Thomas J. Price unveils his latest monumental bronze sculpture, Grounded in the Stars, in New York City’s bustling Times Square, an event coinciding with the installation of another of his works in Florence’s historic Piazza della Signoria.
Standing in the Sky
The new sculpture, standing nearly four meters tall, depicts a young Black woman dressed in ordinary clothes and bearing relatable features, mirroring the subject of the Florentine piece, Time Unfolding. The dual unveiling of these significant works has ignited a debate among online commentators regarding Price’s artistic intentions and the impact of his representations.
Challenging the Status Quo
Price’s ambition with these statues, particularly Grounded in the Stars, is to challenge and redefine the traditional monument concept. Instead, he aims to avoid commemorating historical figures or heroic events and focuses on the everyday individual. However, some critics argue that this approach is not entirely new, pointing to previous artistic explorations of similar themes.
Tale as Old as Time
The Times Square installation is an initiative of Times Square Arts, an organization dedicated to showcasing contemporary art within New York City’s most iconic public space. The press release accompanying Grounded in the Stars’ unveiling emphasizes Price’s intention to reinterpret the monument and Times Square’s inherent monumental attitude. Price’s website elaborates on this, stating that it “[offers] an introspective meditation on humanity” in a society characterized by an accelerating pace of life.
The Divided Masses
The public reaction to Grounded in the Stars, expressed predominantly on social media platforms like X, reveals a sharp division in opinion. Some viewers resonate with Price’s message, interpreting the sculpture as a powerful and overdue representation of ordinary Black women in a prominent public space. They see it as a step toward great inclusivity and a challenge to traditional notions of who or what deserves monumental recognition.
However, other social media users express concerns that depicting an overweight woman of color in casual clothing might inadvertently reinforce existing stereotypes rather than dismantle them. They question whether the artwork truly subverts traditional monumental forms or replaces one set of representational conventions with another that can be misconstrued.
The Price of Art
In response to such interpretations, Price asserts that the purpose of his public artworks is to integrate into their surroundings, encompassing both the physical history of the location and the experiences of those who encounter it, however briefly. He hopes his work can foster meaningful connections and tap into intimate emotional states, thereby promoting a deeper reflection on the shared human experience and celebrating greater cultural diversity.
The Old and the New World
The juxtaposition of Price’s sculptures in two vastly different yet equally significant public spaces–the historical heart of Florence and the contemporary spectacle of Times Square–will undoubtedly fire up the discourse surrounding his artistic practice and its themes of representation, monumentality, and the complexities of identity in the modern world.
