Giant Lincoln Head

Rest assured that this is a serious suggestion by Frank Gallo. He intends to create an artistically advanced tribute to Lincoln that will go beyond the endlessly repeated courthouse statues redolent of the last century.  The proposed statue might well take its place amongst other iconic Lincoln monument such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Daniel Chester French statue in Chicago, Mt. Rushmore etc---a piece that will put this community on the map."   A conventional piece in the popular image will not do this.  You may assume that any monument placed on the courthouse plaza will be constructed with privately donated money.  Ralph Langenheim

You may assume that any monument placed on the courthouse plaza will be constructed with privately donated money. 

Yeah right, Ralph.   Just like the ridiculous clock and bell tower "restoration".  That was supposd to be done only with private funds, but when those funds were not enough, Steve Beckett led the charge to go ahead with the project anyway, with the taxpayers picking up the cost beyond what had been raised privately.

So many questions but, here goes --

1) Be assured that this is a serious proposal by a very well reputed professional sculptor. It may be "out of the box" and  arouses an instinctive negative reaction that always greets something new and different.  Think about the Picasso sculpture on Michigan Avenue -- greeted with hoots and gibes, now a well-loved Chicago fixture. 

2) The County will not be buying this, or any other statue.  A monument eventually be presented to the county by a philanthropist or a group of motivated and concerned citizens.  Incidentally, I was informed by Bruce Hannon last Friday that the funds contributed for the Bell Tower either have reached or are about to reach the full price of the job.  There is no taxpayer money in the Bell Tower.  We had a very present surprise when the foundations were exposed for inspection -- they are sound and adequate and no extra money will be called for. 

3)  You are correct in that Frank's reputation really soared with his molded paper work; which, by the way, was in the forefront of developement in sculpture at the time.  He is, however adept and productive in other media -- such as large ceramic statues and molded plastic pieces. All of these, by the way are first modeled in clay, then a mold is made, then the piece is fired, cured, or stabilized with perhaps glaze applied. Bronze statues go the same way; starting with a molded clay version created by the hand of  the artist, followed by a cast--generally plaster, followed by preparation of a mold and  pouring the bronze. The Uof I, by the way, bought the contents of Lorado Taft's Studio some time after his death and acquired the plaster versions of many of  his sculptures, some of which are on display in the halls of the Main Library on  campus. 

4) The giant Lincoln statue at Charleston is not related to this project in any way and is accorded little artistic merit. 

5) Some of the cartoonishness that some of  you see in the statue perhaps derives from Lincoln's own for, figure,  choice of clothing and style.  The man apparently was a joker, story teller and something of a self dramatizer.  Ralph Langenehim

(EDITED by IP for formatting.)

1) Although this proposal is definitely not a joke, the numerous risable comments, one scatological, show that it does engage the minds of shakers and movers in the public.  It causes folks to think and talk about Lincoln.

2) Large commeorative sculptures are a feature of many past cultures -- Ramses on the Nile, the Olmec heads in Mexico, etc.   We will be in good company.

3) I'm sure that you all will be happy to know that interest has been expressed by at least one significant potential donor to the cause.

To equate the Chicago Picasso with this proposal indicates an astounding ignorance of art. Money or the ability to raise great amount of money does not make people competent to make artisitic decisions. The scale is not the problem as the site truly requires something of large scale. This would be a roadside attraction more akin to a Big Butter Jesus than a sculpture by a giant of twentieth century art.

The eyes should light up, and a loudspeaker should say "Help me!  I've been buried up to my neck!"

A bit of internet research has uncovered some precedent for Frank Gallo's proposal for an unsupported head of Lincoln in front of the courthouse.  I refer you to the head of Lincoln in front of his tomb in Springfield.  This bronze head rests directly on its pedestal in a thin swirl of drapery in a manner likely to be follwed in Gallo's ultimate sculture.  Some of you may be amongst the millions who have rubbed the nose of that statue, keeping it bright and shiny.  The Springfield bronze is 40 inches high and is a copy of Gutzon Borglum's (he of Mt. Rushmore fame) marble original in the U. 'S.Capitol.  This piece was was more or less commissioned by Theodore Roosevelt and its style is largely affected by Gutzon Borglum's association with Auguste Rodin.  It's size is appropriate for display in the U. S.Capitol Rotunda.  The much larger head proposed by Frank Gallo designed to fill an outdoor site in front of a large building.   May I reemphasize that this proposal is serious.  It is the work of an accomplished artist, and likely achieve iconic stature and a place in the on going historyof monumental sculpture.  It is a real opportunity for our community to join the ranks of "special' places.  Ralph Langenheim

Mr. Langenheim, you have to understand the criticism of Mr. Gallo's piece is probably because the proposal comes at the worst possible time, during the $6.8 million dollar clock-tower renovation, Mr. Beckett's other fetish besides Lincoln.  The conservative taxpayers on this site are not interested in public decorations at this particular time. 

Also, your prediction that Gallo will create a piece that will, "... likely achieve iconic stature and a place in the on- going history of monumental sculpture.  It is a real opportunity for our community to join the ranks of 'special' places." is not easily recognized by the proposal on the front page of the News-Gazette. Indeed Gallo, himself, says the current proposal is not what he is offering as Gallo states the Lincoln won't have a beard and the hat will be "different" though Gallo doesn't specify what the difference will be. I suggest Mr. Gallo do another rendition of his proposal with a possible 3 ft. simulation so we can better understand his proposal, seriously. 

The public is a little suspicious of this being a "honoring" symbol (and lord knows, symbols had better be honoring around here) since Gallo confesses to wanting to challenge Mr. Beckett's obsession with Lincoln. Honoring Lincoln is like gravity in American culture, and Gallo's artwork strikes many as a snide joke about a fine attorney who had negro slaves from Charlston, Ill. sent back to where they came from, the property of legally-entitled slaveholders somewhere in the south. (an actual case Lincoln processed at the Charlston courthouse in the early 1850's if I am not mistaken.)

While one County Board member should not have the last word on what art is worthy to be made, Beckett's criticism strikes many as accurate. You and Frank Gallo do agree that since you've chosen public property to plunk what would be a great 7th hole for a fine minature golf course, the rest of us get to have a say if it's a go or not? Or is this like private developers doing whatever they want, whenever they want, public be damned? You two mischevious coffee drinkers aren't doing a "Prussing" and jamming art down our throats with our money, are you? Prussing's god-awful "Pee Fountain" to the left of the Municipal Building that no one notices is the kind of artistic elitism- that is also expressed by the Federal Courthouse's silver adornment- the public is weary of. Like alot of things in Champaign County, if it's such a great idea, can we at least vote on it somehow? Probably not. Maybe the Tram can take all the tourists to The Giant Egotistical Lincoln Head at the Courthouse, eh?