San Francisco’s Arts Commission has voted to strip Brooklyn sculptor Tom Otterness of one arts contract while letting him finish another (or else lose the $365,000 he’s already been paid) for his having killed a dog on film and called it art back in 1977. Here’s how the Examiner quotes commission chair PJ Johnston:
“I think a prudent decision ... is to penalize him pretty severely for the loss of this major, major creative as well as financial opportunity, but not penalize the San Francisco Department of Health and its hospital and not cost the city an extraordinary amount of money to not receive the work that we contracted for.”
Noted: Otterness’s infamous dog-killing exploit was well-known—he’s been dubbed of late “the Michael Vick of the art world.” Does anyone at the Arts Commission get penalized for hiring him in the first place?
Earlier: Sculptor who once killed dog as ‘art’ gets $750,000 Central Subway contract
