A beautiful winged creature from the controversial Wings of the City exhibit in Greenville, South Carolina 

Greenville's Outdoor Art Exhibit

I made it up to Greenville over the weekend to visit a friend and see the current art exhibit at Falls Park and the Peace Center. Greenville is about a two-hour drive from Atlanta if there's no traffic. 

If you live in the Atlanta area and you're looking for a Covid-friendly, outdoor activity, I'd recommend a visit to Greenville to see Wings of the City. The sculptures are by Jorge Marin of Mexico, and they're stunning. 

His monumental sculptures feature the recurring elements of wings, beaks, and even aviator caps on his subjects. The mythical beings appear to be half-man, half-angel with a bit of bird thrown in. 

The Controversy

When my friend told me the sculptures were controversial in Greenville, I had to go see them. I'd seen photos and couldn't understand why they'd cause a stir. 

Having seen them in real life, I still can't understand why they'd cause a stir. Apparently, some people deem the figures indecent. Huh. 

The bodies are beautifully sculpted and lifelike, and there's simply nothing indecent about them. The figures appear to be male and have a loincloth-covered bulge in the front in an anatomically correct position. 

I'm guessing the offended parties have never been to Paris or Rome. Although the Catholic Church censored the human body by demanding fig leaves cover delicate body parts, it didn't always work. 

If you've ever been to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, you know what I mean. The Creation of Adam by Michaelangelo is a beautiful work of art and Adam lounges in all his uncensored glory. 

Shouldn't we celebrate the beauty of the human body in all its many forms? Isn't that why God created it?

I'll leave you to answer that how you see fit. In the meantime, I'll enjoy art in all its many forms. 

I love outdoor art. It livens up a place and brings people together. 

Attending UCSD as a visual arts major, I appreciated the fact that our campus had a substantial outdoor art collection, including the Sun God by Niki de Saint Phalle.

I understand that some art crosses the line and makes people uncomfortable, but I can't understand why people are so offended by a beautifully sculpted human body. If the human body doesn't offend you, take a ride up to Greenville to see these gorgeous mythical beings. 

The hardest part about roaming through the outdoor show will be the heat as the summer progresses. I lucked out - it wasn't too hot and even rained a bit while I was there.

See you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan