User:Cullen328/sandbox/Portrait of George

Portrait of George is a controversial 1981 sculpture by Robert Arneson, depicting San Francisco mayor George Moscone, who was assassinated in 1978. Originally commissioned by the city's art commission for display at Moscone Center, the sculpture was rejected and retained by the artist. It was part of a private collection for many years, until it was acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2012.

Background
Robert Arneson (1930 - 1992) was a sculptor and professor of art at the University of California, Davis. A leading figure in the Funk art movement, he was known for his irreverent and whimsical style.

George Moscone (1929 - 1978) was a San Francisco politician. After previously serving on the city's Board of Supervisors and as a State Senator, Moscone was elected mayor in 1975. Moscone was considered a progressive and a political ally of gay supervisor Harvey Milk. On November 27, 1978, Moscone and Milk were assassinated by conservative supervisor Dan White (1946 - 1985). When White, who had been accused of first degree murder, was convicted only of manslaughter on May 21, 1979, riots and a police counterattack occurred, which resulted in injuries to over 60 police officers and over 80 civilians.

As mayor, Moscone had negotiated an agreement to build a city-owned convention center in the South of Market neighborhood. After his death, the project was named after him. The San Francisco Arts Commission commissioned six works of public art intended for display in the convention center. Arneson received a commission for $37,000 in 1980 for his proposed bust of Moscone, and received an initial $18,500 payment. He completed the work in time for the dedication of the convention center in December, 1981.

The sculpture
Portrait of George is a large glazed ceramic sculpture which stands 7ft 10in tall. The upper third of the sculpture is a portrait bust of Moscone, from the shirt collar up. The lower two-thirds is a pedestal in the form of a stepped column. A large reproduction of Moscone's signature is highly visible at the front of the base. The pedestal is decorated in a manner that evokes graffiti with a variety of sculptural reminders of Moscone's life and death. Slogans on the pedestal include "Harvey Milk Too", "Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang", and "Trust me on this one", the last a reference to one of Moscone's common catchphrases. Another of Moscone's favorite phrases, "Is Everybody Having Fun?" was also inscribed. The pedestal also includes an impression of a pistol, smears of red glaze that recall blood, a body outline, and molded bullet holes. Other phrases on the sculpture included " Hastings Law School", "shrimpers & rice, everything’s nice". Phrases described as "highly charged" included "Smith and Wesson", "Twinkies" and "leaky as a sieve", the last a reference to poor security that may have led to the assassination.

Controversy
The sculpture has been described as "Among Arneson's most controversial works", and the controversy was "vitriolic".

Arneson received "an avalanche of publicity" that helped develop his reputation as an "artist of consequence".

Critical assessment
Pulitzer Prize winning critic Allan Temko called the sculpture "a potent piece of social commentary that, rather, than deify Moscone, tells the truth of his life and death".

Neal Benezra, director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, described the sculpture in 2012 as "incredibly powerful," saying, "You hope a work of art will retain that over time. It's amazing how powerful this is all these years later."

https://www.sfgate.com/art/article/SFMOMA-to-display-divisive-George-Moscone-bust-3601068.php

https://books.google.com/books?id=nBIM6iKsaoEC&pg=PA97&dq=portrait+of+george+by+robert+arneson&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6vp6g_dj1AhW9IEQIHUiFACUQ6AF6BAgFEAM