Posted on 01/22/2006 2:29:01 PM PST by lizol
Controversial sculpture on Poland's struggle removed from U.S. park
00:22 2006-01-19
A sculpture hailed by some as an apt tribute to freedom fighters and deplored by others as a depressing annoyance is headed back to its owner after 23 years on loan in Boston, according to a media report.
The "Partisans" sculpture by Polish immigrant Andrew Pitynski, which depicts five weary, emaciated horsemen, was hauled to a South Boston storage facility to be returned to its owner, the Sculpture Foundation of San Francisco, the Boston Globe reported.
The sculpture was inspired by Poland's struggle with the Nazis and communists, and was meant as a tribute to freedom fighters around the world, but members of the city's art elite felt it didn't fit in a park largely devoted to American historical figures. The parks department complained about working around it and police had to stop people from climbing on the sculpture during events.
The owner of the 8,000-pound (3,630-kilogram) sculpture loaned it to Boston for six months in 1983, but never reclaimed it, leaving the piece on display at the foot of the Boston Common park, the newspaper reported.
Sarah Hutt, director of the art commission, said the city long made it clear to the owner that the sculpture was unwelcome in Boston. She said she doesn't know why the foundation didn't take it back.
"It's like if you leave your car in front of my house," she told the Globe. "I can't take it out and wash it. You've got to come and move it."
But sculptor Pitynski, who lives in New York, was outraged.
"It was my statement from now and for the new generations to come, and they moved the statement out," he told the paper. "I can see some people from the Boston administration maybe hate this statement and hate art", reports AP.
Auschwitz...? Ho, hum...it's a "depressing annoyance"...


Polska Pingski
how can you be thinking POLSKI PINGS with the game going on?????
Maybe if the horsemen were flinging poo at a religious figure, it would've been acceprtable.
"It's like if you leave your car in front of my house,""
Oh really - the partisans that simultaneously fought the fascists and communists (who killed 135 million in the last century) is like an abandoned car?
No wonder they keep electing the swimmer Kennedy to office.
It's a wonderful statue, but it is presumptuous of its creator to believe that he can leave it in the park after the contract's expired, just because of what the statue represents. He should have taken it back long ago.
are you relaxed enough to multitask at this point? bc i am still tense.
I'll take it if they don't want it.
PITTSBURGH GOIN' TO THE SUPERBOWL!
I GOT A FEELIN'!
Boston has not resolved its own experience with the supporters of Nazi philosophy and application of socialist principles, so how could they deal with the history of another folk who has confronted both, and come away with a shining nobility?
The "support of Nazi philosophy" relates to the machinations of papa Joe Kennedy to pursue the pacifist course in dealing with Adolf Hitler in the late 1930's, which had to color his own point of view. But later on, his sons seemed to be alternately fascinated by the socialist doctrine, and yet made great show of confronting the Soviet version of military might, while simultaneously trying to seek dialogue, to "resolve differences", i.e., surrender on the installment plan.
If this memorial to the Freedom Fighters is like an abandoned car, "Ms" Hunt's work looks like that which the car ran over
http://www.sarahhutt.com/ProjectShowDailyDiary.html
info@sarahhutt.com
i wanna believe, i truly wanna, and i think you are right, but i am still askeered.
We have the dumbest mayor on the planet so nothing surprises.
Awwww, nuts!
Just tell Boston it's a statue of gay cowboys.
As a hard working professional artist, people like her who take doodle junk and call it art, make me ill.
Great Benedict Jersey!!
What is that thing - some artiste's attempt to make a Chernobyl Turtle?
"We have the dumbest mayor on the planet so nothing surprises."
Nagin is also mayor of Boston?
I bet you could find some place in Chicago where this statue would be welcome.
Statue should be immediately deported to Poland! :)
Jesus H. Tap-dancing Christ!!!! I just read what the hell you pinged us to - what a load of crap!!!! This is a US Park that is about to get a US Earful.....
The people of Boston should be made aware of the fact that it was not the Russians that lost during WWII - it was the Poles that lost more on and absolute and % basis - plus they fought the communists as well as the fascists.
agreed.
it's a moving statue.
They are aware but they don't want anyone else to be reminded. The statue represents what life under Communisim is about and it reminds that it failed and can be overcome. That is not the message they want out in public.
thanks! :)
Your comment means that Jewish struggles are worth regarding and Polish struggles aren't? i.e. Some people are more equal than others.
Whooooo-eee...! You've got it totally backwards, man!
In that case we apparently agree and I apologize.
Double standards abound these days and seem to go unchallenged.
No, dude it's fine. And I know all about the Katyn Forest, etc.
Very ugly and depressing. Typically modern sculpture. Looks like five don Quixotes returning defeated from the battle against windmills. I'm not surprised they wanted to get rid of it. I wouldn't like it in my own town's park either.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.