'It's demonic!' Eight-foot gold statue with twisting horns and tentacles paying homag
'It's demonic!' Eight-foot gold statue with twisting horns and tentacles paying homage to Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight for abortion rights is erected on NYC courthouse - but locals mock the 'satanic' eyesore
- The sculpture bears little resemblance to Justice Ginsburg, who died in 2020
- The widely mocked artwork stands alongside stone statues of famed lawmakers
- The criticism is reminiscent of the backlash when a controversial sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. was unveiled earlier this month
By Ronny Reyes For Dailymail.Com
Published: 15:49 EST, 26 January 2023 | Updated: 17:05 EST, 26 January 2023
A new gold statue that pays tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight for abortion rights has been called 'satanic' and mocked for its horns and tentacles after it was unveiled in New York.
The eight-foot sculpture, named 'NOW,' stands on the courthouse of the Appellate Division building in the Flatiron District, alongside statues of famed lawmakers like Moses, Confucius and Zoroaster.
Unlike the other statues, however, it bears little resemblance to its inspiration. Ginsburg was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and died in 2020. The sculpture's hair is like a ram's horns and its arms have been replaced with protruding tentacles.
Pakistani-American Artist Shahzia Sikander, 53, told The New York Times the statue was meant to symbolize 'a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation.'
Many on social media, however, condemned the design, calling it a 'satanic' eyesore that resembles 'Medusa' as it stands on the historic rooftop.
The widely mocked sculpture on the courthouse of the Appellate Division building in the Flatiron District, alongside statues of famed lawmakers like Moses, Confucius and Zoroaster
New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino was among many on Twitter who believed the statue more closely looked like the Greek monster of legend than the late Ginsburg.
'Was there any public input whatsoever before a satanic golden medusa demon with tentacle arms was installed atop a downtown courthouse,' Paladino asked on Twitter. 'Who thinks this is okay? And how do we go about removing it?'
Stephen Miller, who served as a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump, summarized it as 'a visual desecration of the landscape.'
Radio show host Derek Hunter also chimed in on the new statue, writing: 'Justice is no longer blind, it's just ugly and stupid.'
Many took to Twitter to brutally bash the design of the controversial statue
One Twitter user pointed out that the statue is too much of a step away from the classical look of the other figures atop the courthouse.
'Not only does it look satanic and have no historical relevance, but look at the craftsmanship,' they wrote. 'A far cry from the intricate robes of the other stone statues.'
Another Twitter user echoed those views and said it further emphasized the problem with modern art.
'I like how it is right next to the old statues so that everyone can very clearly see how ugly modern art is compared to what was historically made,' they wrote.
Many on Twitter also shared memes to emphasize just how much the statue stood out, while others compared it to the heavily criticized 'The Embrace' statue honoring Martin Luther King Jr. that was unveiled earlier this month.
Many on Twitter also mocked how the statue stood out like a sore thumb atop the courthouse
Others posted memes about the statue and even likened it to the controversial Martin Luther King Jr. statue, The Embrace, which was unveiled earlier in January
Sikander said her work was called 'NOW' because it represented the urgency to protect women's reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June.
'With Ginsburg's death and the reversal of Roe, there was a setback to women's constitutional progress,' she wrote in her artist's statement.
She said the 'horns' were designed as a symbol to the figure's 'sovereignty, and its autonomy.'
The sculpture will remain at the courthouse rooftop until June, when it will be removed and transported to be displayed in Houston, Texas.
Pakistani-American Artist Shahzia Sikander (above), who created the statue, said it was meant to symbolize 'a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation'
The statue will remain perched atop the courthouse until June
The eight-foot-tall gold statue features horns and tentacles and symbolizes Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight for abortion rights
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