Rocky

The August 3rd Inquirer article concerning the relocation of Rocky to art museum steps suggested that the Art Commission was staunchly opposed to the idea of moving the statue so close to the art museum for a number of reasons. Penny Balkin Bach, director of the Fairmount Park Art Association was quoted saying, "There's not a public swell to have it there" and local artist, Moe Brooker, even indicated that the Rocky statue isn't art.

Nevertheless, the interest in the debate, on the streets, in print and online reflects that the public is paying attention. So far, Philadelphians are in overwhemlingly in favor of moving the statue to the museum, regardless of bluenose critics who point to a deficit in the artistic integrity of the whole affair.

To argue as to whether or not Rocky is art, is to delve back into the outdated postulations from early 20 th Century art criticism. Ironically, Duchamp's "Fountain," a porcelain urinal signed "R.Mutt" sits in a gallery just on the other side of the art museum walls as a testament to how the opinions of art critics are less than enduring.

Rocky, whether we like it or not, is an icon from popular urban mythology in Philadelphia . If the she-wolf and her cubs deserve a place in Rome, Rocky deserves a place close to this city's heart. It's from a movie. But I'd point out that Philadelphia is still a young city compared to its European counterparts. Hence, our urban myths and heritage are derived from stories ingrained in the consciousness of the 21st Century public audience, stories from popular culture, from various fictional accounts, and even from movies...

The public loves Rocky because he embodies the spirit of the Philadelphia . He is an underdog who made it to the top, or at least to the top of the art museum steps. In the year 2006, Rocky is our Romulus. 100 years from now, when movies are obsolete, maybe those critical members of the arts community will come down from their pedestal of pretension and snobbery to join Rocky and the rest of Philadelphia at the base of the art museum steps. Until then, we can be grateful to live in a city where the public engages in a debate that affects the urban landscape for future generations.