“Forgotten Hollywood”- Rising Sun Flap…
Manny P. here…
“`A mural was created in 2016 to honor Ava Gardner and the historic Ambassador Hotel and Cocoanut Grove. In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, a presidential candidate, was murdered at the Ambassador after winning the California Primary. Currently, the location is the site of the Robert F. Kennedy School.
“`The mural image created by Beau Stanton depicts the profile of Gardner, a major star during Hollywood’s Golden Age, and the architectural elements and ornaments from the original site’s brass doors, moorish arches, columns, and palms. This might be a feel-good story; however…
“`Asian groups are demanding the mural be removed because the background resembles the Rising Sun Flag, Japan’s militaristic symbol during the twentieth century. It was primarily used by the military of Imperial Japan and its Self Defense Forces. This is thought to be extremely offensive in countries formally subjected to Japanese imperialism. Allied nations are reminded of Japan’s former war crimes, as well. The flag has been compared to the Nazi swastika.
“`For his part, Stanton says he had zero intention to recreate a symbol of repression and hate. The artist did not want to be in the eye of a controversy. However, Beau argues that the mural should stay for its artistic interpretation of a classic film star and the legacy of an iconic locale.
“`School officials will consider the official complaint and make a decision on whether to keep or remove the mural.
“`Bulletins as they break…
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2018 at 11:06 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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