HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY
This is the Columbus Memorial obelisk at Penn’s Landing. It was near the last place I lived in Philadelphia, and I used to walk the dog by it every day. And every day it irritated me. Why, you ask. It looks perfectly normal (for a phallus), right?
At the base of the shaft, below the balls, there is text about Columbus. Each side has different descriptors for the Genoan supporter of the round earth theory (which could explain the balls at the base of the shaft). They are as follows:
Explorer * Visionary * Naturalist
Mathematician * Cartographer
Charismatic Leader * Navigator
Why “Charismatic” Leader. Why? Those people at VSBA need a proofreader. Here’s a little lesson in agreement for all writers of public art text. If you’re going to use a descriptor for one of your nouns, you should use it for all of them. So, if you insist on Charismatic Leader (which I don’t recommend, since it’s somewhat redundant) but if you insist, then to make the rest of the text agree, go with Crafty Navigator, Bold Explorer, Hippie Naturalist….you get the picture.
Ah, well, it’s too late. I suppose Columbus wouldn’t care. He was a seat-of-the-pants kind of guy. Some would even say bold and charismatic. I wouldn’t, but some would.
Dooner said,
October 9, 2006 at 2:45 am
It amazes me how the powers that be let that memorial be made! It even has a set of balls on it!! Doesn’t someone along they way say, “well it kinda looks like cock and balls….doesn’t it?”.
What a bunch of jagoffs!
julieluongo said,
October 9, 2006 at 3:11 am
The VSBA jagoffs say this about it:
“This monument is to be seen as a sculptural form that is designed to look good close-up — in terms of the quality of its detail and its friendly scale — and to read well from a distance — in terms of its vivid imagery and bold scale.”
Friendly scale? Vivid imagery? Huh?
“This form works also as a symbol; it refers to the obelisk as a traditional and accepted urban device, both American and Italian.”
Oh, ok. As long as it’s an accepted urban device both American and Italian.
worldculturenet said,
October 9, 2006 at 11:02 am
Please publish the names of the architect, urban planners and any committee members responsible for this. They deserve to be exposed!
julieluongo said,
October 9, 2006 at 11:15 am
It’s Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (http://www.vsba.com/index.html). They’re a very highly awarded design team.
Columbus Day and Dia de la Raza « WorldCultureNet said,
October 9, 2006 at 11:54 am
[...] Today, many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Monuments have been erected in his honor, including this very ugly example of American architecture. [...]
Bunche said,
October 9, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Fuck Columbus Day! How can someone be credited for”discovering” a country when it was already inhabited? I’d much rather see a nationally celebrated “Italians Rock!!!” Day.’Cause we know they do,especially the ladies…
Columbus Day and Dia de la Raza at worldculturenet.com said,
November 19, 2006 at 11:42 am
[...] Today, many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Monuments have been erected in his honor, including this very ugly example of American architecture. [...]