Above is a rendering of the planned Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Sculpture that was to be installed in a park within the California desert city's downtown. The sculpture is the work of respected Palm Springs artist Phillip K. Smith III and had been approved by the city government.
"The opening at the center is at eye level and allows a view through," Smith said, "[offering] a connection, a sense of hope, a view beyond what is directly in front of you."
Now though, Smith has to redesign the artwork. Apparently some residents believe the nine-foot limestone sculpture looks like a giant anus.
From LGBTQ Nation:
Gene Brake, a local resident and founder of the Jose Sarria Foundation, told [KESQ-TV], "The proposed memorial looks like a graphic depiction of the backside of a human being." More bluntly, Twitter user @BrandonDonkey2 wrote, "The AIDS Memorial looks like a butt hole."
Another local resident, Clay Sales, told the news station, "It's become a laughingstock. Because it looks like what it looks like, it's become a joke. And that's the last thing we want."
The Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force, the group planning the sculpture, said in a letter to residents, "Please know that we've heard the concerns… and a revised design is in process." The task force will reveal the new design later this year, it said.
