Seagraves’ depicts a beautiful sinewy woman, hair pulled back, seeds cradled in the concave bend in her dress, she is bending over to scatter across the landscape below tiny homes and buildings instead of seeds. He calls it “Demeter Over Illinois”.
Pastor Kent Svendsen calls it a direct defilement of the Ten Commandments. The county board voted to call it “Agriculture, Mother of Civilization”.
RR Star Article - …“With a name like “Demeter,” the sculpture’s meaning could be misunderstood as an advocation of idol worship or polytheism, said Svendsen, who circulated a petition to stop the board from accepting the sculpture. The petition garnered 17 signatures, mostly from area ministers, County Board chairman Betty Gocken said.”
“More than that, said board member Thomas Scholl, the statue doesn’t accurately depict Ogle County’s agriculture. A more appropriate representation might be a John Deere plow, Scholl said.”…
…“Several board members tried to kill the sculpture’s installation at the judicial center after the board voted to accept it as a donation from The Fields Project, a local artists group”…
This is a true story that is happening in a county where the respect of free speech is so great, that just this week an Aryan Nation Rally was announced causing the cancellation of a very good friends’ Girl Scout event.
RR Star Article - “A Freeport-based Aryan Nations group plans to rally Saturday in front of the Ogle County Courthouse in what the organization’s leaders are calling a nonviolent “voice of opinion about current immigration laws.””
So, if I’m getting this straight, Oregon County board members think that skinheads with free speech is a necessary evil to a free society but an artist naming his OWN sculpture by inferring a Greek myth is an abomination? What do the Ten Commandments have to do with how tax payer money is spent? Do they really just want to park someone’s old tractor in front of their judicial building? Is it really 2006?
Alas, none of the board members appear to be assessable via e-mail. So instead I offer the Ogle County Board Chair Betty Gocken phone number 815-732-3201 or easier yet, dear Bloggies, drop her an e-mail at ocbc@oglecounty.org and tell her that her board members actions and opinions reveal their true ignorance. Maybe if they get more than 17 e-mails they'll change their tune. Pick a topic that’s important to you, may I suggest:
-Freedom of speech
-The danger in legislators being cowed by the church
-Importance of recognizing art and culture in society
-The things legislators waste their time arguing about
-Gratitude and graciousness
Or how about
-I vote we call the Mona Lisa - Mother Mary
-Just park a tractor in the yard then
-No art, no growth, no brains
-Hitler hot, Zeus not
-Ignorance, not just for bigots anymore
Demeter Over Illinois by David Seagraves
Photo from ALAN LEÓN at RRStar
6 comments:
And unfortunately I also maintain that the Skinheads have the right to stand on the street corner and yell until their hair grows out but I just don't get that the county board only thinks one kind of speech is important. I mean GREEK MYTHOLOGY is offensive? Maybe they think free speech is only important if you are Christian...
Some of the "Letters to the Editor" in the Ogle County Life have been appallingly hilarious the past several months in regards to this very subject.
Now, the ever passionate reverend is trying to get a momument of the 10 Commandments put in front of the building as well.
How about a momument to our first ten Ammendments instead? That would be a bit more appropriate to me. But then again, who in the hell listens to me.
I thought if would be really funny if we dressed in our best goth gear and danced circles, chanting "ahnahl nathrak, oothvas spethood, doCHiel nienvay" in front of the statue at it's dedication.
It occured to us that if this Pastor's flock is so weak that their faith will be lost upon seeing a pagan statue then he is the worst Pastor in Illinois.
I hope our ever dutiful Reverend preaches for his parishioners to avoid such paganistic products and locations as Ajax Cleanser, Mars candybars, Midas Mufflers & Brakes, Trident Gum, the Apollo Theater and all Nike shoes and apparel.
You should e-mail that to the board chair - that's funny
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