Thursday 9 July 2009

The Bureaucrat - Barry Woods Johnston (1990)

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Called "The String Pulling Bureaucrat with His Red Tape," this life-size bronze, says  Johnston’s website, is a commentary on the effects of bureaucracy on our society and daily lives.

bruct2mThis coy figure is shown wrapping himself in the red tape of bureaucracy.  Although handled with a sense of humor, this sculpture, which is somewhat reminiscent of Michelangelo's Slaves for the tomb of Pope Julius, comments on a new kind of banal slavery inherent in today's modern methods.

Not one to have in your lounge – but I’d love to see a copy in the foyer of every “public” building.

2 comments:

KG said...

Actually, I'd love to see a copy rammed up a certain orifice of every bureaucrat.

Shane Pleasance said...

There would be quite a difficult and convoluted policy for statue insertion, but I am sure they could form a committee for same. Creating plastic knock offs at only a huge expense to taxpayers would be agenda item one.

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