Our responsibilities transcend our aesthetic proclivities

According to a story by David W. Dunlap in the July 2, 2015 issue of The New York Times (‘Restoring a Lackluster Sculpture, for Legacy’s Sake”), $40,000 of public funding is being spent to restore “Freedom of the Human Spirit”, a bronze sculpture by Marshall M. Fredericks that has been standing in Flushing Meadows Corona Park since the 1964 World’s Fair. A prime example of mid-20^th century monumental sculpture, the work is now out of fashion and favor. Yet, Jonathan Kuhn, Director of Art and Antiquities for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is quoted as saying about its restoration, “Our responsibilities as custodians transcend our aesthetic proclivities.” These words could be the conservator’s motto.