A one of a kind statue surrounded by a wood fence in Socrates Sculpture Park, a waterfront exhibition space in Queens, NY, comes with its own warning sign.
After complaints in online publications about the sculpture, "Bear Eats Man," reached the park's operators, a fence was quietly put up around the statue this month, the New York Times reported.
According to literature accompanying the piece, the statue is described as a giant wooden bear standing behind a crude spray-foam figure of a nude man, sinking his teeth into the man's right shoulder - portraying nature dominating man.
But critics did not interpret the animal's grip on the man - its paws gently resting on the man's hips - as a bear hug. Moreover, the man appears to be experiencing sensations other than fear: He has an erection.
As the statue was put up in September, the nude man's possible arousal was noted by the Daily Mail. George the Atheist, a well-read Queens blogger, followed last month with his own conclusion.
"Bestiality Sanctioned at Queens Park" was his headline, which appeared above an open letter to the New York City parks commissioner, Veronica M. White, detailing the statue's perceived offenses.
"Little innocent New York City schoolchildren visit this park quite often. Must they be subjected to such an offensive, disgraceful and outrageous depiction of bad taste, questionable 'art,' and obvious pornography?" the blogger wrote. His objections were picked up and reported by other sites.
The Parks Department declined to discuss the new fence.
The Socrates park twosome is by Thordis Adalsteinsdottir, an Icelandic artist who was one of 15 recipients this year in the sculpture park's decade-old emerging artist fellowship. John Hatfield, the park's executive director, said the recipient includes $5,000 in materials, studio space and a spot in the grassy exhibition space, across the street from the Noguchi Museum. The artists are cultivated by two curators, who oversee their work periodically over four months, according to NYT.
Run by a nonprofit organization and funded by public and private money, the park is visited by school groups and tourists. Through Hatfield, Adalsteinsdottir declined to comment on her sculpture.
"She is genuinely shy," Hatfield wrote in an email.
The sculpture park denies there is anything untoward about the bear's embrace. "The man is depicted in shock and an involuntary reflexive response at the moment of being attacked," Hatfield wrote.
However, an internal debate started in the wake of complaints. Modifying and removing the sculpture altogether were some of the options being considered, NYT reported. The wood fence, which cost $250, was the compromise made by the officials. The warning sign tells parents and others of the presence of a nude male form and advises them to preview it before allowing children to see it.
"We are presenting it and showing it," Hatfield said. "It's an interesting and engaging piece."
