Controversy over the new Boston MLK/CSK Monument; have you seen the sculpture?

[NotUrsula]

A new public sculpture memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta was recently unveiled in Boston Common. It's cast bronze, 22 ft tall, cost $10M, and a large number of people, including some members of the King and Scott families, really dislike it.

Have you seen it? What do you think? (This is the only series of photos I could find that didn't take a side about how it looks: https://www.nbcboston.com/multimedia/photos-the-embrace-unveiling/2944712/)

I'm not sure it's *quite* as bad as some viewers seem to think, but it is an unfortunate interpretation of the image in the photograph it's based on, IMO. Most people are saying that if it were styled as a bust, with heads, it would be fine, but I think that the key problem is the amorphous shape of the shoulders; they are just round tubes, rather than representing the bone structure in actual shoulders. (At least that way critics wouldn't be claiming it can be viewed as obscene.)

This is the photo that the artist used as inspiration:

PS: It's in Boston because they met in Boston while attending school there (2 different schools, but both in Boston.)

 

[superme80]

I saw a pic from 3 angles. The front is beautiful. There are 2 side angles that make it look terrible. It is sad cause it had such potential. I am not sure how the artist could have made it more appealing from those other angles. Hopefully this controversy will lead people to research Dr. King and all the good he and his wife did.

 

[Carol_]

A new public sculpture memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta was recently unveiled in Boston Common. It's cast bronze, 22 ft tall, cost $10M, and a large number of people, including some members of the King and Scott families, really dislike it.

Have you seen it? What do you think? (This is the only series of photos I could find that didn't take a side about how it looks: https://www.nbcboston.com/multimedia/photos-the-embrace-unveiling/2944712/)

I'm not sure it's *quite* as bad as some viewers seem to think, but it is an unfortunate interpretation of the image in the photograph it's based on, IMO. Most people are saying that if it were styled as a bust, with heads, it would be fine, but I think that the key problem is the amorphous shape of the shoulders; they are just round tubes, rather than representing the bone structure in actual shoulders. (At least that way critics wouldn't be claiming it can be viewed as obscene.)

This is the photo that the artist used as inspiration:

Picture 14 in your linked article is my face, too.

 

[Southernmiss]

Picture 14 in your linked article is my face, too.

Are you the woman in the uniform? How pretty you are and such a cool picture!

I saw this on CBS Sunday Morning last week.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-embrace-a-monument-to-love/

I was surprised that they erected this monument. We were in Boston in late September and saw the green fence around the area several days on our trip (we stayed near by), but did not know why.

I now have a fascination with Boston-we loved it!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I haven‘t seen it in person yet but I’ve seen a lot of pictures and news stories about it.

It’s a lovely picture of MLK and his wife. I think they could’ve done better, from the looks (and cost) of it.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

A new public sculpture memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta was recently unveiled in Boston Common. It's cast bronze, 22 ft tall, cost $10M, and a large number of people, including some members of the King and Scott families, really dislike it.

Have you seen it? What do you think? (This is the only series of photos I could find that didn't take a side about how it looks: https://www.nbcboston.com/multimedia/photos-the-embrace-unveiling/2944712/)

I'm not sure it's *quite* as bad as some viewers seem to think, but it is an unfortunate interpretation of the image in the photograph it's based on, IMO. Most people are saying that if it were styled as a bust, with heads, it would be fine, but I think that the key problem is the amorphous shape of the shoulders; they are just round tubes, rather than representing the bone structure in actual shoulders. (At least that way critics wouldn't be claiming it can be viewed as obscene.)

This is the photo that the artist used as inspiration:

I didnt' understand what it was at first, as the only photo saw made it look like arms around a blob. When I saw it from multiple angles, and with the picture, I got the reference. I felt..meh.
I agree, the artist could have done better.

 

[willowsnn3]

It is a no for me. I also think the artist could have done much better.

 

[Carol_]

Are you the woman in the uniform? How pretty you are and such a cool picture!

I saw this on CBS Sunday Morning last week.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-embrace-a-monument-to-love/

I was surprised that they erected this monument. We were in Boston in late September and saw the green fence around the area several days on our trip (we stayed near by), but did not know why.

I now have a fascination with Boston-we loved it!

Lol. No. I just meant my face had the same expression.

 

[GAN]

I think I’d need to see it in person to really understand it.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I don’t care for it at all. The arms with no heads look really odd to me. If you don’t know what it’s supposed to be, you would never know it’s the Kings. I can understand the family being disappointed.

 

[anniemae]

From the photos I saw, it looks strange, like I couldn't figure out what I was looking at. One angle I saw looked very odd. Im sure it's lovely and it seems like the kind of think you have to see/experience in person.

 

[VandVsmama]

Based on the pictures I've seen, I don't care much for it. I wish they had gone with a different type of sculpture.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

It’s absurd and the longer you look at it the worse it gets. A few of the angles need a parental advisory warning attached to them. I wonder if the family knew what it was going to look like ahead of time or if they were blindsided at the unveiling by a giant, mildly sexual, statue of their decapitated loved ones. Weird choice all around.

 

[BrianL]

I don't love it. I get it artistically, but I'm not sure this was the appropriate subject/event for something that conceptual.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Maybe it will be like Chicago's Picasso, it grows on you.

 

[RedAngie]

Maybe it will be like Chicago's Picasso, it grows on you.


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I think it’s more like that botched restoration of a Jesus painting from some years back.

 

[HopperFan]

Tonight DS asked if we knew of it, said no, he showed us one picture. There is an angle that is really really bad. Bad enough I'm not comfortable posting it here.

Love art, even interpretive to a degree but I think even artists need to view from all angles to make sure they are honoring, not disrespecting.

Ironically brings back memories when our PTA spent MEGA bucks for custom made furniture and drapes for our elementary lobby. I got voted to go speak to President after the install that the drapes of abstract butterflies were .... not appropriate for a school. They were removed.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I haven't gone in to see it in person yet, but from the various pics I've seen so far, I am not a fan.

In fact, the first angle I saw didn't look like a hug to me at all. - It gave me the impression of someone covering their head in an earthquake or bomb raid or something.

I think a far better statue could have been designed from that picture, or even just based on the fact that they met here - statues of them walking toward each other and maybe reaching out a hand or something.

 

[bluedolphin32]

It’s absurd and the longer you look at it the worse it gets.

From the photos I saw, it looks strange, like I couldn't figure out what I was looking at.

Y'all are describing the complete failure that is Modern Art. People don't know what it is and don't understand it. It's generally not beautiful, as beauty is not its goal. You have to be "in the know" to get it. And you'd think for such a huge, prominent statue like this, they would have screened the angles before they started working on it. How embarrassing.

 

[BrianL]

Maybe it will be like Chicago's Picasso, it grows on you.


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But at least that's appropriate to honor Picasso. I think the issue is not really the statue itself, but the subject matter. I don't think it was the right choice to try to be so esoteric with it.