Controversial John Paul statue looks set for makeover

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A statue of the late Pope John Paul II at Rome’s main train station looks set to be modified after causing a wave of disapproval.
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Its author, Italian sculptor and Pontifical Culture Commission member Oliviero Rainaldi, said he is willing to make small alterations to the statue’s head and neck, amid reports that a city commission wants a makeover. Rising in the middle of a flowerbed outside the Termini station, the five-metre bronze monument, which has now oxidized into a green hue, was unveiled on May 18, on what would have been the late pope’s 91st birthday. It is an abstract rendering of a disembodied Pope with a minimalist cloak billowing out, symbolizing the beloved late pope’s all-embracing nature.
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Openly criticized across the political spectrum, on social networks and by commuters, the statue has also brought dim views from the Vatican’s daily newspaper itself. L’Osservatore Romano said it ‘‘resembles a sentry box’’ and that its head is ‘‘excessively spherical’’. The city commission has listed several points it sees in need of intervention. Among them are the statue’s face, the head’s welding and inclination, the arm, the cloak, and the shoulder.
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ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2011/08/29/visualizza_new.html_730664303.html

I dunno… my objection is that the statue makes Pope John Paul II appear to be hollow. But iI am not sure if the pending changes will fix that.
 
Symbolism aside and the nit picking of how much to change certain features to placate the howling mob, why not just remelt the bronze and recast a new form created by an artist who cares not a wit about fame and fortune, but will stay true to the spiritual image of His Holiness JPII. Shall I throw my hat in the ring?
 
manofart said:
Symbolism aside and the nit picking of how much to change certain features to placate the howling mob, why not just remelt the bronze and recast a new form created by an artist who cares not a wit about fame and fortune, but will stay true to the spiritual image of His Holiness JPII. Shall I throw my hat in the ring?
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Yes, please! I’m sure you could make a really nice statue of our late Holy Father. This thing is a monstrosity and a travesty. Our John Paul II was a handsome man, with a sweet countenance, a smile that welcomed all. I had the blessing of seeing him in person in Germany in 1980, and this is not the way I would remember him. This looks like a frightening, gruesome thing that comes from the Burning Man event.

Yes, please do throw your hat in the ring, Man of Art.
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
I had the blessing of seeing him in person in Germany in 1980, and this is not the way I would remember him. This looks like a frightening, gruesome thing that comes from the Burning Man event.
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Burning Man! That is hilarious! You’re right.
 
Rudolfo said:
Burning Man! That is hilarious! You’re right.
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Yep! Some of their actual leftovers got dumped here in Burien for about two years! EEEK!!
Thank goodness and dumptruck, it’s gone!
 
The head’s okay, I guess.

It’s the body that just plain freaks me out. Scares me, actually.

Like a wolf with its jaws open – Little Red Riding hood story style.

Eeek!!

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Blessed John Paul, the Great – pray for us!
 
I have also read that Italians refer to this statue as a “vespasiano,” which is a slang term for a fixture found in mens’ restrooms, named after the emperor Vespasian, who put a tax on urine. The statue has to be melted down and re-done.
 
When sculptors fail, it’s always epic. Not like digital photography. Fortunately, bronze is easily recycled.
 
JHow said:
When sculptors fail, it’s always epic. Not like digital photography. Fortunately, bronze is easily recycled.
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This is definitely in the Epic Fail Category.

I think it could even get First Prize.
 
VeronicaAnne said:
The head’s okay, I guess.

It’s the body that just plain freaks me out. Scares me, actually.

Like a wolf with its jaws open – Little Red Riding hood story style.

Eeek!!

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Blessed John Paul, the Great – pray for us!
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I dunno…the head looks like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man to me:
 
I don’t even like the face. Does not represent the Holy Man that he was. And the rest of it reminded me of the porta-potties (same color) I see at many dog shows. Rid us of that monstrosity, please.
 
The_Centurion said:
Personally I don’t think anything could fix that statue except bringing it down and putting up a different one.
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Amen to that!

Why is modern art always so UGLY?

I hope that statue gets replaced with something that looks more like the late Holy Father.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
I have also read that Italians refer to this statue as a “vespasiano,” which is a slang term for a fixture found in mens’ restrooms, named after the emperor Vespasian, who put a tax on urine. The statue has to be melted down and re-done.
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Vespasian put a tax on PEE? :eek: NO WAY!

How could he do that? What was he going to use it for (the pee, that is)? 🤷 :rolleyes:

‘vespasiano’…what a way the Italians have with words! 😛 Ha!

Seriously, though…that statue has GOT TO GO!
 
Dale_M said:
ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2011/08/29/visualizza_new.html_730664303.html

I dunno… my objection is that the statue makes Pope John Paul II appear to be hollow. But iI am not sure if the pending changes will fix that.
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To me, it reminds me of the character “Overdog” in the movie Spacehunter:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
JHow said:
When sculptors fail, it’s always epic. Not like digital photography. Fortunately, bronze is easily recycled.
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True. You could make a lot of small arms casings from that much bronze.
barb_finnegan said:
Amen to that!

Why is modern art always so UGLY?
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Oh, haven’t you read any modern art reviews? It’s not that the art is ugly; it’s simply that we’re too stupid and gauche and unsophisticated to appreciate how beautiful it really is—it has “depth” and “feeling”.

Right. :rolleyes:
barb_finnegan said:
Vespasian put a tax on PEE? :eek: NO WAY!

How could he do that? What was he going to use it for (the pee, that is)?
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Well…I hate to mention this, but…the Romans, you understand, used human urine for toothpaste. They felt that the ammonia in it was a good tooth whitener.

I’m not kidding. That’s the truth. :hypno: If you doubt me, Google it.

So, I imagine Vespasian simply taxed it as he would any other commodity.
 
barb_finnegan said:
Vespasian put a tax on PEE? :eek: NO WAY!

How could he do that? What was he going to use it for (the pee, that is)? 🤷 :rolleyes:

‘vespasiano’…what a way the Italians have with words! 😛 Ha!

Seriously, though…that statue has GOT TO GO!
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Another poster has already commented on this. To add a little more detail - as I understand it - the people responsible for the *latrinae *of ancient Rome collected urine and sold it to other merchants to be used in (I think) curing leather and possibly the bleaching of cloth (due to the ammonia content). I hadn’t heard of the toothpaste use, but I wouldn’t doubt it. Clearly, all this is WAY more than you really wanted to know . . . .
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
Another poster has already commented on this. To add a little more detail - as I understand it - the people responsible for the *latrinae *of ancient Rome collected urine and sold it to other merchants to be used in (I think) curing leather and possibly the bleaching of cloth (due to the ammonia content). I hadn’t heard of the toothpaste use, but I wouldn’t doubt it. Clearly, all this is WAY more than you really wanted to know . . . .
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From now on, I’ll be checking the ingredient list on the toothpaste tubes much more closely! Especially the labels on those tubes that claim they are “natural.”😃
 
Ha! You people don’t know crazy until you’ve seen the “Archangel Patio” art that my parish is currently installing. At the exhibit where you can make a donation, they had a picture of what it will look like. Wish I had a photo to post, but it looks like what a marble floor would after a body had fallen from some very high altitude and went splat!

When I complained that it didn’t look like an angel, I was told that I had no imagination. To this I asked if it was a car, would you buy it, or even want to be around when someone tried to start it?

“It is an abstract rendering of a disembodied Pope with a minimalist cloak billowing out, symbolizing the beloved late pope’s all-embracing nature.”

Now how is the average person supposed to see that? Modern art is nihilistic.
 
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