Restoration

Respect for History

I have had many critics tell me repeatedly, “A statue of some person just isn’t all that different or unique, every town has some bronze or marble figurative statue.” However, what is important is that the whole idea of a monumental figure is primarily about HISTORY not ART. The word ART, as many university professors and art historians, like to define it today, was set in motion between 1912-1918 when Marcel Duchamp put a bike wheel on a bar stool and an inscription on a urinal and called it art. At the time this was a genius move that has extended the feeling of freedom for artists today.

In an obituary of Marcel Duchamp, Jasper Johns wrote, “He declared that he wanted to kill art (‘for myself’) but his persistent attempts to destroy frames of reference attended our thinking, established new units of thought, a new thought for that object.”

A statue of a person can be presented in a totally different manner than any other form of art. Monumental work can be of lasting materials, show respect, resemble the person and speak to a modern audience all at the same time.