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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Grounded In The Stars' Times Square Statue Sparks Social Media Debate
A statue of a Black woman that was placed in Times Square in New York City last month is now at the center of digital discourse. The 12-foot bronze figure, named Grounded in the Stars, is by visual artist Thomas J Price. According to the Times Square website, Price uses artwork to confront preconceived notions of identity and representation. As described by Times Square, 'Grounded in the Stars was made to disrupt traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization.'The woman depicted in the statue is a Black woman wearing braids. She is poised upright in a subtle nod to Michelangelo's David, with her hands on her hips, wearing everyday, casual clothing. Her body is arguably the physique of the average woman. '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,' relayed Price. Times Square Arts will also present Price's stop-motion animations Man Series on the district's billboards nightly in May as a part of the Midnight Moment program. '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.' Despite Price's seemingly good motives, on social media, Grounded in the Stars has been the subject of racist hate and additional critique from people who feel the statue is a misrepresentation. 'Who is this woman?' questioned Fox News host Jesse Watters in a news broadcast. 'What did she do to get a statue? A nice one, too!' He continued to answer his own question and exclaimed, 'Nothing. This isn't a real person. It's a DEI statue.' One user on X shared a petition to have the artwork removed. They wrote, 'Trying to explain to Black women why the statue is a set up and harmful feels like talking to a wall. I'm genuinely struggling to understand how they don't see that we're being mocked, not honored.' Another suggested, 'And they want us to believe that #statue isn't a mockery???' as they shared a clip of a group of Black women dancing. They further explained their opinion, 'A man with a white mother and white wife made that statue. He has no idea what an accurate representation of a Black woman is. He doesn't even have ANY relation to Black women.' One account declared, 'Woke culture strikes again. It's not art; it's activism. It's the left turning public spaces into a battleground for their agenda. Real culture doesn't need to be shoved down our throats.' Still, the debate was not without rebuttal. 'They mad at a statue of an everyday Black woman because it looks like an everyday Black woman. Just say y'all hate yourselves,' shared one user in reaction to the discourse. 'Plenty of black women look like that statue, my aunties, my teachers, the lady at the bank. That represents so many of our mothers and sisters. Y'all only desire to be sexualized. You don't wanna f**k the statue so it's not acceptable, but go outside. You see her everywhere,' asserted one account. 'I had a Black Woman comment under my video defending that statue that she looked like a 'stressed and tired single mother,'' explained one user. 'I genuinely didn't realize so many of yall thought so lowly of your own people, and ultimately yourselves. Cus HOW did that come to your mind…?!' Grounded In the Stars is set to remain on display at Broadway and 46th Street through June 17, 2025. 'If these fictional characters are from a gender or perceived race that you have decided should not be at this level, and suddenly you see them presented in their gloriousness, it challenges people's internal landscapes,' expanded Price in an interview with The Art Newspaper. 'But this is so important for us to do, we should all be doing this to ourselves daily. So this is my little gesture to present an opportunity for people to question their assumptions about the world we live in.' Read some of the digital discourse below. More from Jay-Z, Roc Nation Share Times Square Casino Plans In Open Letter Jay-Z, Roc Nation Join Investors To Open Times Square Casino Jeopardy Contestant Recalls Kanye West's Post-Amber Rose, Pre-Kim Kardashian Date
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
12-Foot Bronze Statue of Woman in Times Square 'Challenges Who Should be Rendered Immortal'
Thomas J Price is garnering attention for his latest art installation in New York City's Times Square The 12-foot bronze statue of a young woman in everyday clothes stands with confidence, a nod to Michelangelo's 'David' The British artist said he wants to 'bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity"In New York City's Times Square, a woman stands with ease and confidence amidst throngs of tourists. She just happens to be 12-feet tall. The bronze statue, entitled 'Grounded in the Stars,' is one of two art installations by British artist Thomas J Price, whose work is challenging people's assumptions about identity and representation. Creating a moment for reflection in the frenetic, body-filled public space, the young woman — dressed in contemporary clothes, but posed like Michelangelo's 'David' — has caught the attention of the art world and passersby alike. '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 posted on Times Square's website. 'Grounded in the Stars" will be on view until Tuesday, June 17, at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and 46th Street. The artist did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. 'Through scale, materiality, and posture, 'Grounded in the Stars' disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure,' reads the installation description, 'and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization.' Price's other work, 'Man Series,' involves stop-motion animation of the heads of sculpted male figures that appear on 95 screens in the square every night from 11:57 p.m. to midnight through the month of May. It's the latest iteration of Times Square's revered 'Midnight Moment' program, which has featured artists such as Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono. Price hopes both works — which contrast with the neighboring statues of playwright George M. Cohan and priest Francis P. Duffy, both white men — will inspire connection. The artist said he wants to 'bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity.' Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Grounded in the Stars' is a fictionalized person stemming from observations and open calls that have taken place from London to Los Angeles, according to the Times Square website. Price has used the same method to create the five bronze figures featured in his exhibition 'Resilience of Scale' at Hauser & Wirth gallery in New York City, which runs until Saturday, June 14. 'If these fictional characters are from a gender or perceived race that you have decided should not be at this level,' Price told The Art Newspaper, 'and suddenly you see them presented in their gloriousness, it challenges people's internal landscapes.' Read the original article on People
