트럼프 시대 타임스퀘어의 흑인여성

백인 남성 조각상 2개 사이의 존재감

 

 

타임스퀘어 광장에 우뚝 솟은 흑인 여성 조각상이 인종과 성(gender)논쟁에 불을 지폈다. 

 

지난 4월 29일 브로드웨이와 46스트릿에 세워진 12피트(3.5미터)의 청동 조각상 '별에 뿌리를 두다(Grounded in the Stars)'는 런던에서 활동하는 토마스 J. 프라이스(Thomas J. Price)의 작품이다. 이 조각상은 캐주얼한 옷차림에 손을 허리에 댄 분노한 표정의 도발적인 흑인 여성을 묘사했다. 

 

뉴욕타임스는 폭스뉴스의 한 칼럼니스트는 시어도어 루즈벨트 동상이 철거되었던(미자연사박물관) 그 도시에 '화난 흑인여성 동상이 설치되었는지 의문을 제기했으며, 페데럴리스트의 한 기자는 '좌파 문화전쟁'이라고 말했다고 전했다. 그러나, 이 조각상은 트럼프 재집권 후 변화하는 사회적 담론의 분위기를 반영한다고 NYT는 분석했다. D.E.I.(다양성, 형평성, 포용성)를 억누르려는 트럼프 행정부 하에서 정치적인 화약고가 되었다는 것. 

 

문화사학자 TK스미스는 "지금 우리는 노골적인 인종차별이 좌우를 가리지 않고 묵인되는 정치적 분위기 속에 살고 있다. 교활하고 체계적인 인종차별은 물론이고, 사람들은 언제든 인종차별적인 발언을 할 용기를 얻고 있다"고 지적했다. 6년 전엔 흑인 아티스트 케힌드 와일리의 말탄 흑인 병사 조각상 "전쟁의 소문(Rumors of War)"이 타임스퀘어에 설치됐는데, 부정적인 여론은 들리지 않았다. 

 

타임스퀘어엔 두개의 백인 남성 조각상이 서있다. 하나는 성경을 들고 있는 군목 프란시스 P. 더피(Father Francis P. Duffy) 신부로 찰스 켁(Charles Keck)의 작품이다. 그의 이름을 따서 이곳은 더피 스퀘어로 지어졌다. 다른 하나는 배우, 희곡작가 겸 작곡가였던 조지 M. 코한(George M. Cohan)이다. 브로드웨이 극장가는 아이러니하게도 'Great White Way'로 불리운다. 

 

타임스얼라이언스(Times Square Alliance)가 기획한 이 전시는 오는 6월 17일까지 계속된다. 

 

 

"Grounded in the Stars" 

by Thomas J Price

 

Date: Apr 29, 2025- Jun 17, 2025

Location: Broadway & 46th Street

 

Times Square Arts is pleased to present Grounded in the Stars, a 12-foot-tall figurative bronze sculpture by artist Thomas J Price, whose multidisciplinary practice confronts preconceived notions of identity and representation. With Grounded in the Stars, Price reimagines both the monument and monumentality in Times Square, one of the world’s most iconic public spaces. 

 

In conjunction, Times Square Arts will also present Price’s stop-motion animations Man Series on the district’s billboards nightly in May as a part of the Midnight Moment program. Price’s multi-channel presentation on the screens and sculptural installation on the plaza below forms a two-part takeover in Times Square that foregrounds the intrinsic value of the individual and amplifies traditionally marginalized bodies on a monumental scale. 

 

“Times Square stands as an iconic symbol and site of convergence, uniting people from all walks of life, individual stories, and experiences intersecting on a global platform. The intention of my public works is to become part of the place they inhabit and its physical, material history, as well as the visitors that pass through and around the location, no matter how fleeting. I hope Grounded in the Stars and Man Series will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity.” — Thomas J Price

 

A fictionalized character constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London, the young woman depicted in Grounded in the Stars carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing. In her depiction, one recognizes a shared humanity, yet the contrapposto pose of her body and the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David. Through scale, materiality, and posture, Grounded in the Stars disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization. 

 

Installed at ground level on a wide low base, the work invites engagement with the hundreds of thousands of people who traverse the plazas each day, the woman in Grounded in the Stars cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments — both white, both men — which bookend Duffy Square, while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur. In a culture that increasingly encourages a faster pace, Grounded in the Stars is an introspective meditation on humanity. Price’s work offers viewers a unique opportunity to experience Times Square in a new light, and share in a moment of personal reflection and empathy amidst the hyperactivity of the district.

 

 

Image courtesy of Ollie Adegboye, courtesy of Thomas J Prce and Hauser & Wirth

 

Born in 1981, Thomas J Price lives and works in London. He studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London and has held solo exhibitions at institutions including The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada; The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK; the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, UK; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; Kunsthalle Krems, Austria; and Kunsthal Rotterdam. Price’s work is held in collections such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; and The Legacy Museum, Montgomery, AL.

 

Price was commissioned by Hackney Council to create the first permanent public sculptures to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK, unveiled in June 2022. His solo presentation Witness, in collaboration with The Studio Museum in Harlem, was on view in Marcus Garvey Park from 2021 to 2022.

 

In 2025, Price opened a multi-venue exhibition in Florence across Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Novecento. In September, the artist will unveil the inaugural Neil Balvanes Tallawoladah Lawn Commission at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia. Price’s first major solo exhibition, titled Resilience of Scale,  is on view at Hauser & Wirth in New York City until June 14, 2025.

https://www.timessquarenyc.org/tsq-arts-projects/grounded-in-the-stars