INSTEAD OF STATUES

Oakland Mural by Gaia WXYZ
photo courtesy of Pete Rosos

How easily we get stubborn about so many issues these days. I won't get into a fight about the removal of statues, but I want to offer a suggestion. We need let go of our hackles and think like artists. We need to discover better solutions. We need to stop putting up statues of real people. 

Instead, like the Statue of Liberty or Rodin's Thinker, we can create monuments to ideas. Mildred Howard, a present-day sculptor originally from the Bay Area, uses ideas to create thought-provoking installations. Her house called You Are Welcome Here is made from recycled glass and wood and reminds a viewer of both slave quarters and the modernistic homes built by Bay Area architect Joseph Eichler, who was one of the first builders not to discriminate against anyone for their ethnicity, religion, or class.

You Are Welcome Here by Mildred Howard
courtesy of Parrasch Heijnen Gallery, Los Angeles

I don't know anyone who has walked by the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., who hasn't been moved by the experience. The sculpture by Maya Lin was first controversial because it wasn't traditional and didn't show human figures. Instead it lists all the American men and women killed in the war. The addition of a set of three soldiers of different ethnicities salved some of the criticism. The soldiers are placed so they look back at the list of names. Another effective placement. A statue honoring women who served was added in 1993.

A list of names is a powerful message. I first saw such a list when I visited Alnwick, a small town in the north of England. In their community hall, carved into a long brass plate running from the two-story ceiling to the floor, was a list of the men and women from this small town  killed in action in World War I. The names towered over me. I've seen similar lists in a synagogue in Prague, and now the University of Virginia, has erected a memorial to enslaved laborers, designed by Howeler+Yoon, after gathering feedback from community forums. It too is a list of names placed in a park-like setting.

Walking by and among these names makes you pause and reflect on the results of wars and/or deep human experiences. Have you ever had the same reaction when you walked by a man on a horse?

Check out the work of Mildred Howard and watch the video, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Where do you go when you can no longer afford to live in the Bay Area?

Mildred Howard

Mildred Howard current exhibition

Monuments worth visiting:

National Memorial for Peace and Justice

Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, DC

Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, UVa

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