Saturday, August 16, 2014

Love triangle

Gossips of Rivertown reports today that the Town of Wolcott, New York has a Venus statue very similar, if not identical, to Hudson's long-stored and currently debated Venus. It sits in the center of town on a triangular traffic island, visible at the center of the photo below.
Wolcott, New York
Coincidentally, on Monday John Isaacs suggested that Hudson's Venus be re-sited on a similar (and slightly larger) triangular traffic island in Hudson. His suggestion was panned by Gossips' commenters, who were unwilling to consider anything other than its original placement in the center of the Seventh Street Park. While I don't think the Hudson statue belongs in the traffic island, neither do I think it has to reside at the center of the park simply because it once did.

In any event, I am curious: if Gossips' commenters were residents of Wolcott rather than Hudson, would they be willing to re-site the Wolcott Venus to a more dignified and less vulnerable place? Or would they insist it always remain where it is now simply because it was (presumably) placed there long ago?
Wolcott, New York

2 comments:

  1. to restore whats left of the old hudson is a good idea. hudson is a great city just for the very reason that it was laid out thoughtfully and simply.

    urban designers and artists have all responded favorably to living in hudson because it is a human simple urban space to live in. the restored 7th street park would be one more conserved element in the human urban environment.

    im not against new, but contrived and costing millions isnt what is right for hudson. a restoration will cost pretty much what only the design fee and demo would cost. hudson cant afford the new plan at all we dont have 2 million.

    it doesnt make sense on either an aesthetic level or a financial level. lets keep it simple and keep what conserve what we have.

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  2. Thank you--may I call you 6b?--but you sidestepped the question posed and the matter I was hoping to illuminate: If you were a resident of Wolcott, would you be willing to re-site the Venus statue from the traffic triangle to a more dignified and less vulnerable place, or would you insist it always remain where it is now simply because it was placed there long ago?

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