Public Art Review

Stop looking, the bronze hog which went missing at the beginning of October from the Gardens at Razorback Road (University of Arkansas) has been found. Two people feared the worst when they came across “a big lump wrapped in plastic” near the Randal Tyson Track Center. They immediately rang police who on arriving slowly removed the plastic to discover the hog underneath. From all reports the porker is back safe and sound on campus. Police suspect the incident was a prank!

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A life size bronze statue of a teenager carrying an American flag has been stolen from McIntyre Company in Covina. This is the second time the statue has been nicked, the first time it was retrieved from a local scrap metal business. Police believe the culprits are intending to cash it in for scrap metal again. They used a chain attached to a vehicle to remove the life sized statue (they were keen!).

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The feet are all that remains of the 350lb Will Rogers statue. Yes, and it looks as though it was a handsaw job. The public art thieves cut the wooden Will Rogers sculpture from the ankles, leaving just stumps. Located near the Will Rogers school where Rogers frequented, the statue has become a much loved icon for the children. The principal of the school remarked “I don’t think the person who took it realizes how much it bothers the children. They’re just really sad and it makes them angry that someone would do that.” The sculpture was created by Don Bishop in 2003 after he saw Stillwater Park and Recreation employees about to cut down a dead tree. He offered to carve the trunk and the rest was history. A few year back someone tried hacking off Will Roger’s head but were hindered due to bolts Bishop had placed through it. If the sculpture isn’t found Bishop has promised to carve a new one, that is, when he finds a 8ft tall chunk of tree.

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Fisherman, Michael Wright, got an unexpected surprise when he spotted the World War I Doughboy statue sticking out of the mud in the Mogadore Reservoir. The 3ft high zinc statue which was the centerpiece of Memorial Day celebrations was pinched 2 weeks ago. Doughboy has been standing in the village for 70 years. The evil doers broke off the sculpture from it’s ankles and then proceeded to smash it’s head in before throwing it in the reservoir. The statue named Spirit of the American Doughboy was sculpted in 1936 by artist E.M. Viquesney (1876-1946). It depicts an soldier resting with his helmet pushed back and rifle in his left hand. Fund raising has begun for the repair of the doughboy whilst police try and find the culprits.

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Warning to all sculptors, avoid taking on any commissions from Bristol’s Millennium Square. They don’t seem to like public art there. A life-size bronze sculpture of martyr William Tyndale is the latest victim of vandals. Poor old Tyndale, who’s claim to fame was to be the first person to translate the Bible into English, has been finally removed for repairs. A spokeswoman for @Bristol said “Due to acts of vandalism in Millennium Square the statue of William Tyndale has had to be removed because it was in a dangerous state.’ All that remain are a pair of bronze boots (obviously they aren’t considered vandal fodder!). Jasmine, the poor bronze Jack Russell (by Cathie Pilkington), was a victim too. She was ripped from her bolts only to be found, reinstalled then vandalized again (ala Larry LaTrobe). And lets not forget stag beetle, poor bronze creature (by Nicola Hicks) had it’s antennae broken off. Now Nicola has to make replacement “screw in ones” which will be used on “special” occasions. How sad!

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The Old Garden State Park racetrack (New Jersey) won’t be getting their $500,000 bronze horse statue back. Ian MacDonald has been charged with cutting it off at its base and selling it to a salvage yard after police were given a tip off. How did he do that? One ton bronze horse wouldn’t have been the easiest thing in the world to move (lucky it didn’t fall on him!). What must really peeve the owners of the horse statue is Mr MacDonald got $4,000 for his efforts. Surely the owners of the Salvage Yard should have been charged. A guy walks into their yard with a big bronze horse under his arm. Dah its stolen!

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The Bloomingdale High School (Tampa) has had their 400-lb anatomically correct bronze bull statue returned (just in case you were wondering) Yes, the school mascot was stolen from its anchors Monday Night. Following a tip off the big bovine was found in a storage facility.No arrests have been made as of yet.

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That Cowparade ! The largest public art collection in the world is in the news again. Last time a group of militant Norwegians held one of the cows hostage because they believed the Cowparade was not about art but advertising. That poor cow ended up decapitated! So now I hear that an arsonist in Budapest has set fire to the warehouse in Budafok, which has been storing past and present cows. From all reports the Rubiks Cow was amongst the victims. Organizers believe “A hate-ridden person took the law into their own hands with the result that the cows have been destroyed”. The organizers are convinced it was a diliberate act of sabotage but they are confident that the show will go on, even it is delayed for a few weeks. The Cowparade raises money for charity by auctioning off the cows after they have been painted by local artists and celebrities.

The Budapest Cowparade hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy, two years ago the Melting Lollipop cow was ceremoniously moved and dumped outside the ‘House of the Liberals’ after a group were highly offended at its original location. Evidently the Melting Lollipop cow was displayed with its butt pointing in the direction of the Szent István’s Basilica.

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It’s 1995, Melbourne, Australia, pedestrians are making their way through the busy streets to work, its rush hour. Then somebody screams. Everyone stops and turns. Larry la Trobe is gone. The city icon, a small bronze dog, has been stolen , despite being anchored to the pavement with 30 cm bolts. A distraught City of Melbourne Council launch a ‘return Larry’ campaign, but to no avail. The dog has simply vanished.

As days fall into months the people of Melbourne realize the pooch ain’t coming back.

A sadness descends over the metropolis. Peter Kolliner, the owner of the foundry where Larry was created, casts the largest shadow of them all. So upset by the theft, he offers to recast the mutt. Pamela Irving, the sculptor, adds a few color changes, making it identifiable in case of another mishap before the new and improved Larry La Trobe is unveiled. The day was highlighted by a band playing “Larry Come Home - a dogumentary” to the tune of Advanced Australia Fair ( I kid you not). More on Larry La Trobe here.

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