In the lobby of the Time Warner center at Columbus Circle is a pair of statues by artist Fernando Botero, one of world’s most popular and sought after contemporary artists. The figures in the photo are represented as rotund forms and exaggerated proportions, a style for which Botero is known. Each statue stands about 20 feet tall, is nude, and is cast in bronze – the male is titled Adam and female Eve (click here for a side view of the pieces).
Born in Colombia in 1932, Botero became interested in painting at a very young age and has produced thousands of paintings; in the 1970s, he began producing sculpture. Here is a good set of links on Botero and his work. With such a puritanical thread running through American society, I am a little surprised at the choice of nude, anatomically correct figures so prominently placed in a public space, as well as the lack of controversy…
Great post. Thanks for the art lesson. Do you ever feel like a Botero sculpture when you wake up in the morning? I do, sometimes. It’s the oddest feeling.
Superbe sculptures de Botteros. Elles sont impressionnantes quand on rentre dans le Time Warner. Il y a une tres belle sculpture “Disco” d’Arnaldo Pomodoro a l’entrée du Time Warner.
Merci Brian pour les photos et pour ton blog.
Interesting..on multiple occasions walking past it, I’ve seen people posing for pictures near (and in) the massive buttocks of the statues.
Yes, many people act rather childish when it comes to nudity – one website I visited pointed out that a portion of the male figure was quite worn due to handling ….
Brian
Good info on the artist. I feel that I’m beginning to look like Eve!
Brian – I know you’re in New York, so you probably know this, but the folks here LOVE Botero. Doesn’t matter how nude, how “vulgar”, how fat! Have you ever seen the cat on 79th and Park? Woa! It is classic!!
Lauren
Interesting- I like these sculptures, thanks for the info.
They look like his and her Oscars!
Worth another visit. Ask the security guards why protecting Adam and not Eve 😉
Taghreed
My friends and I took one of those pictures standing in the giant butt – heck you are in a MALL having fun … not a museum. I love art and based on where these are placed – rubbing a penis shiny or standing between to GIANT cheeks that greet you as you come down the stairs seems appropriate. 😉
Relax folks … after lunch in THE MALL we went to MOMA and did not harass any art there.
Yes Botero is a very interesting artist. And he is pretty skinny and small btw. He ís from Medellin in COLOMBIA. Not Columbia. Please remember that.
New York seems great.
Yendru – Correction made and noted – thanks.
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I find them fabulous! The last time I was there, I built up the courage to pose holding Adam’s massive buttocks.