Wow! That headline says so much about "meaningful connections," "intimate emotional states," and "deeper reflection around the human condition."
What could be more meaningfully connected, intimately emotional, or more deeply reflected upon than to call you a big old racist if you scorn a monumental statue of a casually dressed black woman?
Price's hopes are dashed. And the Times doesn't even tell us the title of the statue — "Grounded in the Stars" — until the 7th paragraph. After the headline calls it "Times Sq. Sculpture" and "a 12-foot bronze statue of an anonymous Black woman," the text calls it "the bronze sculpture," "the 12-foot statue," "the sculpture," and — quoting others — "a statue of an 'angry Black lady,'" "a D.E.I. statue."
Shall we just have a cigarette on it?
ADDED: I've avoided blogging about this statue, but I was thinking about it back on May 8th, when I asked Grok, "When have cities — anywhere in the world — put up statues that depict 'the common man' (or woman)? The traditional practice is to depict heroes or mythic figures, so this would be the idea of pushing back against that attitude and celebrating just a generic person." And "There's that sewing machine guy in the garment district in NYC and that George Segal sculpture in a pocket park in Greenwich Village." That was my initial take on the statue. Here's how Grok answered, in case you're interested.
Fox News doesn't need to pause and have a cigarette over it:
A columnist for Fox News wondered why a statue of an “angry Black lady” had been displayed in the same city where a contentious monument of Theodore Roosevelt had been removed a few years back, while a writer for The Federalist described the work as “leftist cultural warfare.”
“This is what they want us to aspire to be?” Jesse Watters, the Fox News host, recently asked on his show. “If you work hard you can be overweight and anonymous?” He added, “It’s a D.E.I. statue.”
Yes, that's all in the article — everything you cite is in the article. There's that, then the reaction to that, and I'm trying to take the *next* step.
The "Shall we just have a cigarette on it?" line is a reference to the sculpture's title "Grounded in the Stars." You have to watch (or know) the film clip to understand it. The clip (and the film) end with an inspirational line about "the stars." But don't bother with what I'm trying to add if you prefer continuing the racial discourse on the Fox News side (or the NYT side).
The U.S. is the fairest, least racist society in human history. The Legacy Media’s determination to fabricate racism is abominable. Why can’t these assholes stop? They are the problem, to the extent we have any.
Go look at a picture of the statue, its Goddamn ugly. You might as well have a 12 foot statue of a homely Orthodox Jew or a 12 foot hispanic cleaning lady, complete with mop and bucket. Whatever happened to beauty? You could make a beautiful statue of a good-looking black woman.
Step back and look at what's happening. The statue of Teddy Roosevelt, POTUS, and born and raised in NYC, is hidden in a closet so as not to offend, and is replaced by this towering black woman. The message is clear: This isn't your town anymore white man. Go away.
What our sainted immigrants think about the statue is unclear. Maybe "Guess American worship Black people, and this is the God they worship". LOL.
Bette Davis is so much better, Paul Heinreid so much worse, in this film than in "Watch on the Rhine". Heinreid was a good looking guy and smart, a perfect fit for the fantatical anti-fascist in "Watch" also good as the starchy, upright, hero in Casablanca. But a little too wooden and bland for romance.
But then its a Bette Davis movie, so the leading man just has to be there so she can bounce her lines off him.
Just remember this when you see all this love and respect our power elite have for black folks. Its not that they love blacks, its that they hate average white people.
Whenever the left puts out some art that is crap or insulting to average Americans they fall back on "We want to challenge the way you think". Then they institute censorship because they don't want to anyone to challenge the way THEY think. This desire to "Challenge" people and "Start a conversation" is a one-way street. Its all propaganda.
I had three thoughts: 1. Apparently at least British art schools still teach technique; it's well executed. 2. But they also apparently teach jargon. And 3. I suppose I get that the postmodern world doesn't value beauty (or believe it exists as an ideal) and that's part of the whole choice of model here, but... whenever I'm confronted with such choices, I wonder whether artists today are more "tortured" than artists of earlier periods, since - with all their struggles to bring their vision into being - on top of all that - their vision is so... banal.
..."I hope Grounded in the Stars will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity." Says the sculptor Thomas J. Price ..."
Sorry Thomas, your blimp is still grounded. It didn't ask to be born, you know.
We normally make statues to celebrate great accomplishment or heroism. We've spent a few years tearing all that down, only to now replace it with unremarkable overweight anonymous pedestrian characters. I object. If you want to put one on a park bench for people to interact with, fine. If you want to destroy our cultural leaders, then, no. I don't accept that an overweight unnamed person is a cultural leader, or even a relevant artistic expression.
The Race Industry comes in many forms. Some disguised as intellectual pursuit, some as 'art', some as masterful works of fiction, or a symphony with meaning behind it you would never have guessed but are told to understand by those performing. It arrives on my TV, in our movies, in the classroom, on the street corner, and in the news. Always in the news- either in an actual 'news' story or in a review (per your post) or in opinion piece- which is sometimes confused with being a review.
We live in a completely diverse world with a massive range of thoughts, ideas, religions, philosophies, shapes and sizes of people. People of various ethnic backgrounds, and of course, people with various shades of skin color. From the palest white to the blackest black. And yet, it's never enough. We are always being tested for our reactions by the Race Evaluators. They cover all areas of life and they are there to poke and prod until they find an area in which they can declare to the world with finger pointed at you: Racist!! I found a racist! Like something out of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
My only comment on this particular form of public bullshit is this: 1) The Black women in America seem to believe they are a special category of human. When I hear someone start their comment with "...as a Black woman...", I tend to stop listening to their next words. They think they are coming from a unique perspective. I think we are ALL coming from a unique perspective as individuals. That they don't see themselves as individuals is their problem to work on for the rest of their lives.
2) I think the statue would have received more universal acclaim if it had shown a Black woman throwing food back over a counter at a fast food place.
I like the irritated black lady sculpture, but it's bad public art. It's similar to Ron Mueck's sculpture at Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. His sculptures are giant, mundane White people, but it's the same idea.
Public art should be uplifting and attractive. It should elevate and enhance the public space. Time Square is not the place to contemplate irritated black women.
The last line in the film clip could be interpreted as, 'let's be grateful for what we have, let's not focus on what we don't have'. But that can't the message for Black people these days, can it? I haven't seen the movie, but it sounded like she had or is going to have his baby, but he ain't sticking around...well, he says he wants to visit, but you know how that goes. She's his baby-momma and he's a playa. Anyway, that's a situation too many Black women find themselves in these days, from what I understand. But that can't be what Althouse means, can it? Sorry, I'm a little thick sometimes.
"...the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David." Subtle? Yes, very, very subtle. When an artist proclaims a political viewpoint (even dressed up as a high minded, thought provoking effort) he or she should expect a political response. That's how we, the deplorable peasants roll.
They should have made it 50 feet tall, slightly crouched, her legs astride an elevated highway, with an SUV in her left hand, her right hand reaching menacingly down, and wearing nothing but a cream colored bandau top and a very short miniskirt.
Then it could have also been commentary on body positivity, global warming, our car-centric culture, and being felt seen in our society.
No, here’s the plot: “ Now, Voyager (1942) is a drama about Charlotte Vale, a repressed, wealthy Boston spinster dominated by her overbearing mother. Suffering a nervous breakdown, Charlotte seeks treatment from Dr. Jaquith, a compassionate psychiatrist, who helps her gain confidence through therapy and a transformative cruise to South America. On the ship, she meets Jerry Durrance, a charming man trapped in a loveless marriage. They fall in love, but their romance is complicated by Jerry’s obligations to his wife and daughter. Back in Boston, Charlotte blossoms into an independent, elegant woman, defying her mother’s control. When her mother dies, Charlotte grapples with guilt but finds purpose in helping Jerry’s troubled daughter, Tina, who mirrors her own past struggles. Choosing personal growth over romance, Charlotte commits to supporting Tina while maintaining a platonic bond with Jerry, famously declaring, “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.””
I don't see what all the fuss it. By making a fuss you are conceding that this is powerful art. Personally, I am bored by it. 😴 Definitely bored of grown men wetting their pants over sculptures.
It's fun to imagine how the NY statue woman might reply to an independent, elegant, poodle-eyed, white woman from Boston who said, “Oh, Statue Woman, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.”
"I hope Grounded in the Stars will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity."
I don't know about anyone else but the needle on my argle-bargle detector just broke itself against the pin.
Now Voyager is based on a novel of the same name written by Olive Higgins Prouty who also wrote Stella Dallas - made into a movie and starring Barbara Stanwick. That’s streaming on Amazon Prime. Now Voyager is based on Prouty’s own experiences with mental illness.
Sorry to break in with terrible sad news: Scott Adams — “I have the exact same cancer as Joe Biden, and it has spread to my bones. I expect to die this summer.“
Jaq said... “It would have been great if the sculpture were called ‘Excelsior,’ which is the motto of New York State and can be seen everywhere in NYC.”
D.D. Driver said... “I don't see what all the fuss it. By making a fuss you are conceding that this is powerful art.”
Your conclusion is flawed, as is the assumptions behind the leading statement.
There is this thing called the “art of conversation” in which people sometimes discuss a particular thing. The particular thing may be what writers and the film industry call a “MacGuffin”: that is something unimportant or uninteresting in and of itself, but helps move the conversation along and makes it more lively.
They should have made it 50 feet tall, slightly crouched, her legs astride an elevated highway, with an SUV in her left hand, her right hand reaching menacingly down, and wearing nothing but a cream colored bandau top and a very short miniskirt.
If it weren't bait, I think one interpretation is that its an early 21st century attempt to create a sculptural "Fanfare for the Common Man" for the Black woman. I suppose that's possible, and it might even be the basis of a solid undergraduate essay. Given the political nature of today's public art, however, it seems extraordinarily unlikely.
I'd like to see the Defiant Girl statue posted opposite to her, like they did with the Wall St Bull. That would trigger many useful discussions and help America resolve its difficulties with race.....Fishermen know that barbs are best hidden in colorful lures. I'd like to see a huge statue of Hale Berry, in Bond girl mode, standing on a half shell. That would be really cool and more fun to look at.
Is there something wrong with your browser where you are unable to skip over it? Does your computer just force feed you Althouse like feed to a foie gras goose? Althouse somehow imposing Hobson's choice as to which comment threads you read? I am kind of mystified why you would just spend your time reading what you consider to be boring content when there are millions of other sites on the internet that are offering other fare.
This sculpture: annoying artist seeks controversy then whines when he gets it. That's not controversial: it's cynical marketing. I do love the two faces depicted in the Times' article: the face of the sculpture, and the face of "Elma Blint of Brooklyn," who admires the sculpture and poses next to it. Both are beautiful, thoughtful faces, especially Blint's. But the body of the sculpture begs the question: if this were a real woman, would she choose to look so shabby, camel-toe and all? Or would she choose to express the beauty of her face by posing in flattering clothes and complementary arrangement of her own body? Sculptor Thomas J. Price is exploiting a racial stereotype for attention. Not a good look, and quite a sorry outcome. He is saying that black women have no self-respect or agency. That's not the way it works in the American South. Or New York City. Grounded in the Stars is a silly name for a sculpture planted in a commercial district, as well.
I have assumed that this installation is temporary and intended to cause a reaction in a passive-aggressive way. It has been placed in people's path by "people who care about art" to prove a point to all the jerks who back the defunding of the NEA that art is under the control of people who hold them in contempt and care more about making that point than they care about the joy and trancendance that art can inspire. My inbox is full of pleadings for contributions to cover cancelled NEA grants to regional opera companies but no one wants to make peace with Republicans or white people in general. So the cultural conversation continues.
Horrible news about Scott, Eva Marie. I knew him from working with him way back in the 90s, when he was our Science and Technology Dept. Vice President Tom Edrington’s Chief of Staff. A very keen intellect and an honest and GOOD man.
One of the biggest creative challenges, in my opinion, is to create great art from mundane things. I saw this sculpture a few days ago and thought, "Yes, ordinary looking lady you would see walking down the street - well done." Not sure if this is 'great' art but 'very good' art. The work expresses the stress and aggravation of navigating busy city streets. That's all.
50 years ago, the first time I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art, I was tiptoeing around one of Duane Hanson's hyperrealist statures of a plumber or pipe fitter, worrying that he'd object if he caught me staring at him. At first, I thought the objections to Price's statue might just be to its placement, his statue isn't much compared to that one. Another thing to object to is this British artist presuming to launch some American debate. Stop Oyelowoing us.
Statues of the Unknown This or the Unknown that are pretty common around the world. The Unknown Slave in Haiti. The Unknown Sailor in Greece. Statues of Unknown Soldiers and Workers around the world. The comical Statue of the Unknown Bureaucrat in Iceland. The imaginary Statue of the Unknown Norwegian in Lake Wobegon (the sculptor left town before anyone could get his name).
OTOH, Memphis honored a black hero--Tom Lee--with a modern sculpture. I helped the sculptor find accounts and documents related to his life-saving work a century ago this month.
I once watched a man ask Duane Hansen's "Museum Guard" for directions. But the best Hansen statue is "Fund Raiser," an older woman seated at a table, soliciting donations for the American Heart Association. It was situated at the start of the exhibit and people would not even look at it, thinking this was a real person asking for money.
She, the statue, is more of a conversation stopper, than a conversation starter. She's something of a sarcastic, "Oh, yeah?" riposte to the other statues, and how do you respond to that? "Oh yeah? Oh yeah!"? Maybe, though, her antagonism is directed at Times Square itself. So far, the photos don't show what she's looking it.
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77 comments:
She looks like she voted for Trump.
Fox News doesn't need to pause and have a cigarette over it:
A columnist for Fox News wondered why a statue of an “angry Black lady” had been displayed in the same city where a contentious monument of Theodore Roosevelt had been removed a few years back, while a writer for The Federalist described the work as “leftist cultural warfare.”
“This is what they want us to aspire to be?” Jesse Watters, the Fox News host, recently asked on his show. “If you work hard you can be overweight and anonymous?” He added, “It’s a D.E.I. statue.”
Tradition of Le privilège du black.
If it weren't for the manufactured controversy no one would give a shit about Thomas J. Price and his goddess mediocrity.
"instigate" is a funny choice for a verb there, isn't it.
@lonejustice
Yes, that's all in the article — everything you cite is in the article. There's that, then the reaction to that, and I'm trying to take the *next* step.
“… manufactured controversy…”
Contention sells. CFO’s demands must be met or no bonus. Better to ruin our political environment than miss your bonus. .
Celebrate anonymous mediocrity, decry historical exceptionalism. Got it.
The "Shall we just have a cigarette on it?" line is a reference to the sculpture's title "Grounded in the Stars." You have to watch (or know) the film clip to understand it. The clip (and the film) end with an inspirational line about "the stars." But don't bother with what I'm trying to add if you prefer continuing the racial discourse on the Fox News side (or the NYT side).
My first thought was at least it is well done and nothing like the crude Melania statue that was sawed down in her native country. There’s that.
The U.S. is the fairest, least racist society in human history. The Legacy Media’s determination to fabricate racism is abominable. Why can’t these assholes stop? They are the problem, to the extent we have any.
It needs to be combined with the tilted arc.
If she were to come to life her dumps would be truly enormous.
Go look at a picture of the statue, its Goddamn ugly. You might as well have a 12 foot statue of a homely Orthodox Jew or a 12 foot hispanic cleaning lady, complete with mop and bucket. Whatever happened to beauty? You could make a beautiful statue of a good-looking black woman.
Step back and look at what's happening. The statue of Teddy Roosevelt, POTUS, and born and raised in NYC, is hidden in a closet so as not to offend, and is replaced by this towering black woman. The message is clear: This isn't your town anymore white man. Go away.
What our sainted immigrants think about the statue is unclear. Maybe "Guess American worship Black people, and this is the God they worship". LOL.
The “Casablanca” guy!
Bette Davis is so much better, Paul Heinreid so much worse, in this film than in "Watch on the Rhine". Heinreid was a good looking guy and smart, a perfect fit for the fantatical anti-fascist in "Watch" also good as the starchy, upright, hero in Casablanca. But a little too wooden and bland for romance.
But then its a Bette Davis movie, so the leading man just has to be there so she can bounce her lines off him.
Just remember this when you see all this love and respect our power elite have for black folks. Its not that they love blacks, its that they hate average white people.
It was bait. That was bad enough. But to take it and then hang on — ugh.
Whenever the left puts out some art that is crap or insulting to average Americans they fall back on "We want to challenge the way you think". Then they institute censorship because they don't want to anyone to challenge the way THEY think. This desire to "Challenge" people and "Start a conversation" is a one-way street. Its all propaganda.
Taking the bait, implies that ignoring it was the superior way to act. I disagree.
Deeper reflection, and way too many Krispy Kreme
"...that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition..."
Lost me right there.
his goddess mediocrity.
I had three thoughts: 1. Apparently at least British art schools still teach technique; it's well executed. 2. But they also apparently teach jargon. And 3. I suppose I get that the postmodern world doesn't value beauty (or believe it exists as an ideal) and that's part of the whole choice of model here, but... whenever I'm confronted with such choices, I wonder whether artists today are more "tortured" than artists of earlier periods, since - with all their struggles to bring their vision into being - on top of all that - their vision is so... banal.
..."I hope Grounded in the Stars will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity." Says the sculptor Thomas J. Price ..."
Sorry Thomas, your blimp is still grounded. It didn't ask to be born, you know.
We normally make statues to celebrate great accomplishment or heroism. We've spent a few years tearing all that down, only to now replace it with unremarkable overweight anonymous pedestrian characters. I object. If you want to put one on a park bench for people to interact with, fine. If you want to destroy our cultural leaders, then, no. I don't accept that an overweight unnamed person is a cultural leader, or even a relevant artistic expression.
Isn't the statue antifa James?
Grounded!
Frequently seen in bars
What do you do when you're grounded,
And you can’t see the stars?
We are all in teh gutter
Some of us are grounded in the stars
The Race Industry comes in many forms. Some disguised as intellectual pursuit, some as 'art', some as masterful works of fiction, or a symphony with meaning behind it you would never have guessed but are told to understand by those performing. It arrives on my TV, in our movies, in the classroom, on the street corner, and in the news. Always in the news- either in an actual 'news' story or in a review (per your post) or in opinion piece- which is sometimes confused with being a review.
We live in a completely diverse world with a massive range of thoughts, ideas, religions, philosophies, shapes and sizes of people. People of various ethnic backgrounds, and of course, people with various shades of skin color. From the palest white to the blackest black.
And yet, it's never enough. We are always being tested for our reactions by the Race Evaluators. They cover all areas of life and they are there to poke and prod until they find an area in which they can declare to the world with finger pointed at you: Racist!! I found a racist! Like something out of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
My only comment on this particular form of public bullshit is this:
1) The Black women in America seem to believe they are a special category of human. When I hear someone start their comment with "...as a Black woman...", I tend to stop listening to their next words. They think they are coming from a unique perspective. I think we are ALL coming from a unique perspective as individuals. That they don't see themselves as individuals is their problem to work on for the rest of their lives.
2) I think the statue would have received more universal acclaim if it had shown a Black woman throwing food back over a counter at a fast food place.
Just an observation.
I see an interesting sculptured counterpoint to Rodin's Thinker.
I like the irritated black lady sculpture, but it's bad public art. It's similar to Ron Mueck's sculpture at Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. His sculptures are giant, mundane White people, but it's the same idea.
Public art should be uplifting and attractive. It should elevate and enhance the public space. Time Square is not the place to contemplate irritated black women.
The last line in the film clip could be interpreted as, 'let's be grateful for what we have, let's not focus on what we don't have'. But that can't the message for Black people these days, can it?
I haven't seen the movie, but it sounded like she had or is going to have his baby, but he ain't sticking around...well, he says he wants to visit, but you know how that goes. She's his baby-momma and he's a playa. Anyway, that's a situation too many Black women find themselves in these days, from what I understand. But that can't be what Althouse means, can it?
Sorry, I'm a little thick sometimes.
I've been to Times Square. This ridiculous item fits in nicely there.
"...the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David."
Subtle? Yes, very, very subtle.
When an artist proclaims a political viewpoint (even dressed up as a high minded, thought provoking effort) he or she should expect a political response.
That's how we, the deplorable peasants roll.
12 foot tall statue?
They should have made it 50 feet tall, slightly crouched, her legs astride an elevated highway, with an SUV in her left hand, her right hand reaching menacingly down, and wearing nothing but a cream colored bandau top and a very short miniskirt.
Then it could have also been commentary on body positivity, global warming, our car-centric culture, and being felt seen in our society.
@Bob Boyd
No, here’s the plot: “ Now, Voyager (1942) is a drama about Charlotte Vale, a repressed, wealthy Boston spinster dominated by her overbearing mother. Suffering a nervous breakdown, Charlotte seeks treatment from Dr. Jaquith, a compassionate psychiatrist, who helps her gain confidence through therapy and a transformative cruise to South America. On the ship, she meets Jerry Durrance, a charming man trapped in a loveless marriage. They fall in love, but their romance is complicated by Jerry’s obligations to his wife and daughter. Back in Boston, Charlotte blossoms into an independent, elegant woman, defying her mother’s control. When her mother dies, Charlotte grapples with guilt but finds purpose in helping Jerry’s troubled daughter, Tina, who mirrors her own past struggles. Choosing personal growth over romance, Charlotte commits to supporting Tina while maintaining a platonic bond with Jerry, famously declaring, “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.””
It would have been great if the sculpture were called "Excelsior," which is the motto of New York State and can be seen everywhere in NYC.
The reaction to the statue is exactly the intent of the artist's design. What other reaction could their be. It never intended anything else.
Okay, so I was a little off...
I don't see what all the fuss it. By making a fuss you are conceding that this is powerful art. Personally, I am bored by it. 😴 Definitely bored of grown men wetting their pants over sculptures.
It's fun to imagine how the NY statue woman might reply to an independent, elegant, poodle-eyed, white woman from Boston who said,
“Oh, Statue Woman, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.”
"I hope Grounded in the Stars will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity."
I don't know about anyone else but the needle on my argle-bargle detector just broke itself against the pin.
That looks like a good movie. It’s streaming on MAX
Now Voyager is based on a novel of the same name written by Olive Higgins Prouty who also wrote Stella Dallas - made into a movie and starring Barbara Stanwick. That’s streaming on Amazon Prime. Now Voyager is based on Prouty’s own experiences with mental illness.
Sorry to break in with terrible sad news:
Scott Adams — “I have the exact same cancer as Joe Biden, and it has spread to my bones. I expect to die this summer.“
Who attempted to make you feel seen when you're all grown up?
I watched the clip, read the article and concluded that times have changed. Does our hostess have a broader message than that?
Jaq said...
“It would have been great if the sculpture were called ‘Excelsior,’ which is the motto of New York State and can be seen everywhere in NYC.”
Also Martin Prince on The Simpsons.
D.D. Driver said...
“I don't see what all the fuss it. By making a fuss you are conceding that this is powerful art.”
Your conclusion is flawed, as is the assumptions behind the leading statement.
There is this thing called the “art of conversation” in which people sometimes discuss a particular thing. The particular thing may be what writers and the film industry call a “MacGuffin”: that is something unimportant or uninteresting in and of itself, but helps move the conversation along and makes it more lively.
Pity they didn’t plonk a bronze rendition of the Marvelous Sugar Baby there instead. That would turn some heads
@Rocco This conversation is is also boring.
They should have made it 50 feet tall, slightly crouched, her legs astride an elevated highway, with an SUV in her left hand, her right hand reaching menacingly down, and wearing nothing but a cream colored bandau top and a very short miniskirt.
This enormous woman will devour us all!
100% bait.
If it weren't bait, I think one interpretation is that its an early 21st century attempt to create a sculptural "Fanfare for the Common Man" for the Black woman. I suppose that's possible, and it might even be the basis of a solid undergraduate essay. Given the political nature of today's public art, however, it seems extraordinarily unlikely.
It's bait.
I'd like to see the Defiant Girl statue posted opposite to her, like they did with the Wall St Bull. That would trigger many useful discussions and help America resolve its difficulties with race.....Fishermen know that barbs are best hidden in colorful lures. I'd like to see a huge statue of Hale Berry, in Bond girl mode, standing on a half shell. That would be really cool and more fun to look at.
"This conversation is is also boring."
Is there something wrong with your browser where you are unable to skip over it? Does your computer just force feed you Althouse like feed to a foie gras goose? Althouse somehow imposing Hobson's choice as to which comment threads you read? I am kind of mystified why you would just spend your time reading what you consider to be boring content when there are millions of other sites on the internet that are offering other fare.
Giving up on the MLK conscious way means that Black Lives Are Royalty. Granted, maybe I’m missing something.
Race is Everything or it nothing. It can’t be half assed, anymore than a babymomma is a little bit pregnant.
It's not bait, it's chum
Scott Adams: thanks for all the laughs.
This sculpture: annoying artist seeks controversy then whines when he gets it. That's not controversial: it's cynical marketing. I do love the two faces depicted in the Times' article: the face of the sculpture, and the face of "Elma Blint of Brooklyn," who admires the sculpture and poses next to it. Both are beautiful, thoughtful faces, especially Blint's. But the body of the sculpture begs the question: if this were a real woman, would she choose to look so shabby, camel-toe and all? Or would she choose to express the beauty of her face by posing in flattering clothes and complementary arrangement of her own body? Sculptor Thomas J. Price is exploiting a racial stereotype for attention. Not a good look, and quite a sorry outcome. He is saying that black women have no self-respect or agency. That's not the way it works in the American South. Or New York City. Grounded in the Stars is a silly name for a sculpture planted in a commercial district, as well.
I have assumed that this installation is temporary and intended to cause a reaction in a passive-aggressive way. It has been placed in people's path by "people who care about art" to prove a point to all the jerks who back the defunding of the NEA that art is under the control of people who hold them in contempt and care more about making that point than they care about the joy and trancendance that art can inspire. My inbox is full of pleadings for contributions to cover cancelled NEA grants to regional opera companies but no one wants to make peace with Republicans or white people in general. So the cultural conversation continues.
Horrible news about Scott, Eva Marie. I knew him from working with him way back in the 90s, when he was our Science and Technology Dept. Vice President Tom Edrington’s Chief of Staff. A very keen intellect and an honest and GOOD man.
One of the biggest creative challenges, in my opinion, is to create great art from mundane things. I saw this sculpture a few days ago and thought, "Yes, ordinary looking lady you would see walking down the street - well done." Not sure if this is 'great' art but 'very good' art. The work expresses the stress and aggravation of navigating busy city streets. That's all.
To be clear, I just saw an image. No article or other opinion.
The David tells a story. He's holding his slingshot. I think he's just taken down Goliath, but maybe he's working up the courage to take the shot.
The large woman has no story. We can make things up about her, but that isn't great art.
Also, that T-shirt is an ugly garment and the pants look uncomfortably tight. Price has terrible taste in women's clothes.
Whatever people say about it, the NYT will say '..that's the point - this is the discussion we need to have...blah blah blah...'
I'm waiting for "Grunted on the Stairs."
Iman said...
We are all in teh gutter
Some of us are grounded in the stars
5/19/25, 8:06 AM
When Chub glums in Times Square
See how tall she stands up
It's not good, good, good
No Brigitte Bardot
50 years ago, the first time I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art, I was tiptoeing around one of Duane Hanson's hyperrealist statures of a plumber or pipe fitter, worrying that he'd object if he caught me staring at him. At first, I thought the objections to Price's statue might just be to its placement, his statue isn't much compared to that one. Another thing to object to is this British artist presuming to launch some American debate. Stop Oyelowoing us.
Statues of the Unknown This or the Unknown that are pretty common around the world. The Unknown Slave in Haiti. The Unknown Sailor in Greece. Statues of Unknown Soldiers and Workers around the world. The comical Statue of the Unknown Bureaucrat in Iceland. The imaginary Statue of the Unknown Norwegian in Lake Wobegon (the sculptor left town before anyone could get his name).
I think of that statue as a tribute to New York City's civil service bureaucracy. It captures the way citizens are treated by them.
🤛 Disparity of Cult!
OTOH, Memphis honored a black hero--Tom Lee--with a modern sculpture. I helped the sculptor find accounts and documents related to his life-saving work a century ago this month.
Google image for Tom Lee Park statue Memphis.
I once watched a man ask Duane Hansen's "Museum Guard" for directions. But the best Hansen statue is "Fund Raiser," an older woman seated at a table, soliciting donations for the American Heart Association. It was situated at the start of the exhibit and people would not even look at it, thinking this was a real person asking for money.
We just need you to fund it, whitey, not critique it.
She, the statue, is more of a conversation stopper, than a conversation starter. She's something of a sarcastic, "Oh, yeah?" riposte to the other statues, and how do you respond to that? "Oh yeah? Oh yeah!"? Maybe, though, her antagonism is directed at Times Square itself. So far, the photos don't show what she's looking it.
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