CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC ART
7 Contemporary Works that Sparked Outrage
As Confederate statues and colonialist monuments are torn down by Black Lives Matter protesters across the U.S. and Europe, it may be time to contemplate the significance of public art and what it says about society. For example, when discussing historical statues in a recent New York Times article, art historian Erin L. Thompson points out that the problem isn’t “the statues themselves but the point of view they represent. And these are statues in public places, right? So these are statues claiming that this version of history is the public version of history.”
The conflict surrounding public artwork is not a new issue, as it is an artistic genre dating back to ancient times. The term refers specifically to any work—across media—whose form, function and meaning are produced for the general public and officially sanctioned through a public process. So when does it become problematic? Because art is subjective, it would be naive to think one work would appeal to the entire general public. Take public art legend Christo—who recently passed away in New York at the age of 84—and his collaborator and life partner Jean-Claude. The dynamic duo’s monumental works consistently sparked heated debates surrounding power and influence in communal space. In 1983 when they created the Surrounded Islands by placing 6.5 million square feet of floating pink woven polypropylene fabric in the water around each of the eleven Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami islands, environmentalists were outraged. They protested the work’s installation, condemning the adverse long-term effects the project could have on the area’s marine habitat. However, the artists argued that this was the point—to create a dialogue between local officials and residents about the vulnerability of the environment through art.
Because art has power, it makes sense that public art would have the widespread ability to affect the population. While conversations surrounding which memorials and carved figures deserve to stand tall continue, here are some other controversial projects that spawned tensions and revealed the significant power imbalances at play.
JR, Face 2 Face (2007)
In 2007, anonymous French street artist JR organized the largest illegal photography exhibition ever with Face 2 Face. For the project, he pasted large-scale portraits of Israelis and Palestinians to both sides of the Security Wall in several Palestinian and Israeli cities to show how alike these people—at war for decades— ultimately were. Despite Israeli authorities arresting JR and his crew before images went up, telling them they had to leave the country within 15 days, JR didn’t and found a way to get his impactful work displayed.
Kara Walker’s A Subtlety…or the Marvelous Sugar Baby (2014)
The first public art installation of renowned multimedia American artist Kara Walker, A Subtlety…or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, generated contention when it was unveiled in the summer of 2014 at the former Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The piece consisted of a larger than life, sphinx figure—portraying the stereotypical, racist characteristics of a Southern “mammy” figure—that towered at 35 feet tall, 75 feet long, with approximately 80 tons of Domino Sugar covering its surface. The intent was a critical commentary on the sugar cane trade, slavery and views of Black women throughout history. The expansive installation drew swarms of (mostly white) crowds and sparked controversy when people posted derogatory, insensitive selfies with the sculpture on social media.
Paul McCarthy, Tree, (2014)
Installed in Paris’ Place Vendôme in October 2014 as part of an FIAC exhibition called “Hors les murs,” multifaceted artist Paul McCarthy’s 79-foot, green plastic sculpture, Tree, triggered a strong reaction since it resembled a giant butt plug-type sex toy. An unknown man even physically assaulted the artist as he surveyed the completed work. McCarthy told the French newspaper Le Monde, “People may be offended if they want to refer to [it as a] plug, but, for me, it is more of an abstraction.”
Emma Sulkowicz, Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight) (2014–15)
During the final year of a visual arts degree at New York City’s Columbia University, non-binary artist Emma Sulkowicz (who uses both she/her and they/them pronouns) conducted a work of public performance art for her senior thesis. Beginning in September 2014, Sulkowicz carried a 50-pound mattress around campus, saying it would end when the student, Paul Nungesser, who allegedly raped her in her dorm room in 2012, was expelled or left the university. The video went viral. Sulkowicz continued to carry her mattress until graduation in May 2015. The university never found Nungesser responsible. It garnered praise from art critics and criticism from others—Artnet cited it as “almost certainly … one of the most important artworks of the year.”
David Hammons How Ya Like Me Now (1988)
First painted in 1988 on a giant tin billboard facing the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., American artist David Hammons’ How Ya Like Me Now depicts Black civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson with white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes—emblazoned with the question “How Ya Like Me Now?” Reverend Jackson lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis and many criticized the media for offering a racist, one-dimensional portrayal of Jackson. Before the installation was finished, a group of young Black men—who felt the work disparaged Reverend Jackson—used sledgehammers to deface the billboards. Hammons integrated this anger into later editions of the piece.
Keith Haring Crack is Wack (1986)
In 1986, on a handball court at 128th Street and 2nd Avenue in New York City, American artist Keith Haring painted a large-scale mural denoting that “crack is wack” in his popular graffiti-like style. At the time, President Reagan was fighting the “war on drugs,” and communities across major cities were devastated by crack cocaine. Haring’s studio assistant was also addicted. Haring was arrested for the work and faced jail time, but paid a $25 fine and was released.
Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc (1981)
Perhaps one of the best-known examples of contested public art is American sculpture artist Richard Serra’s 1981 installation, Tilted Arc. The 12-foot-tall, 120-foot-long, 15-ton rust-covered steel slab was placed across Foley Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. It garnered negative feedback from government workers who claimed the sculpture was not only ugly but disruptive to their daily routines. After an intense legal battle, Tilted Arc was removed from the plaza, despite Serra claiming that the removal violated his First Amendment right to free speech.
