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Sculpture Exhibit Downtown Grand Rapids


GRDadof3

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I guess I really missed the point of Education the Rich...I thought it was about "educating" the rich (wink, wink) but its really about all this stuff:

http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag05...otterness.shtml

"In Educating the Rich on Globe (1997), a circle of worker-figures forms the pedestal supporting the earth, like Atlas in Greek mythology. A top-hatted plutocrat in evening clothes lies on his back on top of the world, coins falling from his pockets. Astride his belly sits a woman reading a book. The sculpture visually presents Karl Marx

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at first I thought these sculptures were cute, now I think it's left wing propaganda with a bronze penis.

Meijer is paying for this, so I can't imagine that.

Although I always figured Meijer was the Yin to Devos' Yang so to speak.

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I never really figured Meijers for a vocal supporter of anything really left or right.

hes so different though Meijer is so much more into art and stuff, not so much antidisestablishmentarianism while Devos gives the impression of quite the opposite is all.

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at first I thought these sculptures were cute, now I think it's left wing propaganda with a bronze penis.

Oh lighten up Matt. :lol: If it gets some people around here to think, then I say "make em permanent!"

I just have to tell my kids to be careful where they reach for a hand-hold while climbing on them. :w00t: BTW: be careful climbing around Big Big Penny, it's a little loose at the base. :dontknow:

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oh i'm lightened, I was making an ill atempt with the funny.

Oh, I laughed, and then I thought "Is he serious?"

It will be interesting to hear the hoopla when this exhibit officially opens. I know there will be complaints (or at least wailing and gnashing of teeth), and I can't wait. :rofl:

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From what I've found Otterness doesn't really tell people what to think about his art, he's more into letting the viewer make their own decisions. If anything, that Sculpture magazine article represented the opinions and impression of the writer.

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Uh oh, the first complaint:

Gulliver not likely to travel from memorial

A Veterans group is complaining that the sculpture violates the memorial's sacred ground. At least Jay Fowler was a voice of reason:

Jay Fowler, director of the Downtown Development Authority, said he believes the veteran's allegiance to the current park may be misplaced.

The Civil War monument was moved to its location in the late 1970s after the city closed Monroe Center NW to traffic and expanded the park. The original triangle, which veterans fought to preserve, was much smaller than the current park, Fowler said.

"The context has changed over the years," he said. "To be opposed to any change in the grounds, I don't know if that's the right approach."

You can say it Jay, "it's dumb".

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Uh oh, the first complaint:

Gulliver not likely to travel from memorial

A Veterans group is complaining that the sculpture violates the memorial's sacred ground. At least Jay Fowler was a voice of reason:

Jay Fowler, director of the Downtown Development Authority, said he believes the veteran's allegiance to the current park may be misplaced.

The Civil War monument was moved to its location in the late 1970s after the city closed Monroe Center NW to traffic and expanded the park. The original triangle, which veterans fought to preserve, was much smaller than the current park, Fowler said.

"The context has changed over the years," he said. "To be opposed to any change in the grounds, I don't know if that's the right approach."

You can say it Jay, "it's dumb".

Thats not where I expected the first complaint to come from.

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Uh oh, the first complaint:

Gulliver not likely to travel from memorial

A Veterans group is complaining that the sculpture violates the memorial's sacred ground. At least Jay Fowler was a voice of reason:

Jay Fowler, director of the Downtown Development Authority, said he believes the veteran's allegiance to the current park may be misplaced.

The Civil War monument was moved to its location in the late 1970s after the city closed Monroe Center NW to traffic and expanded the park. The original triangle, which veterans fought to preserve, was much smaller than the current park, Fowler said.

"The context has changed over the years," he said. "To be opposed to any change in the grounds, I don't know if that's the right approach."

You can say it Jay, "it's dumb".

They called it the "sacred triangle"? So who is buried there? Or what great battle was fought there where blood was shed and people gave their lives? How is this triangle defined? Is it like the Bermuda Triangle? Quadaffi's line of death?

Yes, it's a memorial and the memorial itself should be given respect. To suggest that the ground around it is "sacred", however, is stretching it. If I wanted to open a "Dukes of Hazzard" museum across the street, would the General Lee's confederate flag paint job be defiling sacred ground? If some redneck with a confederate flag flying from the rollbar on his 4x4 drives by on the road, is he doing the same?

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Besides, maybe the new art will attract a few more people to the park, and the art they are putting there isn't distasteful or disrespectful, right?

Distasteful or not, I think the park should be used, not looked at. What about all the anti-war demonstrations they have there?

I think this old guy, while he means well, just doesn't understand.

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Distasteful or not, I think the park should be used, not looked at. What about all the anti-war demonstrations they have there?

Well yeah, but if it were something distasteful, I could see why he would be complaining about it. Becherer has it right, it will hopefully attract more people who will notice the civil war monument too.

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As I understand this, the man who questioned the placement has no ills with the City. I think he is just reiterating a sentiment once understood decades ago. It's a little dated.

C'mon! this sculpture is supposed to be something a child will understand. The scultpure is supposed to interact with the children going to the Museum and hey if they come to it and see The Soldier they can ask mom and dad to tell them the history. Win Win

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Well yeah, but if it were something distasteful, I could see why he would be complaining about it. Becherer has it right, it will hopefully attract more people who will notice the civil war monument too.

Given that Jonathan Swift's novel was a satirical and symbolic work that focused on how people, nations, and politics can be very disfunctional and destructive. I think the piece was a good choice to place by a monument dedicated to this country's very violent and costly civil war.

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