In a corner of Times Square in New York City, there’s a subsection known as Duffy Square.
There stands two statues, which have been there since the middle of the 20th century. One is that of Father Francis P. Duffy, a military chaplain and member of the New York Army National Guard who served in both the Spanish-American War and World War I. That statue was dedicated by Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia in May of 1937.
Then, in 1959, the statue of Duffy was joined by one of George M. Cohan, the songwriter who received a Congressional Medal of Honor from then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt for writing the unofficial anthem of U.S. troops in World War II, “Over There.” (He’s also responsible for “Give My Regards to Broadway,” “The Yankee Doodle Boy,” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” for those of you keeping track at home.)
Those two eminences are now joined by a “plus-sized black woman.” What plus-sized black woman? Well, what plus-sized black woman do you want her to be?
No, seriously: That’s apparently the artistic intent behind the statue “Grounded in the Stars” by Thomas J., Price, a 12-foot-fall bronze sculpture which, according to the official Times Square website, “reimagines both the monument and monumentality in Times Square.”
“A fictionalized character constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London, the young woman depicted in ‘Grounded in the Stars’ carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing,” the website said.
“In her depiction, one recognizes a shared humanity, yet the contrapposto pose of her body and the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s ‘David.’ Through scale, materiality, and posture, ‘Grounded in the Stars’ disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization.”
Grounded in the Stars – A groundbreaking 12-ft bronze sculpture by Thomas J. Price now stands at Times Square until June 17, 2025! 🌟 This piece challenges traditional public monuments, celebrating diversity and inviting everyone to interact. Don’t miss the stunning animations… pic.twitter.com/IEOoPwgKmw
— Artmajeur (@artmajeur) April 30, 2025
Ah, yes, it “disrupts!” I’m pretty sure I chose the wrong career path: I ought to have just gone to every major blue-city planning commission looking for submissions for publicly funded art pieces, just written the word “disrupt” on a piece of paper, and gotten a six-figure commission.
Have you ever been to Times Square?
And apparently, it’s not hard to get attention for “disruption,” or even to qualify for “disrupting,” since this looks like a fake-bronze plastic statue that resulted from hooking a ChatGPT-enabled laptop up to a 3D printer and entering the prompt “Create a bored person in line at Target.”
But we’re supposed to believe this is akin to Michelangelo’s “David,” or that the thought of it even crossed the artist’s mind. Sure, Jan.
“Times Square stands as an iconic symbol and site of convergence, uniting people from all walks of life, individual stories, and experiences intersecting on a global platform. The intention of my public works is to become part of the place they inhabit and its physical, material history, as well as the visitors that pass through and around the location, no matter how fleeting,” Price is quoted as saying in the Times Square statement.
And, of course, it’s meant to disrupt via intersectionality.
“Installed at ground level on a wide low base, the work invites engagement with the hundreds of thousands of people who traverse the plazas each day, the woman in ‘Grounded in the Stars’ cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments — both white, both men — which bookend Duffy Square, while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur,” the statement read.
“In a culture that increasingly encourages a faster pace, ‘Grounded in the Stars’ is an introspective meditation on humanity. Price’s work offers viewers a unique opportunity to experience Times Square in a new light, and share in a moment of personal reflection and empathy amidst the hyperactivity of the district.”
So basically, the statement is this: If you’re a white man, we expect something of you to deserve a statue. If you’re a black woman, say, you simply need to exist. It helps if you’re overweight and anonymous. Congratulations on the most self-defeating example of elitist racism I’ve seen in quite some time, Thomas Price and New York City.
By the way, this is part of Price’s “Man Series,” which are apparently stop-motion animations that play on Times Square’s billboards, a sculptural installation that (the Times Square website’s words) “forms a two-part takeover in Times Square that foregrounds the intrinsic value of the individual and amplifies traditionally marginalized bodies on a monumental scale.”
Oh, it foregrounds something on a monumental scale, all right. I’ll give it that much.
This dim provocation drew the usual reactions: You either recited the shibboleths of the enlightened, or you scoffed. Here’s a lot of the former from a WCBS-TV report:
As for the latter, look to social media, because local TV ain’t going to play the reality game:
“Grounded in the Stars disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization.”
The aesthetic of an overweight black woman is worth immortalizing? pic.twitter.com/LGykEZk0FC
— TBR (@_BarringtonII) May 7, 2025
A 12-foot bronze statue in times square, through June 17th. The Thomas J. Price piece, called “Grounded with the Stars,” is a realistic representation of the girl at Chipotle after asking her to put another scoop of peppers on your burrito bowl pic.twitter.com/VCDzo60yDV
— John Buck (@BucknerNYNY) May 6, 2025
We used to be a proper society that made exquisite art. pic.twitter.com/iZMtksZpDf
— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 (@WaywardGreg) May 7, 2025
Mercifully, this lazy attempt at provocation will only be in Duffy Square until June 17. One wonders what’s next. An obese Native American playing “Pokémon Scarlet” on his couch, titled “Catching Them All” — and compared, by its artist, to the “Venus de Milo”? A transgender individual scrolling through TikTok, titled “Change from the East”? Or someone who actually did something worthwhile?
Hah, silly me. I knew that last one was a bit too hyperbolic.
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