After public outcry and expert suggestions, a controversial statue of Pope John Paul II will get a slight redesign in hopes of quelling public distaste for the piece. Check it out.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/controversial-statue-of-john-paul-ii-gets-makeover/?ref=design
The picture above is the statue before changes, as the changes have not yet been shown to the public...but i think this is an interesting intersection of ideas here. I personally like the piece. But I also don't have a very personal connection to the late pope. I think the message is fairly clear, and I like that it is vastly different than most statues dedicated to public figures, but I also like contemporary art head and shoulders above more traditional styles. I love the piece...but I'm not what I would call a stereotypical religious type.
Removing myself from my personal interests, I can see how the religious would really dislike it. It's not traditional...it's not your typical definition of "beauty"...it's not you typical image of reverence...It's not particularly celebratory or falttering. It's a contemporary work taking on an audience which tends toward the very traditional. I applaud the artist for his design and the piece that resulted. But I also see why so many would be so angry about it. However, I'm glad they decided to look for some redesign and a compromise, rather than replace it with a cookie-cutter monument.
Check in for the changes when the new version of the statue is revealed.
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