A well-know photo shows an American sailer kissing a young woman in white, presumably a nurse, on V-J Day in Times Square. The photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt and originally published later in
Life magazine was among many of those taken during celebrations across the US on the end to a long, costly war. A war during which many loved ones had been lost. A war which separated husbands and wives, lovers, family for almost four years.
Pictures were being snapped quickly then to capture reactions as the anticipated news of the US victory over Japan was announced. But this particular shot caught something that symbolically stuck ...not only as a moment of sheer, spontaneous joy at the end of a war but as a foreshadowing of the promise ahead .... the return of the soldiers too long gone and of the many, many long-awaited kisses to come. It's probably one of the most romantic photos ever taken even though that particular kiss was between strangers.
More recently, a gigantic, pop-art likeness of "The Kiss," entitled more appropriately that anyone thought "Unconditional Surrender," was raised along the main artery in Sarasota, Florida by the bay. Ever since the sculpted couple's very presence has been consumed with controversy...somewhat akin to the battle caused when the
Rocky statue was originally placed on the steps in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. ( There is something about pop-art that requires ripening before it's ultimately accepted for what it is.)
"Unconditional Surrender" was created by eminent artist,
J. Seward Johnson, known primarily for his iconic man-in-the-street series...yes one of the looks-real bronzes that on one of those late nights out you might have a chat with . The first rendering of "Unconditional Surrender" was a life-sized version that appeared in Times Square in 2005 to commemorate the announcement at 7:03 PM sixty-years before of the end of WWII. Later the 26-foot version was sited at Snug Harbor in New York for a month before being moved to Sarasota where many of the more patriotic residents wanted it to remain. And so far it has, after a brief visit to San Diego a few years back.
After a combative public hearing, city commissioners agreed to accept a donation of a $500,000 from a WWII Vet and to embrace the huge artwork for ten years. Still arguments regarding the kissing duo -- appropriateness for "artsy" Sarasota, legal issues (i.e. derivative work licensing) -- drag on. But in the meantime, the huge sailor and nurse continue to smooch behind the palm trees with Sarasota's gleaming buildings as a backdrop.
And on any given day, in particular one to do with love (and frequently reuniting) -- an anniversary, Valentine's Day, a day marriage is proposed, a wedding day, a celebration of a soldier's return from a current war, or just a day to be in love, you can see a couple strike the pose in the shadow of a moment that captured the promise of hope, renewal and commitment... and everything love is all about.....
Has the statue been moved again. Just received a text from a friend that she can't find it.
ReplyDeleteA car drove across the highway and ran smack dab into the statue. It shattered the leg of the sailor and made many cracks in the Sailor and the Nurse. The statue has been taken down to be sent for replacement or repairs. There seems to be speculation as to whether or not it will return to that spot. (FROM THE TRAVELTWEETER)
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