Ugly or Not, Statues to Be Left in Place
A three-year battle over the artistic merits of eight statues in a local park has come to an end with the City Council deciding to do . . . nothing.
The statues in Town Park, adjacent to the Culver Hotel, are former movie props turned into a single large artwork, said Culver City spokeswoman Randi Joseph. “The piece which generated the most controversy is a large, gray-brown meteor from a science fiction film,” she said. “Some council members found it unattractive.”
Several residents, in turn, took aim at council members for undue narrow-mindedness. “This is what happened in the Soviet Union,” said resident Steve Raiken.
Artist Renee Petropoulos could not be reached for comment.
The council finally adopted the view of Councilman Edward Wolkowitz, who said that the concept of art in public places is more important than the taste of individual council members. “They decided the current council can’t go back and judge the actions of another council, or there would be no end to it,” said Joseph.
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