Opinion: A sculpture in perpetual motion, removed
A 24-foot-tall sculpture titled 'Blue' by Joel Shapiro has been removed from the Kennedy Center grounds in Washington D.C. The removal has sparked debate regarding the intersection of art, political influence, and the legacy of the artist.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing tension between public art installations and the political administrations that oversee the institutions housing them.
A big blue presence has vanished from the landscape of Washington DC.
On Wednesday a crew removed a 24-foot-tall metal sculpture called Blue, by Joel Shapiro, from the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Our family turned out to say goodbye.
Blue is a giant stick figure with what seems to be four limbs, standing on what might be one leg, while the other is lifted. To walk, to leap, to dance? The upper-most limbs, which look like arms, are extended. To welcome, twirl, swing or sway?
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