there outta be a statute against these statues!

[kimo55]

Saw this in the advertiser calendar:

"Waikiki Surfside Stroll, presented by the Program to Preserve Hawaiian Place Names, 2-5 p.m., meet at Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of Honolulu Zoo; $10*. 948-3299."

anyone see the irony?

hear complaints re; the incredible waste of our tax dollars on very innappropriate public art.
What is ghandi doing at da park?

why do we have a statue of a Hawaiian ali'i in Waikiki and da buggah looks like a haole?
The statue of a surfer on the makai side Kalakaua strikes a pose even an orangutan would be embarrased about.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

It'll be a sad day when the statue of Father Damien is taken away from the front of the State Capital Building because of it's religious nature.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

Waikiki Surfside Stroll, presented by the Program to Preserve Hawaiian Place Names, 2-5 p.m., meet at Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of Honolulu Zoo; $10*. 948-3299.

anyone see the irony?

No. What you talking about, Kimo?

hear complaints re; the incredible waste of our tax dollars on very innappropriate public art.
What is ghandi doing at da park?

I think it was a gift from the Indians to Hawai'i, same as the elephants in the zoo. Do you think it's inappropriate to honor a famous peacemaker?

why do we have a statue of a Hawaiian ali'i in Waikiki and da buggah looks like a haole?

You mean the statue of King Kalākaua, where Kūhiō and Kalākaua Avenues split apart? That's how he dressed back then. I don't think I have ever seen a photo of Kalākaua in traditional Hawaiian dress, always Western. And the face is a pretty good likeness. To me, he looks like what he is: a Hawaiian monarch in 19th century formal wear.

The statue of a surfer on the makai side Kalakaua strikes a pose even an orangutan would be embarrased about.

You mean the Duke Kahanamoku statue? Yah, there has been plenty of commentary about how he's turned his back to the ocean, etc.

Gee, Kimo, sounds like you don't get around Waikīkī too much. All those statues have been there a long time.

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

It'll be a sad day when the statue of Father Damien is taken away from the front of the State Capital Building because of it's religious nature.

is THAT in the offing?
he is a right and proper Hawaiian tradition and icon.

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

No. What you talking about, Kimo?

Preserving Hawaiian ness of Hawaii group. meets at the east indian statue landmark...

hear complaints re; the incredible waste of our tax dollars on very innappropriate public art.
What is ghandi doing at da park?

I think it was a gift from the Indians to Hawai'i, same as the elephants in the zoo. Do you think it's inappropriate to honor a famous peacemaker?

nope. just thot it was another harris whim. glad to learn our tax dollars didnt go to it.

You mean the statue of King Kal?kaua, where K?hi? and Kal?kaua Avenues split apart?

no, I don't.
the other one.

The statue of a surfer on the makai side Kalakaua strikes a pose even an orangutan would be embarrased about.

You mean the Duke Kahanamoku statue?

again, no, not that one. the OTHER one.
he is a surfer. apparently surfing.

Gee, Kimo, sounds like you don't get around Waik?k? too much. All those statues have been there a long time.

I work all around, in, and thru waikiki about three times a week. how does it sound as if i am an infrequent visitor? Just because I didn't chime in on this board the day these statues were erected?!

sounds as if you don't go waikiki side, as you aren't familiar with the statues... frankly I don't blame you (or anyone) for not wanting to go waikiki...

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

I work all around, in, and thru waikiki about three times a week. how does it sound as if i am an infrequent visitor? Just because I didn't chime in on this board the day these statues were erected?!
sounds as if you don't go waikiki side, as you aren't familiar with the statues... frankly I don't blame you (or anyone) for not wanting to go waikiki...

You're right, I don't go to Waikīkī that often. My mistake, wrong statues.

[pzarquon]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

Indeed, I think I know the statues Kimo's talking about, and they're not the "major" statues that, regardless of their relevance, were certainly well thought out and carefully commissioned. These are the almost "throwaway" bronze-esque mini statues scattered all over the place.

The surfer near the Kalakaua/Kapahulu intersection is the most ridiculous -- an awkwardly posed surfer on his board (surfing on a "wave" of pumping water), smiling to a monk seal or something cruising alongside him. And I swear that creature is smiling back. It's an absolute caricature of art, let alone surfing, like putting up a giant cheesy painting of dogs playing poker. I cringe whenever I pass it.

There are other, odd entries in the collection too, and I'm certain some are of people worthy of note. But they're so mediocre, and ridiculously small (I practically tripped over one, a woman in a mu`umu`u I think near Kapiolani Park bandstand), you can tell they were just splattered about as a token show of interest in art.

And I think they're part of the same series of statues that include random people sitting on bus stops and park benches, such as at the corner of Ward and S. King (on the grounds of the Blaisdell) and downtown at the corner of Bishop and S. King (near Jamba Juice, fittingly). I can only magine that there is indeed some contrived "dorky statues of Honolulu tour" where you can visit these things, but they're nothing but monuments to Jeremy Harris' desperate need to leave something of a mark on this city... a kind of Fasi envy, I figure.

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

You're right, I don't go to Waik?k? that often.

I have visited Waikiki often since the early 60's... I lived in waikiki in the early seventies and have seen Waikiki change, and not for the better, in my estimation.

re; Ghandi;
why couldn't that have been put up at the east-west center?!
why can't we spend our tax dollars to retain an "Old Hawaii" (whatever that is...) feel and look to waikiki 'stead of these monuments to the harris admin?!

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

These are the almost "throwaway" bronze-esque mini statues scattered all over the place.

The surfer near the Kalakaua/Kapahulu intersection is the most ridiculous -- an awkwardly posed surfer on his board (surfing on a "wave" of pumping water), smiling to a monk seal or something cruising alongside him. And I swear that creature is smiling back. It's an absolute caricature of art, let alone surfing, like putting up a giant cheesy painting of dogs playing poker.

haaa.
exactly!


fastfood art.
comedy art
wannabe pseudo art
xerox art (copy of what some think is art)
art for the proletariat
art for the asses among the masses.

as if someone saw public art in a "Zippy" comic strip and said "let's do this!"

[Linkmeister]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

How come nobody who works or wanders downtown has commented on the geckos?

[Miulang]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

Public art (or any art, for that matter) is very subjective. One person's monstrosity may be another's Mona Lisa.

It is kinda ironic that this group that wants to preserve Hawaiian art is meeting in front of a statue of an East Indian peacemaker, but what the hey, anyway? Is it visible and in a highly trafficked area? Does everyone know it as a landmark? Maybe that's what the organizers of the walk intended.

We have all kinds of large statues up here that were commissioned by our City. Most of them are set in parks; some of them are modern and indescribable, others more realistic.The city has an Arts Commission that engages local artists periodically in contests to create new public art. Even though this city is also having financial problems, I don't know of any major outcry to get rid of the artwork or the Commission.

Seattle is so art crazy that we even have a band of rogue guerilla sculptors who have erected, at various times, statues in the middle of the night that caused the local people to visit the pieces and discuss the symbolism. For instance, on the eve of 2000, a mysterious black monolith appeared in the middle of the night. The city allowed the statue to stay in the park, but then someone stealthily removed it one night and moved it somewhere else. Last year, the urban guerilla arrtists struck again...this time they put up a bunch of plywood soldier silhouettes and one "officer" silhouette with a mirrored face. Right below that group of soldiers, there is a permanent display of nuclear submarine tailfins that are imbedded into the ground to look like killer whale dorsal fins. Viewing the soliders, the mirrored face officer and the nuclear sub tailfins on that windy knoll was pretty powerful.

We have another famous piece called "Waiting for the Interurban" which stands right next to the main road in one of the Seattle neighborhoods. Every now and then, someone will decorate the people (and the dog with a human face) who are depicted up with hats, balloons, signs. No one gets outraged.

We're surrounded by art here. Unfortunately, there are very few totem poles or statues that celebrate the first people who lived here.

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

How come nobody who works or wanders downtown has commented on the geckos?

dunno about geckos but I wanna know the total costs to taxpayers for alllll this public art that is forced upon us and how it is justified when we must subsist with "thirdworld country" level roads hiways and byways.

and how they justify the following expenditures?

$146,000. for a paving truck that has not paved an inch of road here, now this truck gathers graffitti under some overpass.

pali rumble strips...
cost;
$3,600 to install them

$6000.00 to reduce the height of them after complaints that should have been anticipated.

and then, almost $4,000. to remove them leaving a visual blight on the road. after still more complaints, that again should have been anticipated.
But Rod haraga, State transportation director sez it is justified because the the intent of the rumble strips was to reduce speed. "We did that".
the ends justify the means, no matter how absurd or costly.

almost $600,000. for the Nuuanu neighborhood signs.
And they insult the public's intelligence by a response of nothing more nor less than:
"it's worth it. It is a 'traffic calming device"


TOO much time and money on a UH logo:
more than 17 months, $142,000 in outlays and eight graphic duds, the University of Hawaii has wisely chosen to cease its search for a new logo.

someone MUST be held accountable for this fraud.

there is NO excuse for this supposed legal stealing of our tax dollars.

[pzarquon]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

How come nobody who works or wanders downtown has commented on the geckos?

It's the Geckos in Paradise project. It's totally volunteer-driven, and it is part of a fundraiser for the Breast Center at Kapi'olani Women's Center for National Breast Cancer awareness month.

Our very own Quark (a.k.a. Burt) is married to one of the gecko artists... actually, one of the brains behind the effort. He posted a photo of one of the geckos in his blog.

[Albert]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

The statue of that incredible gentleman from India was privately funded, as I understand it, no public tax dollars involved.

Whether it was appropriate to place it outside the Honolulu Zoo is another question, but it seems to be always draped with leis so I guess some people aren't annoyed.

But some of the other "objects" which have appeared in Waikiki in recent years are not only far more artistically questionable, but WERE also paid for with tax dollars. [wave to Jeremy!]

So leave poor old Mahatma alone.

[kimo55]

Re: there outta be a statute against these statues!

Whether it was appropriate to place it outside the Honolulu Zoo is another question,

No, that IS the question.