Thomas J. Price Monumental Sculptures: Everyday Heroes or Harmful Stereotypes?

I have been meaning to talk about these Thomas J. Price sculptures for a while now, and after seeing his latest piece, I figured now would be the time to explain why I don’t like them at all.

In order, all created by Thomas J Price:

1. “Lady in Blue”: This piece depicts a metropolitan “everywoman” walking confidently forward, embodying the essence of everyday life in a vibrant urban setting.
2. “Grounded in the Stars”: Here, Price portrays an everyday, non-heroic figure set against a monumental backdrop typically reserved for historical elites. It’s a striking juxtaposition that urges us to reconsider who gets celebrated in art and history.
3. “Time Unfolding”: In this work, Price contrasts the figure against classic Renaissance statues, showcasing everyday people in historic public spaces. It challenges the viewer to rethink the narratives we associate with such grand settings.
4. “Moments Contained (2022)”: This piece features a casually dressed young woman with braided hair, standing comfortably with her hands in her pockets. It’s a nod to the beauty of casual, everyday moments.
5. “Ancient Feelings (2025)”: This monumental golden sculpture elevates an anonymous, everyday Black woman to the scale and prestige of a historic public monument, challenging the traditional power dynamics surrounding such representations.
6. “As Sounds Turn to Noise”: In this piece, a realistic figure of a young Black woman clad in casual, everyday athletic wear is captured, presenting the ordinary as something worthy of monumental recognition.

Thomas J. Price creates his monumental sculptures to challenge traditional power structures, question historical representation, and foreground the value of ordinary, marginalized individuals.

However, I have some concerns about this approach. Initially, Price argues that by portraying everyday folks in casual clothing, like tracksuits, or absorbed in their mobile phones at a massive, heroic scale, he intends to elevate these everyday experiences to a level historically reserved for grand leaders or military figures. Yet, it seems that all of his work exclusively focuses on Black women.

This brings up a glaring inconsistency in his messaging. It implies that:

• “White men = extraordinary”
• “Black women = ordinary”

Moreover, when he expresses a desire to “challenge traditional power structures” and question historical representation, it’s fair to assume he is primarily addressing the White power structure and representation because his sculptures are prominently positioned in Western contexts (the US, Canada, Italy, and Australia).

I wholeheartedly support artistic expression, but it’s equally crucial to critique the execution of such ideas. In this case, I can’t help but feel that it falls flat. Historically, statues were built to commemorate significant moments, memorialize individuals, connect with the divine, demonstrate power, and express identity. These elements are what draw people to sculptures, evoking awe and reflection.

And while yes, I’ll admit, Price’s monumental sculptures do invoke something in me when I look upon them, and it’s not the emotions he intended.

When I view Price’s work, featuring Black people, specifically Black women, as symbols of the ordinary, it strikes me as potentially harmful in a broader context. The African race is already engaged in a battle against a prevailing narrative that suggests we haven’t contributed anything extraordinary throughout history. This artistic direction may only serve to reinforce those damaging stereotypes. If Thomas J. Price had opted to diversify the representation in his work, incorporating individuals from various racial backgrounds, I believe his message would resonate more powerfully, especially considering the predominantly white society of the Western world where he’s showcasing these pieces.

Lastly, Price claims that his work is a “silent totem for change.” He aimed to cultivate deeper human connection, empathy, and shared humanity through his sculptures. By focusing on the everyday experiences of individuals, particularly those of marginalized backgrounds, he invites viewers to engage in a dialogue about representation and the value of every person’s story. However, by strictly making the everyday person solely a Black woman, Price’s work instead invokes and stirs an already underlying resentment the Western world has toward people of African descent. Well, that is what I fear to be the case anyways. Many who look upon these statues are not struck with empathy or deeper human connection; most instead ponder why these were made in the first place.

The uncomfortable truth that Price fails to realise, or maybe even refuses to acknowledge, is that humans are instinctively drawn to the extraordinary. It’s been like this since the moment the first men in Africa began using tools. We are hardwired to admire those greater than us.

Art is subjective, as many will say; that is precisely why I am sharing my opinion on this piece. I don’t like them as they currently stand and wish they never existed in the first place. If anything, I believe they’re doing more harm than good in the long run.