The new E.A.Poe statue in Boston

[Kyriakos]

The scaled-down model of it was displayed, and in my view it is not as good as it should have been:

While the forms are ok, i heavily dislike the falling paper from his baggage, and the heart found with it. Considering that Poe had a subtle writing style, this statue does not go well with that.

The streched out hand with the open palm is uncharacteristic for the same reason. In general the statue looks a bit cheap and bloated with crude symbolism.

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You can discuss what you think of the new Poe statue.

 

[BvBPL]

Where is it? Is it a permanent installation or is it on tour?

 

[Kyriakos]

If you mean the actual statue (not the model shown here), then it will be permanently placed in downtown Boston.

http://io9.com/bostons-new-edgar-allen-poe-statue-is-going-to-be-epic-1562712441

This is a clay model of the final design for the life-size statue of Edgar Allan Poe that will be unveiled on October 5, 2014 at 2pm, at the corner of Boylston Street and Charles Street South in Boston, which is also named "Edgar Allan Poe Square."

 

[IglooDame]

I thought Poe was associated with Baltimore?

 

[BvBPL]

"The Fall of the House of Barksdale"
"Annabell McNulty"
"The Murders in Hamsterdam"
"The Conqueror Stanfield"

 

[warpus]

Crude symbolism is where it's at as far as statues are concerned.

 

[Kyriakos]

Crude symbolism is where it's at as far as statues are concerned.

Maybe, but this one is even worse than the Satan of Oklahoma one :\

Although from one angle it does look quite cool:

(cause most of the crude props aren't shown here).

 

[kramerfan86]

Public statues are by nature somewhat grandiose things.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Haters gotta hate.

I really like it. A lot.

 

[Kyriakos]

Public statues are by nature somewhat grandiose things.

The article linked to mentions that the statue supposedly will be in 'real life' scale, so if that is correct, and there is nothing else modelled apart from the things in the clay representation shown above, it should be a pretty small statue (since Poe -afaik, mostly by reading Baudelaire's and Lovecraft's notes on him- was rather short and very thin as well).

Maybe the article is not correct, or they have not decided by now on the actual scale.

 

[Paul in Saudi]

I have no taste. I realized this when I thought the models of the Vietnam Memorial looked fairly bad. I would rather see it at full-size in real-life before I judge it too harshly. That being said, it seems to be linear. The figures are moving from here to there, leaving a trail of stuff.

All in all, the concept might work better as bas-relief.

 

[Antilogic]

I kinda like it. It has a bit of an epic/dynamic feel, like the wind is blowing his coat open.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Nice statue. Has a dynamic feel to it.

 

[Antilogic]

I looked up where it is, along the south side of the Commons. The windblown look is particularly appropriate.

 

[Core Imposter]

Its awful.

I'd lay the blame at the feet of some liberal plot to undermine literature as this is clearly a crude and common mockery.

Tasteless eyesore at best. I'd have to move rather than see it regularly.

 

[onejayhawk]

I once read an alternate history story where Poe, not Robert E Lee, was the top Confederate field general. Poe was expelled from West Point. See wiki

Poe decided to leave West Point by purposely getting court-martialed. On February 8, 1831, he was tried for gross neglect of duty and disobedience of orders for refusing to attend formations, classes, or church. Poe tactically pled not guilty to induce dismissal, knowing he would be found guilty.

Had Poe applied himself, he could have been in position to command the Confederate Army.

J

 

[Kyriakos]

This unsubtle monstrosity has now been placed in Boston

http://www.bostonherald.com/enterta...s_native_son_edgar_allan_poe_with_statue_more

As noted before, the front bit of the statue looks passable, but the back (with the heart falling out of his luggage? ) not so much...

The detail is a bit cartoony too...:

 

[cybrxkhan]

I don't like the billowing cloak, at least from the back. From the front it looks alright, though as Kyriakos said I think it's a bit too grandiose for Poe.

 

[Antilogic]

That's not grandiose, that's what everybody in Boston looks like if they don't button their coats downtown. Place is an effing wind tunnel.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Nice statue. Has a dynamic feel to it.