LoveGalore said:

It's really good work. We can quibble about the era the artist chose or the objects surrounding it but the statue was well done. It almost looks like a shrine built in his honor when you put it with the mural, bench, etc. but I personally don't have a problem with that. Maybe at some point they'll move them to separate parts of the city.

Those who are artists-- let alone those with tact-- would never just outright trash a work that was obviously created with care and skill. It's fine to not like it and still appreciate it.

luv4u said:

Seahorsie said:

One other thing I noticed, they slapped the silly bench next to the statue, then put up a chain so that people can't sit on it! A little more crazy please? After seeing the latest round of everything that is around it...just wow. Just his statue on an elevated pedestal with all sorts of purple flowers around it in a circle would have been so nice.

My mom used to say something about yards when we drove by admiring all their yardwork. "Just a little too much goo-ga on that one", she would say. This meant, too many concrete angels, windmills, tire planters painted white, solar lights, wind chimes, wishing wells, gnomes, birdbaths, flag poles, hummingbird feeders, welcome signs, trees with fences around them, squirrel feeders, flowerpots...you get the idea! Hmmmmmmmmm

Actually the bench was there first. It is beautiful.

It's amazing how he is being remembered, honoured, and his legacy continues

Beats the hell out of several statues I could think of right about now.

bashraka said:

Prince included posters in some of his releases. What's the difference between a poster and a statue? They are both 'honoring' something.

bashraka said:

E319 said:

This is NOT idolatry. If you consider this idolatry, then having a poster of Prince on your wall or collecting all his music and admiring him is also idolatry. Having a statue of someone is honoring them and their legacy and a way of remembering them and teaching future generations about them. It’s the same as having a photo of a relative who has passed away on your wall.

I never owned a poster of Prince. Prince was a musician-I collected his bodies of work for the music. The worship of idols is something Prince detested. He would definetly be behind a statue of him justas he didn't want a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

[Off topic snip - luv4u]

I like it.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

bashraka said:

I never owned a poster of Prince. Prince was a musician-I collected his bodies of work for the music. The worship of idols is something Prince detested. He would definetly be behind a statue of him justas he didn't want a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Prince talked about idolatry in his early JW days, Props N Pounds, etc. But I’d say by Musicology, he didn’t seem like a man who had a problem being idolized again. He was posing in front of his Purple Rain plaques on an album cover ffs. Some of y’all really act like you knew the man!

[Snip - luv4u]

onlyforaminute said:

And is it supposed to be his height?

I was wondering that too. I think they would keep the height for sure.

-

oh no.

poor poor Prince.

this is even worse than badest of any taste.

not even worth for the worsed of Disney.

-

yikes, that's horrible and what's up with that too long guitar neck?
There's somthing really creepy about these kind of statues, just like those creepy wax figures.

bashraka said:

rogifan said:

Don't like. Not a fan of statues. Looks like clothing from the 3121 era but hair from Rave era.

I don't like either. I don't think it captures the true handsomeness of Prince, plus the head looks too big for the body.

[Edited 6/29/20 9:14am]

looks like the artist loved the rave album or something .. awful .. only thing truly recognizable is the guitar

bashraka said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

bashraka said: Prince talked about idolatry in his early JW days, Props N Pounds, etc. But I’d say by Musicology, he didn’t seem like a man who had a problem being idolized again. He was posing in front of his Purple Rain plaques on an album cover ffs. Some of y’all really act like you knew the man!

[Snip - luv4u]

[Snip - luv4u]

I kinda like the statue, it isn't half bad. Also the kitsch of the surroundings fits Prince's love for kitsch. If I would visit MPLS one day for a 'Prince trip' I would certainly go to Henserson for a quick visit and some pics. I am glad the people of Minneapolis (Henderson) care enough about Prince to honour him with this statue!

I'm still absorbing the statue . . . at first blush it doesn't bother me. Maybe the eyes are a bit weird but overall a nice statue.

I've seen the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, Dolly Parton statue and -- although not music-related -- the Rocky statue in Philly. The SRV one is larger than life, which I think the Prince one should've been. I mean, it probably is a "bit" larger than life, but I'm talking make the thing 9' tall so there's no question whatsoever.

I think I like the SRV one the best so far. The Dolly Parton one didn't look much like her IMHO.

Se7en said:

Maybe the eyes are a bit weird but overall a nice statue.

I've seen the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, Dolly Parton statue and -- although not music-related -- the Rocky statue in Philly. The SRV one is larger than life, which I think the Prince one should've been.

What's weird about a statue that can give you side eye and front eye wherever you view it?

I think we all envsioned a larger than life statue. Life size Prince with a lollipop head can't be the desired effect they were after. How do you visit and not fixate in the height then?

It looks fine, but we all know he wouldn't have wanted this.

[Edited 6/29/20 14:39pm]

bashraka said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

bashraka said: Prince talked about idolatry in his early JW days, Props N Pounds, etc. But I’d say by Musicology, he didn’t seem like a man who had a problem being idolized again. He was posing in front of his Purple Rain plaques on an album cover ffs. Some of y’all really act like you knew the man!

[Snip - luv4u]

[Snip - luv4u]

Thanks, mods.

So, how about no more homophobic bigotry as we discuss this thing?

Short of Prince's art/music showing up in commercials to hawk soft drinks and other consumer products, I'm WAY past worrying about what may or not have offended him at this stage of the game. He's gone, there's nothing we can do about it, and he had his time to voice what he did or did not like. So it's left to the fans and the Estate to handle his legacy, for better or worse, and everyone seems to have their own personal gripes with how that goes.

Or is going.

And now we have a statue. It's...ALMOST there but...kinda...not quite(?). I'm an artist but not much of a sculptor. My initial reaction was feeling good as cool statues go UP as the bad ones come DOWN. I just wish it was better but I'm sure it was hard to create and required a load of talent. Easy to critique. HARD to create.


Simplest thing to me would just be to erect the symbol and balance it on the point, minus everything else.

And those who are clutching pearls about Prince not being cool with idolatry, HE chose the symbol, made it his NAME and slapped it everywhere (the double emblazoned mic stand in the later years) he could find space. It's all over Paisley Park, his instruments and his album art. He used it on everything and used it to encapsulate who he WAS. He certainly isn't gonna complain right now so I kinda see this endeavor as a net positive.

I mean, why the hell not? I doubt anyone here could make a better one. I can't.

E319 said:

This is NOT idolatry. If you consider this idolatry, then having a poster of Prince on your wall or collecting all his music and admiring him is also idolatry. Having a statue of someone is honoring them and their legacy and a way of remembering them and teaching future generations about them. It’s the same as having a photo of a relative who has passed away on your wall.

Yeah, it seems kinda silly to be angry about a statue when Prince spent his whole career playing to crowds of adoring fans, selling merch with his image, having an entire stage shaped like the symbol that he used as his name, etc. Hell, the man himself didn't even seem to follow all the tenets of his religion to a T, so let's cut Henderson some slack for paying tribute to a beloved artist in this way.

If there is an afterlife, Prince likely has more important shit to do and worry about than this.

He seems suspicious of something.

What is the list on the stone plaque on his right?

solraccat said:

herb4 said:

Simplest thing to me would just be to erect the symbol and balance it on the point, minus everything else.

I mean, why the hell not? I doubt anyone here could make a better one. I can't.

Yes. My thoughts exactly. Maybe put it on top of a high building so that the symbol looks down on Minneapolis like some kind of funky batman. Light it up purple on special occasions. Keep it simple.

It looks like that guy in the Dr. Pepper commercials.

Am just pleased that Prince is being remembered in various forms.

Don't have the energy to be hating...too much wasted effort.

So much easier to focus on the positives. It may not be your flavour of ice-cream but at least he's being remembered.

Compared to all of the other statues around the world, many of which should never have been put up in the first place, here's someone who's made a genuine contribution to the world.

Good on whoever it was that made the effort in the first place. Their heart was clearly in the right place.