A new sculpture of a homeless man entitled, "In the Image,” by artist Ed Massey, unvailed this week at the New Balance building on Wilshire and 26 Street!
The 7' tall male figure -- standing in gait -- confronts his viewer and presents a vision that simultaneously references contemporary social themes and historical religious imagery. The figure, unkempt with a blanket over shoulder and a super-size beverage cup in hand, may appear threatening or ominous from a distance or in dim light. From up close, however, his face and focus are benign and calm. He is a symbol of America's urban street -- a giant in physical stature, but invisible, ignored, misinterpreted, or disdained by many, and possessing the barest social standing.
Good people -- progressive to conservative, secular to religious -- are confronted by the issue everyday. Yet, few know the stories of the homeless with whom we come in contact.What don't we know of those we pass without a glance? What could be their potential contributions? What does the sculpture evoke or say about us?
For the vast majority of people going about their daily routines, the homeless are an invisible distraction -- humans that many depersonalize, walk by, or put out of mind. Such inattention – and at times contempt – has ensured the continuity of the expanding homeless issue.
The homeless person(s) is often the first and most accessible social issue a child growing up or a person new to a city is exposed to. Despite that, the issue persists decade to decade and encumbers some of the most fragile or broken members of America’s social fabric: unemployed, working poor, displaced and disabled veterans; young adults aged out of foster care with no support network or job; child and spousal abuse victims, the mentally ill, addicts, and the plain unfortunate whose lives have turned catastrophic.
For many Americans, the homeless problem only occupies a consequential space in their minds and souls when the homeless become a perceived safety or sanitary risk or “blight” in direct proximity to neighborhoods, commercial zones, or preferred public spaces. That is what may now finally present an opportunity.
Homelessness in cities throughout California and in America – should seem oxymoronic; but nearly 20 years after the sculpture was created -- actionable, proven, and successful remedies on a mass scale are unrealized.
The In the Image work was always intended for the public realm, so viewers and passersby could contemplate their views and elevate their discourse on the issue -- one that has now come to affect us all where we work and live.
In the Image is a portrait of a homeless man Massey encountered 20 years ago. Their chance meeting inspired him to create the work.
In the Image, 1998–2001; Created by Ed Massey, hydrocal, plaster, burlap, concrete, steel, and acrylic paint on steel base, 96 x 36 x 48 inches.