Loveland's Nude Public Sculpture

[Merlion]

Last July, I noticed and posted in another thread two online articles about the controversy over a proposal to display three nude figures at a public place at Loveland, CO. This is surprising as Loveland is a place traditionally regarded as haven for sculptors in the US.

Sculpture controversy embroils council (http://www.reporterherald.com/Top-Story.asp?ID=6088)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, is morality in the heart of the beholder — or in the hands of city officials?

Controversy over too much bronze skin landed that moral debate in the laps of Loveland City Council members Tuesday night. .....

Apparently this controversy has not died down. They are still battling it out there.

Loveland Arts Commission Chair Resigns (http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_307110111.html)

Group Fights For Move Of Nude Sculpture

The head of the Loveland Arts Commission stepped down last week as the city council considers a plan to give the city council members more oversight of the arts commission. The proposal comes amid controversy about a piece of art called 'Triangle.'

The work shows two nude people holding up a third naked person. It is placed in the middle of a roundabout on the east side of Loveland near Corvus Dr. and Sculptor Dr.

"I believe there is a minority of people that are bound and determined that whatever method, whatever is necessary, they're going to have this thing, not moved, but removed," Jim Baldwin, the former chair of the arts commission said. .....

By the way, this new article above has beautiful photos and videos of this nude sculpture, as well as the controversy. The piece is really a beautiful piece of figurative sculpture. See it for yourself.

[jOe~]

The piece is really a beautiful piece of figurative sculpture. See it for yourself. Sounds like they are going to put the sculpture in jail for indecent exposure of bronze skin. If we view it we might be arrested for voyeurism.

jOe~

[Landseer]

“This statue is being placed in a public place for everyone to see,” he said, adding, “If three adults went to the same place and struck the same pose as the statue, they would all be arrested for indecent exposure.”


These are not adults they are STATUES, they are 20 or 30 feet away from the road.

"Dan Danowski, a local Mormon bishop, said the sculpture causes immoral thoughts. “My main concern is those who drive past and the things that will take place in their minds,” he said.

Oh yes, lets put all the females in burquas and hide their cleavage and legs so men on the street don't have "immoral thoughts" too.


"More than 20 people who are angry about the placement of Kirsten Kokkin’s nude bronze sculpture, “Triangle,” in the roundabout at Sculptor Drive and First Street brought their arguments to the City Council meeting."

TWENTY people object?? that's it?? in a city the size of Loveland that number who objected enough to attend that meeting isn't even 1/10th of 1%, I say show them the door and issue them dark glasses.
I noticed the one larger photo was taken from an angle that effectively hid every portion of nudity- a knee hides the female figure's genital area and the male standing figure has it's back to the camera.


Some of these comments are a real laugh if not tragic at the idiocy of them;


Clark said the sculpture crosses a moral line and contributes to the “moral cancer in our society.”

"Councilman Glenn Rousey said there have been too many comments from people that their children will have questions when they see the piece."

“I’m sorry, but for the life of me, what in the heck is wrong with that?” he asked. “Kids should have questions; as a matter of fact, kids should be solicited to have questions on a daily basis.”

This outlandishly stupid one really takes the prize, as though a bronze statue is going to be a contributing cause of child molestation LOL;



“I know children who have been molested by Sunday school teachers...”

[fritchie]

The first of Merlion's two articles reports that five of the city's eight council members refused to consider the issue formally when complainants first appeared, and in fact were complimentary about the piece and artist. Three council members wanted to move the sculpture, but four were needed for action, so the critics got nowhere, as I think appropriate.

His second article says the council later agreed to consider changes in approval procedure. That’s diplomacy at work, and I hope art lovers will prevail. I agree the piece is excellent, from the two pictures available, and I would hope it remains where it is.

[mountshang]

On the one hand -- we have lots of church-going types who are full of moral conviction about family values -- pure-wholesome thoughts -- Christian ideals etc.

On the other hand -- we have a few sculptors who want their town to display nude statues on public property -- but why ? Because a reasonably accurate copy of some healthy-looking naked people is a good thing ? Good for what ? Good for whom ?

You see -- I don't think the sculptors can provide any kind of a compelling answer to that question.

And that's why ( in addition to being way out-numbered even in sculpture-city ) they will eventually lose.

[Merlion]

Ok. Here is some more news about these lovely Loveland nudes placed in a public roundabout. They are going to be moved to somewhere less public, not visible from streets and a church nearby. ;)

Loveland Commission Votes To Move Nude Sculpture (http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_314082829.html)

Loveland's Visual Arts Commission unanimously voted Thursday night to move a nude sculpture from a roundabout ... to a sculpture garden elsewhere in the city.

"Triangle" will make its new home in the Benson Park Sculpture Garden. ....

There were a few conditions for the move. "Triangle" will be viewable only from paths and walkways in the park. It cannot be seen from streets and a church surrounding the garden. ....

[GlennT]

Athens Daily News 450 BC ...Noprob Bobopolis, reporter

Succumbing to pressure from the Vestal Virgins League, the Athenian Council decided today to move " The Discus Thrower" by the sculptor Myron from its position in the Agora. It will be relocated in an undisclosed location somewhere in Macedonia, where according to spokeswoman Fanata Tikos,
" The inappropriate nudity will be more at home with their brand of debauchery".

The controversy arose after Pericles held a contest for sculptors to create an athletic and heroic masterwork. By consent of all participants, Myron's Discus Thrower was declared the winner. But the Vestal Virgins League found the full nudity to be offensive and suggestive of all manner of perversions not associated with throwing discs. Myron rejected a compromise position that would have had him sculpting drapery to cover the genetailia.
" God made the human form. Man made clothing. Which source is purer?" Myron was quoted as saying. But the Vestal Virgins League, a heavy contributor to the Athenian Agora restoration fund, was able to wield considerable clout and in the end the Council was swayed.

"It is a sad day for Greek art", said Pericles. " I envision a golden age of art and architecture for Athens, but if this is the attitude we must contend with, I may have to move my plans for the Acropolis to Thrace or Asia Minor."

GlennT

[Landseer]

The cost to relocate the piece will be about $8,500. The money will come from the city's Art in Public Places fund. Crews will move the sculpture in January or February.I think they should send that bill to those who wanted it moved, after all they were the ones who want that service let them pay for it!

I guess they will have to "suffer" through seeing it for 3 more months, poor babes!

]According to the poll on that site, 71% answered NO to the question "should the sculpture be moved?" 3% were undecided, the minority voted yes, so how does the minority win on this when clearly 71% say no?

[Merlion]

I notice there is more to the story on how they decide to move the statue. The additional information is taken from this online article.

Sculpture shifting sites (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5133586,00.html)

.... After months of protests and political maneuvering by religious conservatives, the commission accepted an offer to move the sculpture, known as Triangle, to the Benson Sculpture Park to end the conflict.

"I hope this resolves the issue," said Jim Baldwin, the commission's former chairman who resigned after the City Council discussed taking the commission's autonomy away on buying and siting art. ....

While the issue appeared to be over, some worried that the same groups would protest the new site and force Triangle to take another tumble. Several City Council members were at the meeting. ....

The conflict goes far beyond the one sculpture.

Several City Council members, supported by foes of Triangle, want a new ordinance passed to give the council, not the Visual Arts Commission, the final say on purchasing art and placing it.

"Art will be a political football in the community if that ordinance passes," Baldwin said.

Loveland has a national reputation for the sculpture, paintings, glasswork and other artwork scattered around the town.

The dispute has likewise drawn national attention.

However, the dissidents that pushed to move Triangle will have two weeks to object to the move to Benson Park, which worried Juneau and others.

"I'd be surprised if there are objections," said Baldwin. "But this will have a marked cooling effect on selecting art."

[BobClyatt]

This is a really terrific sculpture and it looks absolutely perfect in the roundabout. Sorry to see they've decided to buckle. I think this is something all figurative sculptors need to take a keen interest in... this anti-nudity thing is cropping up all over, and seems to be waxing again. (I think the last time this happened was in the late 1800s). Oh well, we'll probably have to dodge this for the rest of our working lives. Fig leaves anyone?

[Merlion]

Here is the latest news about these public nude sculpture at Loveland. There is a video there.

Nude Sculpture Moved From Loveland Intersection (http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_108074336.html)

Apr 18, 2007, LOVELAND, Colo. The controversial sculpture 'Triangle' in Loveland was moved from a roundabout on the east side of the city to a sculpture park Tuesday.

The art work has been in the roundabout since last year. The city owned piece depicts two women and a man who are naked.

Some people objected to the sculpture's public placement.

The 1,200 lb. bronze statue was placed on a flatbed truck and driven across town. .....

The Loveland Arts Commission decided to move the sculpture after the City Council threatened to take away the commission's power.

[gschnapp]

Sad, another attempt to sanitize public art. Triangle, from the views shown appeared well executed and a very elegant representation of the human body. It is not graphic. Why nudes? It was the artist choice, why does there need to be an "explanation" of nudity. Why bronze? Why Realism? I have 2 children (age 5 and 7) we go to museums, there are paintings, sculpture, photographs of nudes, we talk about the art we see, what we like and don't like about it. The nudity is not a problem because we don't make it a problem. Just one opinion.

The jewel of our civilization is its creative people.

Greg

[winterhoof]

Interesting. I saw this sculpture in Loveland's Benton Park last month. It looked like a new installation but there was no plaque or other identification. I suspected there was some story behind it...

[danthoman]

Greg – I couldn’t agree with you more.

My wife is the president of the BOD for the Steffen Thomas museum in Buckhead GA (the real Buckhead, not Atlanta). Many of the paintings and sculpture are of nudes. The museum continually has grade school and high school classes come to visit, and also provides art classes for children, teenagers and adults. The nudes have never been a problem, because, as you stated, “we don’t make it a problem.”

http://www.steffenthomas.org/

[sculptor]

Sad, another attempt to sanitize public art. ...
The jewel of our civilization is its creative people.
Greg

Greg, ever notice that even those among us who are sane and like figurative sculpture often use phrases like ...sanitize public art...?

"Family values" without sex would cease in a generation

some days, it seems that
the lunatics are running the asylum
and it "ain't worth chewing through the restraints"

[Landseer]

What a bunch of right wing morons must live in that town, I remember the first story and that it included a frigid hungup woman who said she had to drive some distance out of her way to avoid seeing the sculpture on her drive to work.
Gee, I'd bet if they put a lion sculpture up there people would have been yammering about seeing lion balls.

[gschnapp]

Landseer,

you are right on point, I for one am totally against the gratutious use of animal genital, and would of course have to protest, where is this lion you speak of? So I know where to organize the protest, have t-shirts made, etc. And by sanitize, I mean to make something more likely to be acceptable by removing anything that might be considered offensive or controversial.

Greg

The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.

[StevenW]

What a bunch of right wing morons must live in that town, I remember the first story and that it included a frigid hungup woman who said she had to drive some distance out of her way to avoid seeing the sculpture on her drive to work.
Gee, I'd bet if they put a lion sculpture up there people would have been yammering about seeing lion balls.


Actually Loveland, bordering on Ft. Collins to the North (Colorado State University) where I went to school is a liberal town as is most of the state. Granted it's not nearly as lunatic as Boulder (Colorado University), but just a bit left of center.

Steven

[GlennT]

Steven:

What makes you think that facts matter in regards to an emotional tirade against the right wing ( morons) ( homophobes ) ( racists ) ( Bigots )
( pancake eaters ) ( hitch-hikers ) ( stradavarius makers ) ( root beer float oppressors ) ( global -warming SUV -driving nabobs ) ( war mongers ) ( grubs ) ( moralists ) ( snarg-froggin bladder snipes ) ( grrrrrrrmmmmphhhhh ) ?

[StevenW]

Well, facts and politics aside, it's a slippery slope labeling groups of people in the richest and most culturally diverse nation on the planet, the United States. Whether it be religious, political or otherwise, it is a display of bigotry, which we all know comes from ignorance. I have plenty of left wing friends and in fact half of my family are Massachusetts traditionalist liberals. Me being right wing does not mean that I want to see nude sculpture put in the back of the bus so to speak and in fact the opposite is true.