Sculpture Supported

Since I’ve been spending my vacation here in San Diego for the last three weeks, I’ve noticed your current controversy about putting an Ellsworth Kelly sculpture in Embarcadero Marina Park.

In Libreville, the central African capital where I live, the outstanding piece of public art is a 20-foot high golden statue of the country’s president. It is so realistic you can pretty much guess the date by the width of the great man’s bell bottoms.

Judging from Henry M. Marshall Jr.’s piece, this sounds like the kind of stuff he would advocate for San Diego.

Really, for a guy who claims to have “observed developments in art for 40 years,” this neurotic attack on “Back East,” “minimal abstractionists,” Picasso, experts and other modern evils makes you wonder if he’s been passing the past four decades in Woolworth’s.

I’ve been tremendously impressed with San Diego. Great climate, friendly people, gorgeous setting, cleanliness, prosperity and an excellent baseball team. I honestly have never seen a finer city. When it comes to public sculpture you should go for the best. So what’s the problem?

One part of the controversy seems to be how to select the sculpture. Mr. Marshall doesn’t tell us whether a committee should design it, or everybody should vote on it, or what, but he does think your public officials have been “intimidated where art is concerned.” I wouldn’t say so. It’s great that the port commissioners are giving a percentage of their budget to public art. It’s wise for them to get together a board to select something. It’s democratic for them to discuss it publicly.

Another part of the controversy seems to be about what style of art to choose. First, I understand the same folks Marshall is so upset about are choosing a variety of styles, since they’ve already placed a figurative statue by San Diego’s Donal Hord. Second, I just can’t believe Mr. Marshall’s contention that San Diegans don’t like modern art. I’ve seen your terrific contemporary architecture, your great museums. We’ve all been to cities with modern sculpture in public parks and it looks great. Non-Representational art has been around for about 70 years now and surely is no hobgoblin for a leading edge city like San Diego.

The last part of the controversy seems to be paranoia about being hoodwinked by a conspiracy of elitist experts from Back East just waiting to chortle up their French-cuffed sleeves once those hayseeds Out West once again swallow the bait. But San Diego is obviously a mature and sophisticated community and this kind of backward-looking, chip-on-the-shoulder mythology shouldn’t have a place in serious public discourse.

Mr. Marshall grudgingly notes “there’s nothing wrong with Kelly’s art.” He’s right. Ellsworth Kelly is tremendously well-known and respected, and his big, clean sculpture fits San Diego’s spirit. Don’t listen to the past. Go for the best.

THOMAS G. HART

Cultural affairs officer

American Embassy

Libreville, Gabon