I was reading this article about a sculpture titled Bear Eats Man (see below) in Socrates
Sculpture Park (Queens, NY) that features a bear grabbing a man from behind and
chomping down on his shoulder. Sounds decent right? Well…maybe not.
The sculpture has caused quite a stir among the people
who frequent the park. There are some who feel the bear and the man exude bestiality
in that the bear looks as though it has its paws placed lightly on the man’s
hips instead of in a vicious grip, and the man, in turn, has an erection.
The
literature about the sculpture found here states:
Situated in a grove of
trees within an urban park, this narrative depicts a dramatic moment of shock
and death. "Man" is depicted with eyes wide open, nude and in state
of adrenaline-fed surprise. The wild bear looms over the man while
sinking his teeth into the man's shoulder, succumbing to the physical power of nature
and exposing his own vulnerability. The tableau of figures is a rather
pessimistic, but perhaps realistic, idea that peaceful coexistence may not be
possible.
Interesting to say the least.
There are school children who frequent the park, so parents are worried about subjecting their children to this kind of “pornography” (says George the Atheist in his blog from the article). So what did park officials decide to do because of all of the complaints? They built a fence around it and put a warning sign on it that says there is a nude figure and parents should preview it before letting their children see it.
There are school children who frequent the park, so parents are worried about subjecting their children to this kind of “pornography” (says George the Atheist in his blog from the article). So what did park officials decide to do because of all of the complaints? They built a fence around it and put a warning sign on it that says there is a nude figure and parents should preview it before letting their children see it.
OK. Although I may not particularly like the subject
matter (or the subject that people think
they’re seeing), I’m wondering…if they put the statue of David out there in all its glory, would parents (and others) be
offended to the point of hiding it behind a fence? Is the real problem with
this sculpture, then, the fact that the bear is behind the man or that the man is sporting
an erection? Is it really OK to build a fence around a piece of art because people
complain about it and don’t like it? Don’t children see body parts galore in
art museums?
What are your thoughts?
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