Latest news with #GroundedInTheStars
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A 12-foot Black woman now stands tall in Times Square—and some folks are big mad about it
The statue, titled 'Grounded in the Stars,' installed by British artist Thomas J. Price is meant to challenge assumptions of representation and identity. A 12-foot bronze statue of a Black woman with braids, wearing casual everyday wear in Times Square has people talking. While a new installation, or anything, really in New York City's most famous tourist stop doesn't usually stop the throngs of people moving through, the installation, titled 'Grounded in the Stars' has started conversations, both good and bad online and in the streets of 'The Big Apple.' The Black woman is standing tall, unbothered…basically, chillin', hands on her hips, all day, everyday. Unbothered is a popular word nowadays. She is every woman, and every woman is she. The statue was allegedly inspired by Michaelangelo's 'David.' Installed by British artist, Thomas J. Price, the statue is one of two installations intended to challenge people's assumptions about identity and representation. The description of the installation reads, 'Through scale, materiality, and posture, 'Grounded in the Stars' disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization.' Located at Broadway and 46th Street, the installation will be up until June 17. Price, in a statement on Times Square's website said, 'The intention of my public works is to become part of the place they inhabit and its physical, material history, as well as the visitors that pass through and around the location, no matter how fleeting.' His other installation, titled 'Man Series' is a 95 screen installation of stop-motion animation of the heads of 'sculpted male figures' that pop up from 11:57pm until midnight every night in May. Needless to say, Price's installations have people talking. And not exactly in a positive fashion. 'You know what's cooler than this? Policy change,' said one user on Instagram. Another said, 'Ehhh this is pandering. And why not an in-shape woman? Why not a woman with great achievements? Cmon now. Whose idea was this?' One user asked, essentially, who exactly this was supposed to represent? 'So they think we are overweight and don't know how to dress?' One user questioning why Black people were sharing any negativity asked, 'Why yall hate yall self so much? 90% of yall mothers look exactly like this.' 'I love it – because why did she need to look like and African godess [sic]. This looks like the black women I ride next too in the train and they need to be celebrated too. This is aunty , cousin , sister vibes,' said another, who probably got closest to the sentiment of the the artist who created the statue. No matter what side you land on, the statue has people talking and ultimately, that's the goal of any solid art installation. If you were to ask the statue how she feels about it all? With hands on hips, she'd probably say, 'I am unbothered.' More must-reads: Trump's anti-DEI push doesn't stop Black Kentucky grads from holding an off-campus celebration Biden says he's 'not surprised' Kamala Harris didn't win, blames sexism 'Not guilty' verdicts for three officers in Tyre Nichols' case are a gut punch to Black America
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Times Square touts new statue of 12-foot-tall Black woman as 'stark contrast' to statues of White men
New York City's Times Square installed a statue of a 12-foot-tall Black woman in casual clothing that its creator hopes will encourage people to reflect on "greater cultural diversity." New York-based Times Square Arts recently put up the new statue display, titled "Grounded in the Stars," by artist Thomas J Price, along with his "Man Series" animated billboards, both of which are temporary, but causing a stir online. The Times Square website states, "Price's multi-channel presentation on the screens and sculptural installation on the plaza below forms a two-part takeover in Times Square that foregrounds the intrinsic value of the individual and amplifies traditionally marginalized bodies on a monumental scale." "Times Square stands as an iconic symbol and site of convergence, uniting people from all walks of life, individual stories, and experiences intersecting on a global platform. The intention of my public works is to become part of the place they inhabit and its physical, material history, as well as the visitors that pass through and around the location, no matter how fleeting," Price said in a statement in the press release. "I hope Grounded in the Stars and Man Series will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity." Price's official website notes that he has spent decades "tacitly dissecting both implicit and explicit expressions of anti-Blackness." For this particular sculpture, Price's website explained, "both her stature and her unbothered gaze are markers of status and authority; this is a figure who understands her worth." The Times Square website noted that the large Black woman statue is not one particular woman, but is made as a contrast to other sculptures, including "a subtle nod to Michelangelo's David" with its posture. The website also said that "the woman in Grounded in the Stars cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments — both white, both men — which bookend Duffy Square, while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur." The statues of historic White men in Times Square are of Father Francis P. Duffy, the most decorated chaplain in Army history who served in World War I and the Spanish-American War, and playwright George M. Cohan, who composed iconic American works such as "You're a Grand Old Flag" and is credited for laying the groundwork for Broadway as a center for the performing arts. American statues and holidays have become a frequent source of controversy, as progressives create new monuments while tearing down those of figures from the past. The "Grounded in the Stars" display, placed on April 29, will be removed in mid-June. The Times Square website noted that support for the Grounded in the Stars display is "provided in part by the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, Morgan Stanley, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and additional in-kind support from the Times Square Edition Hotel."
Al Bawaba
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
'Woke' plus-size black lady sculpture in Times Square sparks controversy
ALBAWABA - A 12-foot bronze sculpture of a fictional "plus-size black lady" was recently installed in the heart of Times Square. The sculpture was placed on April 29, 2025, and since then, it has sparked various mixed reactions on social media. Titled "Grounded in the Stars" and created by British artist Thomas J Price, the Times Square sculpture was inspired by Michelangelo's David, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance that currently resides in the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, in Florence. The sculpture's official page described its pose as a "subtle nod to Michelangelo's David." "Grounded in the Stars" will be on display til June 17 and is placed in comparison to the man sculptures in Duffy Square. While many took to social media platforms and complemented the sculpture for increasing representation and showcasing a positive message, several others weren't so keen about it and swarmed posts featuring Thomas J Price's art with hateful and judgmental comments. Many mockingly likened the black woman to the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James. A social media user wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), "What do you think of the new Letitia James statue in Times Square?" Another added, "Is she someone famous or just a DEI project?" Many called out the sculpture, saying that because the woman sculpted is made up, and hasn't achieved anything in real life, she "doesn't deserve" to be put up in such an influential place. Times Square has become one of New York's most influential spots as it's brimming with culture and is visited by millions of people across the globe.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Woke new statue in Times Square sparks instant mockery
A new bronze statue in Times Square that was meant to combat racism received instant mockery for being 'obnoxious' and 'reinforcing stereotypes' about women of color. The statue, Grounded in the Stars by Thomas J Price, is a 12-foot tall woman intended to be a 'stark contrast' of two statues in Duffy Square of Father Francis Duffy and George M. Cohan. 'In a culture that increasingly encourages a faster pace, Grounded in the Stars is an introspective meditation on humanity,' the artist website said. The work was created with the idea of 'disrupting traditional ideas' of what a 'triumphant figure and challenges' should be defined as, the website continues. The statue depicts a women in a plain t-shirt and pants, with braided hair, an expressionless face and her hands resting on her hips. 'Price's work offers viewers a unique opportunity to experience Times Square in a new light, and share in a moment of personal reflection and empathy amidst the hyperactivity of the district,' the website continued. Yet, the statue has sparked online mockery as it's 'woke' messaging is dragged. One user on X wrote: 'How does this statue erected in Times Square "confront perceived notions of identity and representation," It's just some obnoxious looking overweight black woman, it's reinforcing those preconceived notions.' The work was created with the idea of 'disrupting traditional ideas' of what a 'triumphant figure and challenges' should be defined as. The statue depicts a women in a plain t-shirt and pants, with braided hair, an expressionless face and her hands resting on her hips 'How about something that looks less like someone complaining their "order wasn't right,"' another said. 'If I was black I'd be p***ed. So this is supposed to represent black women? Obese and cheap with Walmart clothes?' one commented. Another declared that the statue only 'reinforces the fat, impatient black woman stereotype.' 'Why erect a statue with [resting b**** face] that wants to speak to the manager?' one wrote. 'I don't know why everyone else is freaking out, but personally I find it odd that they're putting up a statue - something used normally to elevate or commemorate a person who has accomplished something great - but they're doing it this time with someone who isn't known for any accomplishment,' one comment said. 'The message seems to be to praise her for her immutable characteristics, rather than her character, and I find that troubling,' they continued. Many comments took issue with the apparent reinforcing of stereotypes that the statue is intending to counter. 'In her depiction, one recognizes a shared humanity, yet the contrapposto pose of her body and the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo's David,' the website said. Price wrote: 'Times Square stands as an iconic symbol and site of convergence, uniting people from all walks of life, individual stories, and experiences intersecting on a global platform. 'The intention of my public works is to become part of the place they inhabit and its physical, material history, as well as the visitors that pass through and around the location, no matter how fleeting. 'I hope Grounded in the Stars and Man Series will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity,' he said. The fictitious character of the statue is intended to carry 'familiar qualities' from her stance to her everyday clothing. Grounded in the Stars was erected on April 29 and is set to stand on Broadway and 46th Street until June 17 later this year.
