Somebody real?
"Fierce woman" is the female left equivalent of bro speak.
"And yet, it does highlight the absence of female law-givers in history." Oh, my sides are hurting from ten minutes of belly laughing. I love Althouse, but that's a whopper of a non-sequitur that can only be taken seriously by readers of the NYT.
will this sculpture [and sculptor expert testimony] will be exhibit 1 in future conundrums[a] about what is woman?
Ruth of the Bible was at least a judge.
"a form of resistance"
To what, exactly? Equal justice under law?
"the paradigm-busting Pakistani American artist behind the work"
OK, let's see her bust the prog paradigm and put Mohammed back there. Or does she only do safe non-resistance resistance?
To truly honor the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg it should be holding in each of its hands the two portions of a chopped-in-half fetus. The statue would be short holding each half of the corpse by the foot, one severed portion would have the head, the other would have the arms and most of the torso with the viscera hanging down. We know that the fierceness and resistance celebtated sndcenshrined by feminism is slaughtering the innocent and helpless, so that should be graphically displayed.
Also, the statute is depiction of a conventionally sexually attractive female body, with a defined waistline. This is offensive and hurtful. It should be obese. Otherwise it is implicitly shaming. Also it valorizes the kind of figure that the hungry male gaze looks for, seeking violence and rape. A biologically average body shape would be more appropriate as a symbol of female unity.
The same pussy Barbie has.
Justice Barbie
@J L Oliver: Deborah was the female judge in the Bible. Ruth lived in the time of the judges, but was not a judge herself.
By the way, this whole kerfuffle about the absence of statues of female "lawgivers" seems very weird, considering that Lady Justice herself portrays the very spirit of law as a woman, in innumerable statues.
Interesting that the "woman" holding the scales of justice isn't even considered for this discussion. Don't know if they have one of those but everyone whining about women not being represented seem to ignore that the really important roles, like Lady Liberty, and blind Justice, are not limited by name or religion.
I can see the knee jerk reactions about satan and baal and paganism but honestly, if we were saying this represents women in justice, well, that's just sad.
Seems somewhat diminishing of women to just include a sculpture of some recently contrived figure just to include something female. It is especially odd since, at least in America, probably the most well known figure associated with justice is the female figure of Lady justice.
A portrayal of The Outer Limits. There should be a movement to remove this "boulder" from Social Justice's eye.
So they removed a Muhammad statue and replaced it with a statue that, for me, has a lot of
Hindu Goddess elements.
That is clearly a depiction of Astarte/Ishtar, the ancient Middle Eastern goddess of sex and war.
What does the phrase "urgent form of resistance" mean? Can anyone explain it? Like a lot of political slogans, it seems like some unrelated words strung together.
Alright team! We have been tasked with designing a statue representing a female law giver. She should be capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Moses, Mohammad (although removed) and Confusis.
What 'cha got.... (crickets). C'mon people there must be someone.
How about RBG?
Really? Famous judge but "law giver" equal to Moses? That's a hard no.
Name after name floated... Hillary, Sally Ride, Elanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir. None close to the target....
We thought declaring Moses bisexual was a winner, but, nah.
Eventually we knew we got nuttin'. Must be that old patriarchy.
OK, back to symbolism. What should this woman image include. Ram horn hair? Uhhhh, (sigh of resignation) OK. Tentacle arms? Sure, sure. Full hips, tiny waist, large breasts, but, but, but...I guess that's womanly unless you are a biologist....
But we are forgetting the second most important part is LAW GIVER.... hours pass. Finally someone says, how about RBG's neck ruffle.
Exhaustion follows with a weak, let it be done.
Now find a loony sculptor where we can play the progressive/edgy/resistance card before they toss us out on our collective ears.
Beautiful building inside and out. First sworn in as an attorney at law there, and argued 1st appeal, many decades ago.
actually Moloch,
It looks like a demon lord from Japanese animated pornography.
So...if I understand this, there are nine statues of actual men who were great lawgivers, and now one stature of a made up female Goddess-like figure who will represent those great female lawgivers?
I'm not sure this is a compliment.
TR is to shocking but Baphomet is okay (find a profile of the statue's visage - it looks like the light giver). "New York, New York, it's a Hell of a town."
I'll second the suggestion of Deborah instead. (Judges 4-5)
Hair done up as ram's horns? Male ram's horns? The patriarchy is everywhere!
The first thing I thought of when I saw this sculpture was, 'It's the opera diva from the movie, The Fifth Element.'
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