#gutzon

[rabbitcruiser]

George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis on December 23, 1783.    

[tender-somethings]

Gutzon Borglum standing next to "The Aviator".

[grumpy-potat]

Controversial Public Art

I am not someone who believes art is just meant for museums or for hanging in your homes. Although those are amazing places for them, I feel art is meant to be experienced in aspects of our every day lives. Out in the world as we walk through it. So I am a huge advocate for public art.

Very briefly that is defined as:

"Public Art is Artwork in the public realm, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is acquired through public or private funding. Public art can be a sculpture, mural, manhole cover, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building facade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas-relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork" -Jack Becker Monograph 2004

Public art is a way to beautify your spaces, express the unique aspects of your community and express the different culture and values of the people who live all around you. It can Commemorate events, people, or important groups that and their impacts to society. However, as with all art, you can't avoid controversy. Whether it be from who paid for the installation, to the subject matter. From proper representation, to where the piece is placed. What medium is used in its creation, or who the artist is. All of these things can lead to communities having a strong backlash to artistic pieces being displayed and some even turn to violent outbursts against the art or even their creators.

This is a list today I would like to discuss some controversial public art pieces. Maybe I will go more in depth about some of them later, but these are some big ones that stick in the public conscious today.

Richard Serra's Tilted Arc

This is a 12 foot tall, 120 foot long tiled steal plate that ran through Manhattan's federal plaza from 1981 to 1989. This wall forced people to take an inconvenient route through the plaza for most of the 80's. The goal of the piece was to inspire the viewer to become aware of themselves and their movement through the plaza, but it caused an imposition on government workers. The piece had a lot of support of modern artists,but by 1985 there was a hearing to remove the Arc and a court voted 4-1 to remove it. Due to the artists insistence that it never be displayed again it is now in government storage.

How Ya Like Me Now? by David Hammond

Painted in 1988 and commissioned by the Washington Project for the Arts for an exhibition on black culture and modernism this 14 foot by 16 foot billboard was poorly received to say the least. Local youths did not connect with the artists intended message of how popular culture was co-opting and commodifying black identity and whitewashing it. They interpreted it as racist so they tore the display down with sledgehammers. The piece was later reinstalled with the sledgehammers as part of the final piece incorporating the vandalism and backlash into the final work only this time it is inside the gallery and not on a street corner across from the National Portrait Gallery in D.C.

Just kidding , I couldn't find a good artist photo

Traffic Light Tree by Pierre Vivant

A sculpture originally located in Canary Wharf London in 1998 after a competition run by the Public Art Commissions Agency. It was moved to Billingsgate Market. It stands at 8 meters or 26.24 feet tall and has 75 sets of traffic lights. Vivant stated that it was to represent adjacent plane tree and the restless rhythm of the city. It was installed to replace a dying plane tree in the center of a roundabout, but the controversy arose when motorist confused the installation as an actual traffic light. Despite the initial controversy it has won over the city and is now viewed as one of the most pleasing roundabouts, although it still does cause confusion with tourists.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial by Lei Yixin

Built in 2011 this sculpture was controversial from start to finish. Recognized as a master sculptor in China and having sculpted monuments that included the communist leader Mao Zedong, his appointment to sculpt the Dr King statue was protested due to members of human rights organizations decrying the appointment of his visual support of the CCP. Others felt that the statue should have been done by an African American artist. They disliked the use of Chinese granite and not American granite. The quote engraved on the side was abridged in a way that changed the meaning and upset many, to the point where a year later it was removed to now only show abstract striations.

Tree by Paul McCarthy

Displayed in October 2014 at the International Fair of Contemporary Art in Palace Vendôme in Paris this abstraction of a Tree in a reminiscent way of a modern impressionist was a 24 meter or 78.74 foot tall green canvas butt plug shape because he thought they looked similar to trees so he created it as a tree abstraction. He was actually assaulted by someone while installing it, and it was destroyed two days later because some people thought it was offensive to children. Tree was displayed again in 2016 at Paramount Ranch 3 and it was well received by visitors.

Dirty Corner by Anish Kapoor

I feel a list of modern controversial art wouldn't be complete without Anish Kapoor, but my feelings are not why he is on the list. It is because he is a controversial artist. All his controversies deserve a post of their own, so only one is on this list. This art piece was created in 2011, but when it was brought to the Palace of Versailies in 2015 is when it hit its peak. The 60 meter (196.85ft) long and 8 meter(26.25ft) tall cone was described by Kapoor as "the vagina of a queen who was taking power". Critics hated the sexual nature and its nickname is "the Queen's Vagina." The idea was to enter the cone shaped piece and loose your perception of space the deeper you went into it. People vandalized the piece with antisemitic slurs as Kapoor's mother is Jewish. After some legal fights and wanting to leave the vandalism as a statement to the horror and intolerance of humanity, he was ordered to cover or remove the vandalism. He chose to cover it with gold leaf as "a royal response" the piece is no longer on display in France.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial by Gutzon Borglum

Sculpted from 1927 to 1941 This might be a controversial one to add for many Americans. But I wanted to focus on the 20th and 21st centuries and so I feel I would be remiss to not add this monument to America. Carved in the Black Hills of South Dakota by a close friend of Teddy Roosevelt and known Klan associate. This monument to the greatness of American expansionism in the early 20th century is also a monument to how American presidents directly participated, through policy or active participation in the taking and desecration of Native American lands. The Black Hills are considered a Holy Site to the Lakota people, and in the Fort Laramine Treaty of 1868 it was considered exempt from white settlement forever. But gold was discovered so the treaty was violated. Where Mount Rushmore is located is also home to Custer State Park, named after an American general who actively participated in the violation of the Treaty. Mount Rushmore was meant to be a Monument to America's Greatness as embodied by our Presidents, but it at the same time is a symbol of our expansion, treaty violations, and exploitation of the land and people of this nation. It remains a site of protest, the rock itself isn't great for carving and people think about adding more to it. The National Park service have dismissed the idea of altering it at all. People are divided about the site to this day. Some want it destroyed, some want to use it for education, but i have to say the National Park splash page doesn't help much with the education, and some just want the Lakota people to have their Holy Site back. The Lakota won a lawsuit for 17+million dollars, but they also just want the Land and not money as it is a holy site, and they continue to protest. The carving can not be undone, so the site remains a divisive reminder of American History that is often just a footnote in the education of most.

If you can think of any public artwork that you think is controversial please share it! Even if its just a public art work that someone has in their lawn that people in your community cant stand. Art should promote discussion, learning, and growth!

[time-being]

Remember that the vandal responsible for this (Gutzon Borglum) had previously defaced Stone Mountain, in Georgia, to make a monument to slavery.

Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022, Jesse Short Bull & Laura Tomaselli)

[monkeyssalad-blog]

One Way to South Dakota by Thomas Hawk

[anuchart19]

American Pride: Witnessing Mount Rushmore's Grandeur

[shutterbulky]

Exploring the Secrets of Mount Rushmore: A Historical Mystery

Mount Rushmore: The Intriguing Hidden Chamber Within the realm of American history and conspiracy theories, there exists a tale that seems ripped from the pages of a Hollywood adventure script, reminiscent of blockbuster movies like “National Treasure.” Yet, the theory that something extraordinary lies concealed within the monumental edifice of Mount Rushmore predates its portrayal on the silver…

[1000sassa1000]

The Aviator

by Gutzon Borglum

[starvoiddream]

Tim: They have a strange patchwork of knowledge.

Tim: It’s anybody’s guess as to what they know about ANY given topic, watch.

Tim, turning to bat!sib: Who sculpted Mount Rushmore?

Bat!sib: Gutzon Borglum, then his son finished it. Why?

Tim, impressed: What state is it in?

Bat!sib, scoffing: I don’t know, Ecuador or something?

[incorrect-phantom-thieves]

Ren: Yusuke has a very strange patchwork of knowledge. It’s anybody’s guess as to what he knows about any given topic.

Futaba: Oh yeah?

Ren: Yeah. Watch this.

Ren, turning to Yusuke: Who sculpted Mount Rushmore?

Yusuke: Gutzon Borglum, but his son finished it. Why?

Ren: Okay, now what state is it in?

Yusuke: … Ecuador, perhaps?

[rabbitcruiser]

After 14 years of work, Mount Rushmore was completed on October 31, 1941.  

[spiceynoodls]

personally I think Casey Jones should be a greasy little weirdo who paints his nails and then let’s it all chip off for two months before painting them again and never watches the news so he had no idea the whole superfly thing happened and has no idea who the turtles are and he meets them and is like “oh my gosh you’re like little turtle guys that’s adorable” and he should just know random crap like that Gutzon Borglum designed Mount Rushmore and his son helped finish it but has no idea where it is

[incorrectpmmmquotes]

Sayaka, whispering to Kyoko: Thanks to all of her failed timeloop plans, Homura has an absurd patchwork of knowledge. It's anyone's guess what she knows about any given topic. Watch this. Sayaka, loudly: Hey Homura, who sculpted Mount Rushmore? Homura: Gutzon Borglum, then his son finished it. Why? Sayaka: And what state is it in? Homura: I don't know, Ecuador or something! What's with all the questions?! Kyoko, whispering: So there is a savant half...

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Weiss: Jaune has very patchwork knowledge.

Ruby: What do you mean?

Weiss: It's a toss up if he knows any given fact. Observe. Jaune. Who sculpted Mt. Rushmore?

Jaune: Gutzon Borglum. Then his son finished it.

Weiss: And what state is it in?

Jaune: I don't fucking know! Ecuador or something!

[unicornblossom13]

Uno [to Rock & Nico]: Jyugo has a very strange patch work of knowledge. It’s anybody’s guess as to what he knows about any given topic. Watch. [turns to Jyugo] Hey, Jyugo, who sculpted Mount Rushmore?

Jyugo: Gutzon Borglum, then his son finished it. Why?

Uno: And what state is it in?

Jyugo: I don’t know, Ecuador or something?

[ap-kinda-lit]

Artemis: Minako has a strange patchwork of knowledge. It’s anyone’s guess as to what she knows.

Ami: Mina, who sculpted Mount Rushmore?

Minako: Gutzon Borglum, then his son finished it. Why do you ask?

Ami: And what US state is it in?

Minako: I don’t know. Ecuador or something?