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| It's From Being Cooped Up During Those Long Winters |
| 2010-07-03 |
| One of the nine beaver sculptures placed throughout Bemidji has been removed, apparently for not meeting community standards. City Manager John Chattin said he made the decision to have “Gaea,” a sculpture done by Deborah A. Davis of Blackduck, removed from its location at the intersection of Fourth Street Northwest and Beltrami Avenue on Thursday. “Gaea” featured forms of the female body and natural elements including a tree and flower. The focal point of the front of the sculpture, located on the belly portion of the beaver, is a human figure rising from a sea of pinkish-red circles. Chattin said he had received 20 complaints about the sculpture. “I don‘t know if it was complaint-driven,” he said of his decision to have the sculpture removed. “I didn’t have an awareness of what was depicted on the sculpture prior to (Thursday.)” Davis said the front of the sculpture shows Mother Earth praying and the circles are roses coming forth from those hands. “I did not intend it to be sexual or titillating in any way,” said Davis, noting she is a former kindergarten teacher and current ordained pastor who has counseled women and girls. “I do fanciful women 100 percent of the time. I care about women,” Davis said, noting that she considered how the sculpture would be viewed by children and others. “I would never do pornography; I am anti-pornography.” According to a description written by Davis, “Gaea means Mother Earth. It also means ‘God is Gracious,’ and is one of the 52 feminine aspects of God in the Christian Bible. Gaea in mythology was a female Titan. If we could embrace the strength of womaness, celebrate it, we would become the people we are meant to be: nurturing, loving, whole.” A Facebook group, “Bring back Gaea to the Bemidji Sculpture Walk!” has been created and some supporters plan to address the city council Tuesday. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #13 I am anti-p*rn*graphy." Sure you are. I'd recommend duct taping the "artist" to the front and applying tar and feathers. Not so much for the banal p*rn but for taking the town for fools. |
| Posted by: KBK 2010-07-03 23:24 |
| #12 sounds like a loon to me, A Female God? There are several female images / references to G*d in the old testament, mostly in the oldest passages. In Hosea 11:1-4 the phrase "When Israel was a child I loved him and I carried him out of Egypt ... I carried him in my arms, I bent down and fed him" is based on the verb stem used to refer to breastfeeding. (IIRC - from memory as my references are not here with me right now.) |
| Posted by: lotp 2010-07-03 21:20 |
| #11 I thought the side and back views were interesting. The front view was very vulgar. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2010-07-03 20:37 |
| #10 Pardon that was Taste Elevation not taster elevation. |
| Posted by: Laura Lynn Hardy 2010-07-03 18:39 |
| #9 Geeze, lefties are just too weird for me to comprehend. Piece should be entitled: Josie Grossie. Comprehending is easy. Its a Chunky, garish, and tacky impression of a vagina. Liking it is not at all easy. The artiste needs a taster elevation of some kind, and I need a mood elevator after looking at that unattractive thing. |
| Posted by: Laura Lynn Hardy 2010-07-03 18:22 |
| #8 That picture is kinda weird, 'moose, but I can't see why it would be "not safe for work" (unless you're afraid of your IQ dropping). Looks like a beaver to me. Or maybe a squirrel. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-07-03 17:30 |
| #7 So it is now controversial to remove from a public garden a garish painting of naked women that includes labia and a depiction of menstrual blood. It looks to me like the city rant the same decorate the sculpture deal that all cities seem to be running. I guess when they chose beavers as the sculpture they received the obvious submission. I doubt she is reading the Narnia series to the kids in school and kindergarten. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2010-07-03 16:12 |
| #6 Geeze, lefties are just too weird for me to comprehend. |
| Posted by: Jefferson 2010-07-03 14:36 |
| #5 actually "John" means God is Gracious in hebrew. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2010-07-03 13:26 |
| #4 Picture of NSFW public(sp?) sculpture. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-07-03 13:23 |
| #3 “I didn’t have an awareness of what was depicted on the sculpture prior to (Thursday.)” So many comments could be made on that... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-07-03 13:01 |
| #2 sounds like a loon to me, A Female God? Sounds like a good pickup line at a singles bar. If we could embrace the strength of womaness, celebrate it, we would become the people we are meant to be: nurturing, loving, whole Let me embrace some womanness... |
| Posted by: badanov 2010-07-03 12:42 |
| #1 “Gaea means Mother Earth. It also means ‘God is Gracious,’ and is one of the 52 feminine aspects of God in the Christian Bible. Gaea in mythology was a female Titan. If we could embrace the strength of womaness, celebrate it, we would become the people we are meant to be: nurturing, loving, whole.” sounds like a loon to me, A Female God? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-07-03 12:39 |
