PORTLAND, ORE. (AP) Numerous citizens of Bend, a community in central Oregon, have been delighted by the googly eyes that have been adorning statues all over the city. This has been a viral sensation that has been extensively covered by news sources and featured on a well-known late-night talk show.
The city posted images of Google Eyes on social media for its so-called Roundabout Art Route, which consists of installations in the center of roundabouts. In one image, googly eyes are affixed to a sphere, and in another, they are positioned on a sculpture of two deer. Who has been placing them on the statues is still unknown.
The city stated in its posts that although the googly eyes positioned on the many artworks throughout the town may make you laugh, it is expensive to carefully remove them without destroying the artwork.
Hundreds of people commented on the Facebook post, many of them expressed their admiration for the googly eyes. Using a nickname for the Phoenix Rising sculpture, one user said, “My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh.” The googly eyes are adorable. It’s becoming really stuffy in this town. Let’s enjoy ourselves!
Another Facebook user commented: I think the deer’s googly eyes in particular look fantastic and ought to remain that way.
This image provided by the City of Bend, Oregon, shows a pair of googly eyes placed on a public art sculpture in Bend, Ore. (City of Bend, Oregon, via AP)
ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Others said that rather than wasting time and money on googly eye removal, the city should concentrate on tackling more pressing problems like homelessness.
Other seasonal decorations, such as leis, wreaths, and Santa hats, have been added to the city’s sculptures over the years. According to Rene Mitchell, director of communications for Bend, the city doesn’t remove those and sees the googly eyes differently because of the adhesive, she told The Associated Press.
Our community is strongly encouraged to enjoy themselves and interact with the art. “All we have to do is make sure we can keep it safe and that it doesn’t get damaged,” she stated.
News organizations reported on the post and its remarks, and it even appeared in a segment of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. According to Mitchell, the city is sorry that its post was misinterpreted.
“We definitely understand how that might have been interpreted, and there was no intention to be overbearing,” she said. We have a sizable collection of public artwork, and we sincerely hope to raise community awareness that using adhesives might damage artwork. We wanted to share that on social media as guardians of the collection.
According to Mitchell, the city has already paid $1,500 to remove googly eyes from seven of the eight affected sculptures. Additionally, the city has begun treating some of the artwork, which is composed of various metals including steel and bronze. According to her, it could be necessary to completely repaint the Phoenix Rising sculpture.
Like the other holiday items, the googly eyes give some people a much-needed injection of festive cheer.
One social media commenter stated, “I’m excited to see the creativity of whoever it is that decorates the roundabouts during the holidays.” Seeing silliness makes everyone grin.
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