Corporate Head
Background Information
1990, Terry Allen (artist) and Philip Levine (poet). 5'3"h x 2'1"w x
2'2"d. 725 S. Figueroa Street (Poet's Walk)
During the 1960s, the fascinating people were the beatniks and
hippies who questioned the status quo, who opted out of the capitalist
system by adopting alternative non-materialistic life styles, who
investigated different paths to spiritual fulfillment, who
experimented with their minds, and explored the pleasures and power of
their bodies. When they transformed their beliefs into politics, they
ended America's immoral participation in the civil wars of Southeast
Asia, destroyed the pernicious institution of segregation and broke
down long standing economic barriers based on gender, race, religion
and sexual orientation.
The 1980s, however, were dramatically different. The heroes of
society, the people with the enviable life style, were work driven,
richly compensated investment bankers, stockbrokers, accountants and
lawyers who worked in high rise office buildings. The presidencies of
Ronald Reagan and George Bush defined a decade in which the pursuit of
money, rather than commitment to public service was the measure of the
common good. "Supply side economics," enthusiastically embraced by
President Reagan because it justified generous tax benefits for the
nation's wealthiest citizens and the elimination of government
programs that benefited the middle class and poor, bankrupted the
nation within twelve short years by quadrupling the national debt from
$1 trillion to $4 trillion. Calling government the "enemy," the Reagan
and Bush administrations proceeded to sell off America's precious
public resources to the highest bidder. One of the most egregious
consequences of the abandonment of a sense of community was the
ill-conceived support of deregulation of the Savings and Loan industry
by the Reagan administration, which saddled the American taxpayer with
a $500 billion bailout. As ethics took an extended holiday during the
1980s, fiscal irresponsibility at the highest level was joined by a
pervasive nation-wide moral bankruptcy. Even at Berkeley, the students
not only cheered when Wall Street financier (and later an admitted
felon) Ivan Boesky proclaimed "Greed is all right...everyone should be
a little bit greedy," they invited him back to deliver the business
school commencement address.(1) Against this background of economic
decline and moral decay, "Corporate Head" was dedicated.
By taking aim at the values and ethics of the foot soldiers and
icons of the Reagan-Bush years, "Corporate Head" instantly became one
of the most popular works of public art in Los Angeles. Though small
in size, it raises large issues with its critique of the greed and the
lack of moral direction that define corporate mentality. Allen depicts
a businessman leaning over, bowing and burying his head into the
physical and corporate structure symbolized by the building. Combined
with Levine's poem (which must be read by imitating the posture of the
statue)(2), this portrait is also sympathetic to the individual, who
is subjected to economic pressures in order to survive.
They said
I had a head
for business.
The said
to get ahead
I had to lose
my head.
They said
be concrete
& I became
concrete.
They said
go, my son,
multiply,
divide, conquer.
I did my best.
In 1989, Kathy Lucoff, Prudential Realty's art consultant,
contacted Allen and invited him to participate in the "Poet's Walk."
She described the project as involving a collaboration with a poet,
but told him that he would be responsible for selecting the site for
the work. Allen subsequently visited the office and retail project,
took pictures, and was struck at how "ugly it was."(3) After being
advised he could not install his work off the property, Allen focused
on placing it at the front of the building, where it is highly
visible, capped by the building's address, and invites interaction by
people entering or leaving the building.
The collaboration between Allen and Levine was unique at the
Poets' Walk because they were the only team with prior contact, having
met during the 1970s when they both taught at California State
University, Fresno. Though Levine was only one of several poets that
Lucoff proposed as collaborators, Allen called him and invited him to
join the project. Levine agreed to participate and flew out to Allen's
home in Santa Fe, where they considered various concepts. One of the
least serious concepts was placing a washing machine in front of the
building as a symbol for the laundering of money. Allen's renderings
of other concepts included a businessman upside down on a pedestal,
and a businessman with his briefcase open and papers flying out.
However, as soon as he did a doodle of a figure bending over, Allen
knew it was right. Levine and Allen informed Lucoff that the bending
businessman was their proposal, but she reported later that Prudential
Realty found the proposal unacceptable. Allen, however, insisted that
Lucoff submit a drawing of the proposal to her client, rather than
just describe it. When Lucoff resisted, Allen informed her that the
design was their only proposal, and he and Levine were leaving the
project if it was not accepted. Lucoff then submitted the design to
Rolf Kleinhans, Prudential Realty's representative, who loved it and
immediately approved it.
With the basic design accepted, Allen refined it by using a friend
and lawyer as a model. Allen took photographs of his friend dressed in
corporate business attire, carrying his briefcase, and bending over
toward a wall. An armature was constructed from the photographs and
covered with clay. After shaping the slightly larger than life figure
and finishing the fine detail, Allen made a wax mold for casting by
the lost wax method.
Source: http://www.publicartinla.com/Downtown/Poetswalk/ahead.html |
