As a political satirist, there are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes the news is as stale as the dust bowl that sits atop Harper’s head, while other times the absurdity flows like the bountiful brown locks that are atop of Justin’s. It’s stories like these—a petition calling for the re-erection (heh) of a horned statue of Satan in Vancouver–that keep me going.
I barely need to do any work for this one
Jeremy Hunka
It was in the early morning hours of the weekday bustle when this well-endowed public art piece first graced the eyes of Vancouver commuters. Raised in a park near the Grandview highway, the statue appeared as mysteriously as the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Looming over the passersby stood a life-sized, yellow-eyed, crimson-skinned effigy of the prince of darkness with one hand up in the devil-horn salute, and the other holding his phallus. A change of scenery, to say the least; incredibly offensive, to say the most. Parents taking their kids to school probably passed the statue. Imagine how that conversation went. Though it’s probably for the best that parents talk to their kids wholeheartedly about these types of things—you know, giant-penised Lucifers—before they stumble across similar videos online at 13 and develop some, well, strange habits.
What could Satan be gazing upon that is so erotic, yet so uninteresting?
CTV
The site first hosted a bronze Christopher Columbus statue that was moved to the Italian Garden in Hastings a decade ago. Since then, the pedestal had remained naked enough, but, for one artist, not satanic enough. The city of Vancouver has since removed the statue, and has stated that it was not a piece of art commissioned by the city.
“Let me just grab th…whoops!”
damaged_but_whole
The removal was met with an outpour of support for its return. A petition entitled “Bring the Giant Satan-With-an-Erection Statue Back to East Vancouver” has already garnered over 2,300 signatures. Darryl Greer, creator of the petition, wrote in its mission statement, “The City of Vancouver has long been a leader in investing in public art to beautify its legendary and illustrious landscapes. For example, its near $100,000 expenditure on a statue of a porcelain dog on Main Street…Just as some were offended by the price tag and substance of the porcelain dog, others may have been offended at the sight of Lucifer’s Plastic Love Pump, but none would be offended at its price tag. It simply cost its creator(s?) time and energy to construct and install with no thought of monetary gain, especially from the public purse.” This isn’t the first time the citizens of Vancouver sought the reinstallation of public art. Recently, a sign that read, “Dude Chilling Park” appeared in Vancouver’s Guelph Park. It was removed by the city, but then, due to popular demand, promptly put back in place.
Nice sign. Doesn’t have the “Lucifer’s huge boner” feel I’m looking for though
Dustin Timms
Needless to say, this project has sparked debate on censorship and what constitutes “art”. Hoping to end this debate, The Hot Air Wet City gallery on Main Street offered to display the statue. The city responded that they’re holding it to be claimed by its original owner. Really, it’s no one’s place to say what is and isn’t art. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some beholders just like the idea of beelzebub standing tall with his sceptre in hand. No, his other sceptre.