/ARTS WEEKLY/JAMAICA: Scorned Statue Shows Public’s Unease at Nudity – Sculptor

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Howard Campbell

KINGSTON, Aug 12 2003 (IPS) - Life has not been the same for Jamaican sculptor Laura Facey-Cooper since her statue, Redemption Song, was unveiled here at Emancipation Park on Aug. 1.

Her colossal bronze piece of two naked, freed slaves looking skyward has caused quite a stir, not only for its imposing stature but because of the size of the male’s genitals.

Facey-Cooper was commissioned by government to craft the piece in commemoration of this country’s 165th anniversary of emancipation from slavery. But the 49-year-old sculptor was not prepared for the outcry that erupted after Prime Minister P. J. Patterson unveiled the piece at a public ceremony.

Many adults, some of whom were with their children, expressed disgust at the male statue’s large genitals, saying they were inappropriate for public display. "I don’t think it’s good for children to see this kind of art in the open, and it’s negative for black people also," said Cynthia, a 35-year-old homemaker.

Dancehall deejay Tony Rebel, known for his socially conscious songs, said the statue was degrading to those who suffered during slavery and called for its removal. A figure of folk icon, Louise "Miss Lou" Coverley-Bennett, he said, would be more appropriate.

Radio talk show host Wilmot Perkins, in a humorous spin, renamed the statue’s venue Penis Park.

But not all the reaction has been negative. Many in the local arts community have hailed the piece as an outstanding work, with David Boxer, curator at the National Gallery in Kingston, likening the statue to a "black Adam and Eve experiencing a rebirth".

Others, including Facey-Cooper, blame the commotion on Jamaicans’ ignorance of art. She says they have yet to come to terms with nudity. "I knew there would be some strong reaction but not this huge. I never knew there would be this kind of hype," said Facey-Cooper.

Redemption Song, which cost 75,800 U.S. dollars, is named after one of reggae legend Bob Marley’s best-known songs.

It is the biggest assignment to date for Facey-Cooper, a graduate of the Jamaica School of Art. She won the right to create the statue after her mock-up piece won a government competition in August 2002.

The artist says it took seven months to complete Redemption Song, in which the male stands 11 feet tall and the female a foot shorter. She wanted the work to be a departure from other pieces depicting slavery, adds Facey-Cooper.

"It is not about ropes or chains or torture; I have gone beyond that," she said. "I wanted to create a sculpture that communicates transcendence, reverence, strength and unity, all of which comes when the mind is free."

The statue stands in a concrete basin of water and dominates Emancipation Park, which opened to the public in July 2002. The piece has attracted crowds of gawkers, who show different reactions, from outbursts of laughter to scowls of disgust.

Strong reaction to public statues is nothing new to Jamaica. Twenty-one years ago sculptor Christopher Gonzalez’ life-sized statue of Marley was dismissed by the public, who claimed that it bore little resemblance to the Rastafarian singer.

That piece depicted a tree-like Marley rising from roots to superstardom. It was eventually removed from near Kingston’s National Stadium and a more conventional work was put in its place.

Gonzalez’ Marley languished in obscurity for 20 years at the National Gallery before it was taken last October to the Island Village museum in Ocho Rios for public viewing.

Gonzalez, 60, has weighed in on the Redemption Song issue, expressing sympathy with Facey-Cooper. But he says the government should have included the public in its plans for such a monument.

"The people should have been involved more in the selection of the design because ultimately it is the people who will live with it," he said.

"The subject of emancipation is a public thing … we (artists) might have a little more knowledge because we are involved with the process but we are not above the society."

Given the favourable acknowledgement from government officials, it is unlikely Redemption Song will suffer the same fate as Gonzalez’ Marley statue. In fact, Laura Facey-Cooper expects it to grow on Jamaicans.

"I’m in no way discouraged by all the talk. Hopefully in time these people will come to love their bodies," she said.