Should they stay or go was the question posed earlier in the year when Leonard Glasser’s sculpture “The Sunbathers” showed enough deterioration to be declared irreparable. In a rare move, the Arts Commission decided to de-accession the piece.
But, visitors to Nita Carmen Park where the two figures of a man and woman had reposed since 1983, vociferously protested the removal, and the City Council reconsidered.
First installed in powder coated steel at a cost of $6,000 and later restored with a white-wash, they will be re-crafted by the San Fernando Valley artist in more durable stainless steel, as Glasser first suggested when the Arts Commission suggested removal.
Whether the female figure will wear a bikini again, as was requested by the city in 1983, is open to conjecture. “It’s an abstract stainless steel sculpture; no one puts a bathing suit on that,” said Glasser. “It’s like putting a belt on the man’s pants and laces into his shoes. It’s just silly.”
What will change is the original platform’s height to 12 inches, intended to deter dogs from leaving their mark on the pair.
The projected estimate for the stainless steel version is $7,000 with an extra $4,000 to replace the base.
“The City Council gave me until the end of the year to complete the new version, but I am sure I can complete it before that,” Glasser said in an interview this week.
“The city will be happy. It will look great and I hope there’s a big party when it’s re-installed.”
