The world saw its first glimpse of The Embrace by Hank Willis Thomas on January 13. This 40 ft wide, 20 ft tall bronze memorializing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. immediately began trending.
A spike in popularity is a dream for any artist, though not for the reasons Thomas’ sculpture was being discussed. To put it lightly, the shared image was undeniably phallic.
Shot from above, an angle most viewers wouldn’t get in person, critics who saw the photo let loose. Everything from outrage over the sexualization and mockery of the Kings to the deracialization of their legacy was talked about.
The work depicts an embrace between Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, his wife. Drawing from a photo taken just after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, The Embrace captures the couple’s arms, hands, and shoulders as they lean into each other. When asked, Thomas said he wanted to convey love and partnership through his work. He chose an image where King balanced his weight on Scott, showing the support she provided in his work and movement.
Scott met King on a blind date in 1952. They shared the belief that Christianity demanded personal action and sacrifice, which later served as the foundation of King’s activism.
Over the next few years, the pair crafted a philosophy of non-violence, supported by the research of B.R. Ambedkar on the immorality of caste systems and group oppression. Research Scott introduced to King. They attended activist meetings together, often running into friends of Coretta who would later aid her husband.
Thomas saw the integral role Coretta Scott King played in the cultivation of MLK’s philosophy and the eventual winning of the Nobel Prize. In wanting to highlight their love, Thomas designed The Embrace.
Embrace Boston, formerly known as MLK Boston, is the non-profit that funded the work. Thomas submitted his design to an open call looking for artists to create a memorial to MLK in Boston. Several years and $10 million later, the work was created.
All public artwork is subject to critique. There is no one way to create a memorial. However, there are traditions our culture is accustomed to. Representational, figurative depiction of individuals or moments has been the primary way of crafting memorials.
For centuries, this European style of realistic representation has been the default method of honoring public figures. Though, if we are to begin honoring those who have not been a part of the discourse thus far, why would we use the same visual language?
Thomas’ abstracted figurative approach opposed the traditions used in European and Confederate monuments, opening a door to new ways of memorializing heroes.
Seneca Scott, the cousin of Coretta Scott and Oakland-based activist, lobbed a brutal critique at The Embrace, calling it “an insult to Black people everywhere.” He felt especially angry for the seemingly sexualized representation of the couple. He let his critiques be known through an essay titled A Masturbatory ‘Homage’ to My Family.
Scott was invited onto Tucker Carlson’s show to speak about the sculpture in an interview that devolved into a discussion of conspiracy theories and misinformation. Most notably, Scott claimed the sculpture was paid for by public funds.
Embrace Boston opened its call for art and began taking private donations to fund the work. They devoted most of the donations to creating the sculpture while allocating what they could to research and community lobbying.
Scott has since rescinded his critique of the funding since learning this information.
On the other hand, the sculpture has received considerable praise from those who have seen it in person. Martin Luther King III, MLK’s son, said the sculpture “truly signifies the bonds of love shared by my parents.”
Presentation is often everything. MLK III visited the work when it was unveiled in Boston Commons, while Seneca Scott based his essay on photos of the work. As did Leslie Jones, who joked the sculpture is a celebration of anyone “who’s ever been eaten out” on her debut as a Daily Show correspondent.
Less popular images shared show the intentions of the sculpture. From each side, the arms come together to form hearts. The circular orientation of the work allows onlookers to walk into the hug and look through the couple’s arms toward the sky.
Yes, from one angle the sculpture looks like two hands wrapped around a penis. Though, a viewer would have to be at least 25 feet tall to see this in person.
As with all public works, any publicity is good publicity. Hopefully, as the memes die down and more people can see The Embrace in person, this memorial will take on a similar cultural significance to the Lincoln Memorial or Vietnam Memorial – two works that embody their own visual language to properly convey the heroes they represent.
Essie Somma is an artist and freelance writer exploring beauty and difficulty within the human experience. She has been traveling full-time for two years, learning about new places and cultures, and bringing all of her experiences to her work. She feels endlessly grateful for getting to share her work with others.
