The Garden Goddess
Statue by Steve Anderson
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The Picardo Farm Gardener Gathering area was enabled by a special Small and Simple grant from the city's Department of Neighborhoods, specifically earmarked for art in a public garden. The grant also funded construction of a small patio, acquisition of a cedar picnic table with umbrella and several benches, artful landscaping of the area, and a large 2- or 3-person swing. For the art piece, an art committee of three gardeners and an outside consultant selected the one sculptor who seemed in-synch with the intention of the garden, and also available to work on the project and ready it for installation. Steve Anderson showed a modeled carving of a fertility figure, an exaggerated pregnant female with her head thrown back and a spirit of serene exaltation. It seemed innocent enough when the little model was passed from hand to hand at a gardener's gathering in the spring along with a report on the project, but when the full-sized bronze was installed (left), strong feelings were stirred both pro and con. The statue was repeatedly hidden from view by pulling vinyl garbage bags over its head. For an enlarged view of this photo, click here.
In time, the fracas was covered by both major Seattle papers and by media worldwide. The shy sculptor was interviewed and pointed out that the work originated as a tribute to his own mother, and through that to motherhood and (more generally) to the fertility of the Earth. His mild protestations were drowned in a cacophony of accusations: The statue was obscene. The statue was an attempt to construct a pagan shrine with public moneys. The statue's exaggerated anatomy was an insult to women. The statue was clearly a caricature of a Black slave giving birth on the edge of the cotton-field, and as such an affront to all African-Americans. The statue would be better used as a boat anchor. The jeering went on and on.
The statue survived the onslaught of media coverage, public controversy, and a postcard vote by gardeners at the patch. From a post-911 perpsective, the 1999 dispute seems part of a long-ago world. One disgruntled gardener did quit the patch and there was some hard feeling for a time, but people have moved on and feelings have mellowed. Underlying all, the garden continues to thrive, drawing back its dedicated devotées year after year. The richly composted soil, cultivated by organic growers since 1973, continues to yield a healthy surplus -- so large a surplus, indeed, that Picardo gardeners donate several tons of food annually to the city's food banks and shelters. Through it all, the statue smiles gently, serenely, her jeweled nose ring sparkling under the suns of many seasons. Today gardeners place flowers and overgrown zucchini at her feet and dress her in a witch hat at Halloween. With that, the intention of the 1999 art committee -- to create an interactive art piece in the Gardenscape -- seems to have been realized.
View of the 3-acre P-Patch garden in the fullness of September.
For a super high-res version, click here.
This view taken from 25th Ave. NE, tenuously justifies a link with "street art."
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All photos shown in this fine-art website are copyright © 1999, 2009 by Larry S. Neilson unless otherwise indicated. Reproduction, sale, or use of any images shown herein without prior written permission of the artist is expressly prohibited. To discuss picture usage, call (206) 579-4243 or enquire via e-mail.
