Pity the sculptor.
Once upon a time, artists would be lionized and praised for their remarkable Discobolus or lifelike Laocoon. “That looks exactly like the Trojan priest who was attacked by serpents; uncanny!” everyone would say.
Did Phidias get told his statue of Zeus at Olympia looked like Ronald McDonald with a shaggy wig? We’re going to guess, No.
But in the modern era, it seems as if every public sculpture brings naught but abuse for its creator.
The latest is a statue of Tina Turner, unveiled on Saturday in a park in Brownsville, Tenn., where she grew up before a decades-long pop career that included hits like “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “The Best.”
Sculpted in bronze by Fred Ajanogha, the statue stands 10-feet high including its base. Ms. Turner, who died in 2023, is depicted with a mane of hair and holding a microphone. A good crowd turned out for the reveal, including Ms. Turner’s relatives.
But some people on social media decided they did not like the work, as people on social media are wont to do. And then the dogpile began. The thesauruses were duly broken out. “Abomination,” “horrible,” “simply the worst.”
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post Tina Turner Sculpture Joins List of Scorned Statues appeared first on New York Times.
