Aussies, an act of cultural vandalism?

[Wild Wassa]

The little digger gets the boot ...
The Canberra Times
Monday, 9 February 2004

A Melbourne artist confounded ACT planning authorities by erecting a life-sized bronze sculpture of Prime Minister John Howard on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin over the weekend.

Entitled If the Boots Don't Fit, the sculpture is the work of Greg Taylor, who incited a battle between republicans and monarchists with his lakeside sculpture of Queen Elizabeth (wearing only her crown) and Prince Philip back in 1995.

The latest sculpture, which could only be observed for about 24 hours over Saturday and Sunday before Australian Federal Police officers removed it, depicted Mr Howard wearing an oversized Anzac digger's uniform, enormous boots and clutching a rifle.

It was a first for Taylor, who has only ever sculpted the naked form in the past.

"In this case I just couldn't quite bring myself to do it," he said yesterday.

The artwork sought to draw attention to Mr Howard's "smallness" in a metaphysical, spiritual and political sense, according to the artist.

But by yesterday afternoon, Taylor was highly distressed that his work - weighing one tonne and costing him as much as $30,000 to create - had been removed.

The National Capital Authority contacted the Australian Federal Police yesterday morning to retrieve the artwork and Mr Howard's likeness was gone by mid-afternoon.

A spokeswoman described it as "an illegal structure on national land" and a stunt.

The sculpture now languishes in NCA storage.

Taylor said his Liz and Phil sculpture lasted seven days before being removed, although Liz lost her head to vandals fairly early on.

His lawyers had contacted the National Capital Authority on Sunday, before the sculpture's removal, to provide its engineering specifications and architectural plans to assure the authority it was safe for public exhibition. It had also been placed in a former fire site of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy so it would not kill any grass.

But that did not sway the authority. The NCA said Taylor had created a public nuisance but it is not clear whether it will press charges.

Taylor will consult with his legal team today to consider the sculpture's recovery and whether he will press charges of his own.

The following is a copy of an email I sent to the Canberra Times.

The removal of the Little Johnny sculpture from the Aboriginal Embassy's fireground, is an act of gross cultural vandalism. I have also written a letter of disapproval to the Minister for the Yarts, Sir Les Patterson, voicing my anger. I will not vote for Sir Les, in the looming Federal election after this act of State sanctioned terrorism.

Warren.

[ 02-09-2004, 04:41 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[daddles]

It's just Little Johnny showing his love of freedom of speach again. Wish I'd seen the statue. Pity Mark L didn't get a guernsey as well.

Mind you, it was a stunt and got a stunt's reception but our beloved leader has a bit of a track record for this sort of thing.

Richard

[Art Read]

Why is it "cultural vandalism" to remove a self-proclamed "artist's" unwanted and unasked for work from public property? Is it "cultural vandalism" to remove graffiti? If I take a dump on the capital building's steps and call it "art", should it be preserved for posterity? Maybe I should call my boat a "work of art", tie it up at the municipal docks in one of our local parks and stop having to pay for moorage every month?

If he was so concerned about his precious statue, he shouldn't have abandoned it on public property. I'm sure there's a private gallery or perhaps even a gullible "patron" who would have been happy to house his work. If not, he should have kept it himself.

Self-important, attention starved twit if you ask me. He should have been arrested for "littering".

"... State sanctioned terrorism"? Good God, Warren, give me a break! :rolleyes:

[Chris.]

Mate.
We have a strongly developed sense of irony here, and we do not consider our leaders beyond criticism. Was 'Little Johnny' Art or A Political Statement? Don't ask me, but the artist sure got his point across, without any government subsidy.
As for your apopolectic outburst regarding 'State sanctioned terrorism', please do a Google on Sir Les Patterson. Then go look for a sense of humour.

[Art Read]

"...We have a strongly developed sense of irony here, and we do not consider our leaders beyond criticism..."

Same here. Look at our editorial pages. Or late night talk shows. But we don't claim "cultural vandalism" and "state sponsered terrorism" if somebody takes down an unflattering effigy of a political leader placed on public land. Put it on your own front yard... no problem! But if you put it on the court house lawn the janitor is just gonna throw it away. Get over it.

Tell me... Just WHAT would you have "written to the editor" if the goverenment had NOT "cleaned up" after some artist with differing politics had taken it upon himself to erect an illegal statue GLORIFYING your beloved leader on that site? Or, "horrors!", perhaps one of GEORGE BUSH? I can hear the "sputtering disbelief" and "rightous outrage" about public spaces and personal politics already... ;)

("Apopolectic outburst"? Hmmm... I guess "Good God" as a colloquialism must have a much stronger meaning in Australia than it does here.)

[ 02-09-2004, 04:48 AM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Chris.]

You miss my point. I don't need to get over it, it was a STUNT. Just like an earlier poster said.
Go find out what Sir Les Patterson is all about before you start making affronted noises.
And i don't really care whether or not the statue got taken away (there are many better things to do with a few hundred kilos of bronze). And i would likely feel the same about a George Dubya statue. It's a comment, and all have a right to make them.
The artist's comments were all very much tongue in cheek, but you wouldn't know that. You made your judgement from a single piece of information. Taken out of context.
Learn to laugh.

[Art Read]

I think we're BOTH missing each other's point. Hell, I'd have probably laughed if somebody did something similar here. What I'm ridiculing is the original poster's "indignation". Now THERE is somebody with a real need for a sense of humor!

----------------

"...The following is a copy of an email I sent to the Canberra Times.

The removal of the Little Johnny sculpture from the Aboriginal Embassy's fireground, is an act of gross cultural vandalism. I have also write a letter of disapproval to the Minister for the Yarts, Sir Les Patterson, voicing my anger. I will not vote for Sir Les, in the looming Federal election after this act of State sanctioned terrorism.

Warren."

----------------

I don't have a problem with what the artist did. I do think it's silly of him to involve lawers in it though... (Perhaps that's part of the "joke"?) We have someone who sounds like a kindred spirit where I grew up. One summer he glued sand, seaweed and used tampon applicators all over the entire exterior of an old, derelict car... even the windows... and then parked it in the town's municipal parking down by the pier. (I think it was a statement about plastic litter on the beaches...) Some people bitched about it and the town made a half-hearted attemt to remove it. But hey, he'd bought and paid for a seasonal parking pass for it, it was legaly registered and it wasn't hurting anything, so it stayed. I say, good for him. He followed the rules, made his "statement" and made me laugh all at the same time. It still kind of pissed me off to see it there in one of the best spaces all summer long whenever I was late for work and couldn't find a space to park my own car though... ;)

And he didn't scream "Cultural Vandalism!" when he was turned down for a renewal on his parking pass the next summer... He just towed it to the dump.

[ 02-09-2004, 05:49 AM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Art Read]

Oh, my. THAT Les Patterson, eh... redface.gif Seems I "misunderstood" the tone of Warren's post, and apologise, but based upon much of his previous, frequent "political commentary" here, I had little doubt he could very well have writen a letter like that with all due "sincerity". ;)

(Did you REALLY send that letter, Warren? Did they print it?)

------------

"...Day 5: Sir Les Patterson's Australia Night,
24th June '99

Sir Leslie Colin Patterson was introduced by Nick Cave as the latter’s best friend, to which Les upon his arrival promptly told him to piss off. And then Les, loose cannon that he is, under the self-confessed influence of ‘the old Scottish chardonnay’, took centre stage for most of the remainder of the evening. He sang all his hits Never Trust a Man, The Women Who Wait, 13,000 miles is a Long, Long Way, and a serious song about Cheese which Les attributed to the poet laureate Andrew Motion, formerly named Andrew Turd until advised to change his name for the sake of his promising career.

As occupied as a one legged lesbian on a pogo stick and as busy as a Bosnian bricklayer, Sir Les had made time from advising Prince Edward on the activities of his wedding night to invite a few guests onto the program. Australian guests for Australia night.

The first was "a woman who has put Australia on the intellectual map, a fantastic woman and a bright woman", Doctor Germaine Greer. Wearing a velcroed academic gown bestowed upon her from the University of Griffith, she read a poem of the English poet John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. The irony of employing Australians to teach the English English did not escape Greer, and probably didn’t escape Sir Les either. The poem on King Charles began "In the isle of Britain long since famous grown/ For breeding the best cunts in Christendom,/ Not long since There reigned, and oh, may he long survive,/ The easiest prince and best-bred man alive. ..." Sir Les, taken aback by this frankness, returned to the stage proclaiming "I should have told her it was a family audience ... Talk about rough. Medieval toilet talk if you ask me." And then promptly welcomed Kylie Minogue to the stage to sing a new variation of a former hit, I Should Be So Lucky. Sir Les then joined Kylie for a duet of the Cave/Minogue duet whereupon Kylie was this time murdered by a soap-on-a-rope. Molestation ensued, and an interval in the evening was called.

Dame Edna opened up the second half of proceedings followed by Rolf Harris who rocked through The Rolling Stones Satisfaction, Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, a now patronising digeridoo demonstration, Lou Reed’s Perfect Day and Stairway to Heaven. Sir Les returned to wind up the audience and the evening with culmination being a rousing version of Neighbours accompanied by Kylie and Rolf.

Catching a cab home the driver asked if Barry Humphries was as popular in Australia as he was in Britain..."

[ 02-09-2004, 06:02 AM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Wild Wassa]

The Commonwealth had no right to remove the sculpture, as it was placed with permission, on Aboriginal land. For over twenty five years the Australian Aboriginal Embassy has occupied the site. The artist was granted permission from Aboriginal elders to place the sculpture on the ashes of the fire place, within the grounds of the Aboriginal embassy, which was raised in mysterious circumstances recently.

Historically the precedent had been set that the land is now Aboriginal, again. The government removed the sculpture without the permission from the Aboriginal elders. Many battles have been fought on this site over rights.

Sir Les Patterson is a fictional character, and represents the archetypal ignorant Australian politician. I'm sure that in the US you have such an icon, ... who I often see on TV.

When political statements or art, are suppressed by governments, when the statements are non violent, nor dangerous, and humerous, this is not allowing freedom of speech.

Yes, Art, I did send the email, and it can be found on the Canberra Times Newspaper site, in the section called 'Have your say' and titled - Sculpture. I don't know if the email was published in the this morning's newspaper.

Warren.

ps, Art, do you realize that Australia is now considered to be the second most censored nation on the planet? ... only falling behind Northern Ireland in the serverity of political censorship.

[ 02-09-2004, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

An amazing transformation has taken place, Brothers and Sisters, ... the sculpture has been liberated.

The Canberra business community has paid all costs to date, and has set up a fund, with donations to go to the Koomari Sheltered Workshops to help disabled people. A $2000 donation to the fund, grants a business in Canberra the right to display the 1/2 ton bronze and stone sculpture in front of the business for one day. The sculpture is curently touring the Nation's Capital and is booked for the next three months.

It is then to go on a National tour, :D . On some days the Sculpture just tours on a flat bed loader, around the Parliamentary triangle for all to see.

The Chief Minister John Stanhope, has made an anouncement that the sculpture is to be purchased and placed on permanent display in Canberra, as it is "a serious and worthy work of art, and a profound political comment."

How cool is that?

Warren.

ps, The Australian Primeminster, Little Johnny still refuses to make a comment or acknowledge the existence of the sculpture, :D .

[ 02-20-2004, 05:16 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Dingo]

Bloody ripper mate!!! :cool: Now about those pics yer forgot to post last time... come on sunshine get the lead out :D

[Wild Wassa]

Dingo, The sculpture was placed under lock and key, only one or two very ordinary photographs are in existence. Now that the sculpture is out and about, photos should start appearing, within a day or two.

On the ABC's site was written, "In the lastest development, Greg has managed to get the statue back, and is holding it for ransom!"

People aren't paying the ransom, ... they are paying $2000 to enable patriots to laugh at Little Johnny.

Warren.

[ 02-20-2004, 06:11 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]