Tom Otterness’ Life Underground
Day 119: There are several of these bronze sculptures scattered throughout the 14th Street–Eighth Avenue subway station.
Tags: New York City, transit
Day 119: There are several of these bronze sculptures scattered throughout the 14th Street–Eighth Avenue subway station.
Tags: New York City, transit
Did you know that Jess and I had an office-bake-off about whether or not Tom Otterness was a good artist? We both claim to have won, but really I did.
So, what you’re saying is that you guys didn’t do any work that day?
oh this was a very protracted battle. We both would bake at home and bring things in, then our coworkers would decide who had won. It was the coworkers who finally made us stop, and we agreed to disagree. Then it came out that Tom Otterness had shot a dog and we both felt funny.
I would be willing to revisit that battle!
also, we didn’t ever do any work, no matter what the day.
Claire and Jessica, the 14th St. station is one of the most successful public art installations that I am aware of. The power that it has to make you linger in what is otherwise a noisy, often smelly, dim environment is amazing to me. And the longer you look, the more figures you see. I think that there are actually over one hundred.
The ‘dog question’ is a difficult and unfortunate one. I think if you had the chance to meet Tom Otterness, you would immediately be able to see that this is a man who is kind, generous, and unassuming. The incident in question took place over 30 years ago, and I think that his track record since then speaks for itself. Many, many people/artists during that time made bad and violent choices. Many artists whose work we deem to be among the world’s treasures did unacceptable things – among them Carravaggio, who killed a man and behaved violently to many others.
Tom often participates in open studio events in Brooklyn…it might be a nice opportunity to attend. And here’s a link to an article about him that shows a bronze coqui that he generously donated to a school in an impoverished neighborhood…http://www.thevillager.com/villager_233/artistfiguresitsall.html
Life is complex…this is a hard issue, when someone whose artwork we admire turns out to have done something that we don’t admire, or to think in ways that are hurtful and incendiary…there are many, many examples of creators of masterpieces who have lifelong histories of cruelty and harmful behavior – a far cry from Tom’s track record. I, too, wish that Tom had not done this. But my guess is that no one wishes it more than he does, yet somehow I think he has come to terms with the fact that he made one very bad and cruel decision at a young age. He has probably faced a challenge that most of us hope we never have to face. Keep baking and keep arguing!! Thanks for posting.
Keep up the nice posting.
I don’t read many blogs, but yours is one of them.