ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Morning News

New Mexico Sculptor Discusses Alterations to Fountain Depicting Boy With Water Gun

Aired August 2, 2000 - 11:18 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We go now to Santa Fe, New Mexico where, after 21 years, suddenly an art statue there finds itself in hot water; so much so that the sculptor has agreed to take the chisel once again and alter her once-popular work.

The sculptor, Linda Strong, joins us now. She's on the phone with us from Santa Fe.

Linda, good morning. Thanks for joining us.

LINDA STRONG, SCULPTOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: First explain to us the original inspiration of the sculpture and what you were trying to depict.

STRONG: I have a lot of children and we always had squirt gun fights in our house, you know. We had a hose and we had water and it was originally meant to be in fun and joy and youthfulness.

KAGAN: So it's kind of hard to tell from the photograph we have, but as I understand it, it's just two kids, one a girl with a hose, and then one a boy with a squirt gun.

STRONG: Yes.

KAGAN: And they're squirting at each other.

STRONG: Yes.

KAGAN: All fun and game, and who knew?

STRONG: Yes.

KAGAN: Right. And so here we are 21 years later, a lot of violent things have happened and America's changed quite a bit, and some people not too happy about the little boy holding a squirt gun.

STRONG: That's absolutely correct.

KAGAN: And so you've decided to make a change. Explain to us the change.

STRONG: Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to remove the little boy's hand which has the gun in it, and I have cast a new hand with a hose so they'll both be having a hose fight instead of a squirt gun fight.

KAGAN: And how do you feel about making that change?

STRONG: I feel good about it because we are absolutely -- everybody is responsible for all the violence. It's not one individual or one country or one media or whatever. We're all responsible and I -- and it's just a little bit that I can do in my part of the world to help make a statement.

KAGAN: But, Linda, you know there's some people out there just rolling their eyes going, oh my gosh, this political correctness stuff has just gone too far; it's a kid holding a squirt gun. What do you say to them?

STRONG: Well, at the time if there had been something like a Super Soaker available, I might have made it look like that and it wouldn't have looked like a gun. But now, in the winter when the water isn't shooting through it and the snow is sitting on top of it, it -- I have to admit it just looks like a gun.

KAGAN: How long do you think it's going to take you?

STRONG: It's going to take all day. I'm hoping we get it done in one day.

KAGAN: Well, we will wish you luck with that. It's an interesting story, interesting issues we face in this time.

Linda Strong from Santa Fe, New Mexico, thank you for joining us. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.