British Library Sculpture
Labeled Sexist by Staff
British Library Chief Executive Brian Lang agreed January 21 to remove a sculpture from the library staff cafeteria after 60 women librarians and curators signed a petition claiming it is sexist, pornographic, and “grossly distorts the female form.” The image was created by Indian-born sculptor Dhruva Mistry, whose intent was to depict the annunciation in which the founder of Buddhism was conceived.
A library spokesperson told the January 21 London Guardian that the women objected “because they had to sit and eat with this rather revealing sculpture of Buddha’s mother, with her large breasts, above them.” The London Telegraph quoted an anonymous petitioner as saying, “You have to look at this thing every day of the week or forgo your lunch. The breasts are huge, in your face, distorted, disturbing, and slightly tacky.”
The sculpture will be moved to a public area of the library near Buddhist texts that can shed light on its symbolism.
Posted January 31, 2000.
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