5.12.2008

commission asks for design changes in king memorial

More bumps in the road for the Martin Luther King memorial, currently in the works for the Washington Mall. As you know, there has been quite a bit of controversy swirling over the selection of Chinese sculptor Lei Yixin to design and create the sculpture of the civil rights leader, with critics insisting that the commission should have gone to an African American scultor.

Now, the United States Commission of Fine Arts has asked the creators of the memorial to change it, saying that renderings of the sculpture made Dr. King appear stiff and "confrontational." The commission recommended that the sculpture portray Dr. KIng as a more sympathetic figure: Design Change Sought for King Memorial.

Personally, based on the photos that I've seen so far, I kind of agree. The sculpture design looks rather... Lenin-esque. More here: Time To Start Over on MLK Statue. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

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