[AGL] Monuments to bad taste

[Karen Willis]

Mike,
This has been an interesting discussion.  Some people seem to like this
guy's art, but Connie views the statues as bad taste.  From her
introduction, it seems to me that Connie views the huge statues of men as
intrusive and perhaps ostentatious.  You can't choose to ignore them.  They
are enormous and their placement demands that you observe them.  But what is
the point?  Other than to communicate that this person lived and was
important. Maybe there are better ways to put forth that message.  I always
liked the statues around the mall at Littlefield Fountain on the UT campus.
Maybe they were closer to life-size.  Not multiples of life-size, which goes
beyond a tribute and becomes an idol.  Now these huge heads of presidents.
Where could you put them that they would not overpower their surroundings?

Karen

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Connie,

Why do you call these in bad taste?

The presidents' features seem exceptionally well
rendered so far as one can do that in whatever
they are made of.

the country's had more than 40 presidents without
a change of regime which historically speaking is
quite extraordinary. it is the oldest existing republic
by far. what's politically incorrect about memorializing
that fact?

that there would be 40 plus sculptures of all the
presidents behind a chainlink fence around a Houston lot
is charming and endearing. Long live American
vernacular! It's like that tall amateur Statue of Liberty
now gone made of something white in a yard in east Austin
on E 19th street. the presidents in Terrastone may not equal
the presence of finally worked bronze busts of biggies of the
past. Instead they  make us smile at the resemblance.
Call it vernacular and then you can get off on the charm of
goofy American versions of high art.

Gary Winogrand and other of the great street photographers
could have made a good photograph here.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: "Connie Clark" <connie_3c at yahoo.com>
To: "Ghetto List" <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>; "Ghetto List Latest"
<ghetto2 at two.pairlist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:32 PM
Subject: [AGL] Monuments to bad taste