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Even though Tom Otterness, who just installed his newest creation in DUMBO, cheers up commuting New Yorkers underground...he has a dark past that wouldn't make anyone smile. The artist, in short, shot a dog (that he adopted) for the sake of "art" -- something he did, and filmed, 20 years ago.
He's apologized for the unforgivable act, but with each new piece he creates or installs -- it seems his past will always come back to haunt him. Here is one of his latest emails addressing the situation:
"As you must understand this is a very difficult and painful situation for me. Thirty years ago when I was 25 years old, I made a film in which I shot a dog. It was an indefensible act that I am deeply sorry for.Is the apology enough? The Brooklyn Eagle doubts it was the one many were hoping for. In the meantime, there are still "artists" killing innocent animals; Guillermo Vargas Habacuc tied a dog up, put it on display in a gallery, and starved him to death -- something that will be repeated at the Centroamerican Art Biennial this year.Many of us have experienced profound emotional turmoil and despair. Few have made the mistake I made.
I hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me.
Tom Otterness"
Photo via bgalberta's flickr.
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Asshole.
he was young and stupid. i can forgive. for god's sake people forgive for much more than this...
let that dog that shot his owner in Texas, get a shot at him.
sick fuck, hurting a living being is not art.
It wasn't 20 years ago, it was 31. I'm not quite sure what makes this crime unforgiveable when millions of Americans are complicit in similar crimes every single day.
Dog people can be so annoying. There's no winning move for this guy. Just look at the Save Congo crowd.. they've got a new martyr in Parsippany now.
Man that last part ruined my otherwise pleasant day.
i'm more offended by his cheesy sculptures than by something he did 30 years ago.
another dumbass excuse for bad art
Why the hell does he want the public's forgiveness?
Will that make it somehow less bad?
I fail to see what it is about shooting a dog that's filming-worthy, but we've all done stupid shit in our lives.
he was young and stupid.
He was 25!
I'm not quite sure what makes this crime unforgiveable when millions of Americans are complicit in similar crimes every single day.
Ah, the two wrongs make a right fallacy. A staple of any good internet debate.
According to Snopes the last bit about the starving dog might have been a hoax.
Tom Otterness' story, however, sounds seriously messed up.
"that last part" is a hoax. do you dudes need some research assistants? i charge by the hour.
#6
lol...Parsippany
Jen Carlson writes: "The Brooklyn Eagle doubts it was the one many were hoping for."
The Brooklyn Eagle wrote: "While it remains to be seen if this will mollify Otterness’ critics, it does appear to be the apology many are asking for."
Another detail left out of Jen's summary - bloggers started talking about the old incident, so Brooklyn Eagle contacted Otterness for a comment, and that's why he issued this statement 31 years later.
I'm 26 and I wouldn't shoot a dog for art purposes or any purpose.
Starving, shooting, killing or abusing a dog or any living creature unable to fend for itself (like being tied up) is illegal, immoral and totally reprehensible.
As a working artist I cannot, in any way, comprehend how someone would think these heinous acts could be construed as art. Gallery owners, curators and museum boards who condone and promote these artists and their "work" share in the guilt of the act. I'm appalled.
I wish this guy was in the car with Sean Bell
he's free while the subway groper may get life in jail. I bet he thinks he's cutting edge taping himself shooting a dog Pre You tube/Jackass.
will this make it into SWPL?
thankfully Pb is still cheap.
Anyone who's ever read David Sedaris' account of being a performance artist in the late 70s, early 80s should know that it was a time of crystal meth-fueled foolishness. The very term "performance art" seems drug inspired.
Otterness is an ass for killing a dog, but he seems to have been atoning for that sin for decades by producing original art that brings smiles to people's faces.
Per Sedaris:
As I always do, I rubbed Mr. Moneybags at 14th St. the other week--something that contributes to his shine--and the two German tourists walking behind me reacted as if they'd just seen someone kissing the Blarney Stone. The guy makes public art that makes people think and be happy at the same time.why not take a sledge hammer to some of his so called art.
"The guy makes public art that makes people think and be happy at the same time."
since when is stealing obscure anime characters most americans rarely have seen and making them into sculptures art?
what a cnt
I wonder how many of you idiots chomped down on a burger or some chicken fingers this week?
It's a fucking brute animal, for Chrissakes.
Get over it.
How is this owrse than killing a cow or paving over a forest to build some houses/apartments (like the ones most of us live in)? Boo hoo.
Like I needed a another reason to hate this guy and his stupid little sculptures.
thanks edgar, i was about to write about everyone's hypocrisy here. wearing their leather shoes, riding the central park carriages & imprisoning animals in their homes as pets.
i'm sure all the outraged have donated quite a bit of $ to the aspca & peta. not.
this snuff film is just another example of some kid thinking he's making art, it was 31 years ago. at least he isn't defending it.
His art is great, and a welcome addition now for many years to this city. Maybe like Guv Patterson, he shouldn't even bother to bring up his past - keep it private.
And please do think about animal cruelty as you wolf down your burgers at the Shake Shack.
he's a dog murderer, how else to put it?
and, he glamorized it by filming the murder.
he's no different than a murderer only much more sicker in the head. he is truly a sick animal.
thankfully Pb is still cheap and I wouldn't mind putting one through his head.
NOT ENOUGH!
Unless he becomes an advocate for animal wellfare!
how would he like it if someone snatched his dog
and killed it for art.
anybody know his address, id like to pay him a visit.
Get some perspective people - we're talking about one pooch 30 years ago. Clearly not this guy's finest moment but I don't think you can indict his whole character for the rest of time based on this one event.
With all the horrible stuff happening to humans right now, maybe we should keep our eye on the ball.
Thanks for equating killing an animal with homicide, JacqueMehoff. Brilliant.
By your own logic, I'm 100% certain you are a serial murder.
"JacqueMehoff"
awesome! HA
really? how so, my good man.
didn't this artist shoot a animal? that's murder, my good man. I didn't say homicide, he murdered an animal.
I'm certain you suk kok. sucky sucky.
awesome...i meant your catchy name...
i hate to burst your bubble, jacquemehoff (haha! IT SOUNDS LIKE JACK ME OFF!! THAT'S CLEVER!), but "murder" is the act of one human killing another human.
but good leap in logic!
Why is murder a crime? We all have to go sometime.
Luckily the Pope will be in town. He can ask him for forgiveness.
that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc crap about starving a dog in a gallery wouldn't last a half day in NYC.
The SPCA has to euthanize unwanted dogs and cats, and other animals, especially cows and pigs, are killed in great numbers for food.
I suppose the difference is the motive of the person killing the animal. For mercy, for food, or for art. Though the motive probably doesn't matter that much to the animal.
I don't condemn this guy for having killed a dog - and I'm not a dog lover or anti-gun or anything - but it's hard for me to imagine shooting a dog for no reason, or for artistic or entertainment purposes.
Intentionally harming another living creature for no reason other than the fact that you can says something about the kind of person you are.
in case you somehow missed comment number 1:
Asshole.
seriously, what the fuck is art about killing something, especially cruelly (a gun shot is admittedly more humane than starvation)? there is no valid answer. none. i hope habacuc fucking gets his soon.
and no, i do not eat anything that came from a killed animal, so stfu already.
and edgar (#26), you must be one of the dumbest, least educated motherfuckers alive. we're all sorry your job in the mail room didn't work out, because at least that kept you busy in the basement all day. stay off the ol' world wide internets, douchebag.
Did he go to OCAD?
The Guillermo Vargas Habacuc piece was a hoax, insofar as the dog was only chained up for a few hours a day and was fed. After the show they let the dog back into the streets. I think this is still pretty cruel and unusual.
I really like the Otterness sculptures around the city and I am sad to hear that he is such a terrible person. Getting a dog from a shelter with the intention of killing it is unforgivable to me.
He should try having someone shoot him for art ala Chris Burden instead--who know's, maybe Otterness' assistant won't be such a good shot.
"It's a fucking brute animal, for Chrissakes."
What a medieval argument!
That is the logic of animal abusers!
Maybe you need some compassion(meaning a progresive ethical education) but of course you will avoid that at al costs. It is all about values my friend! and if you don't see that... maybe you are doomed to "bully or be bullied" 'till dead.
Ya so when I was eight i was coloring the sidewalk with chalk and I stepped on a bird. I am mortified by this experience...I think ill go press release these feelings and ask for forgiveness.
How the hell does this jerkartist get so many
commissions i puke everytime I see those murals
at the 28th street subway station, poor crap from
the Beatles yellow submarine era.
Poor Dog, as Ustinov said "when we die perhaps we
are put into a room with all the animals we have eaten and they are pissed",or something like that.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/04/22/2008-04-22_parrots_blossom_into_chatty_pals.html
I think it's great that the NY Daily News mentioned this person today, scroll down to "Art Attack". It says PETA is against him now too. As they should be. I hope it's never forgotten or dropped because this is what he banks on, the other times this was brought up he still went on to make millions more and still stands to make millions combined at WSU and in Philly with Logan Square. He hopes people for get so he can go on taking public money, I hope this time is different and the only people that will pay him are the sick types that like to collect "art" from depraved people.
STOP Tom Otterness in Logan Square
Read this:
http://www.westpennart.com/sculpture3.html
Or click here
Here