‘A great shame – the concept was better than the execution’: Boston MLK Jr.’s ‘Embrace’ sculpture is panned…some are questioning why the artist behind the $10.5 million bronze work removed the couple’s heads
- Hank Willis Thomas’ The Embrace was unveiled to fanfare in Boston yesterday
- However, art critics say the $10.5 million bronze sculpture missed the mark
- They struggled to see the hug it depicts, inspired by Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King
- Some questioned why the sculpture cost so much to make, while others questioned why the couple’s heads had been removed
The new sculpture honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King was panned a day after it was unveiled in Boston, with many art critics disappointed by the tribute to the civil rights icon.
The sculpture, titled The Embrace, was inspired by a photograph of the couple embracing in 1964 after learning that Dr. King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hank Willis Thomas, the Brooklyn-based artist behind it, said he wanted to create a sculpture dedicated to love, not war, and that the image symbolized the strength of the legendary couple’s marriage. Members of the King family were there yesterday to watch the unveiling of the sculpture in Boston.
But while the idea behind the play is undeniably moving, the end result fell flat for many critics — not to mention Coretta’s cousin.
The Embrace was unveiled in Boston ahead of Martin Luther King Day yesterday
The sculpture was inspired by a hug given by Dr. King and his wife Coretta shared when he learned he had won the Nobel Peace Prize
dr Martin Luther King Jr. hugs his wife Coretta after learning he was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize
Former Guardian art critic Waldemar Januszczak said the 19-ton sculpture was a “particularly poor memorial to Martin Luther King,” while others called it “awful” and “a waste of money.”
Many questioned why the artist chose to depict the couple’s arms and shoulders but not their heads or faces, saying it was difficult to “wrap the brains around”.
“Were you really that scared to commission a full-length, lifelike likeness?” asked one critic.
‘Too bad, maybe the concept was a lot better than the execution…it just looks…terrible!’
Unfazed: The sculpture fell flat for many, who wondered why the artist removed the couple’s heads
Artists and art critics were similarly unimpressed by the sculpture
“This is a sculpture that doesn’t do well in a photograph; a single angle view does not capture it.
“Amazing idea, nice concept but hard to get your head around,” said another.
According to a New York Times interview with the artist, Embrace Boston – part of the Boston Foundation – paid for the sculpture in part.
According to the Times report, “The charity works for racial and economic justice.”
It “helped provide resources and $10.5 million in funding,” including a “maintenance fund” for the sculpture and the park in which it is located.
Artist Hank Willis Thomas at the unveiling yesterday. He said he wanted to create a sculpture dedicated to “love” and not war
Thomas said of the sculpture, “Realizing that all storytelling is an abstraction, all representation is an abstraction, hopefully that allows us to be more open to more dynamic and complex forms of representation that don’t bind us to a narrative, the one.” person oversimplifies or their legacy, and I think this work really tries to get to the heart of that.’
In an interview with CBS a week ago, he said he was struck by the picture of Dr. King and his wife inspired.
“There was an intimacy I saw that wasn’t often highlighted. I just love this picture – he’s hugging her with such joy and so much joy and love. I saw the pride on her face and realized this was teamwork.
“All his weight in this picture is on her.”
Coretta’s cousin was among those who criticized the end result.
“The wake-up algorithm is just broken, I don’t know what else to tell you. If you’ve been through all that and that’s what came out, something is wrong,” he told the New York Post.
Martin Luther III (right) with Andrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King at yesterday’s unveiling