Pulitzer-winning art critic Jerry Saltz didn’t hold back while attacking the infamous Dwyane Wade statue in front of the Heat’s home in Miami.
In late October, the eight-foot bust of the NBA legend was unveiled in front of the Kaseya Center. However, fans and critics quickly flamed the piece, claiming it looked nothing like the three-time champion it was meant to honor.
Speaking on Pablo Torre Finds Out, the New York Magazine reviewer burst out about how poorly executed the sculpture was, despite designer Omri Armany claiming that Wade gave him a thumbs up before the reveal.
“That’s an absolute f–king piece of art,” Saltz said. ‘It looks like a little mini-statue on top of a stupid store-bought trophy. There is nothing more than the pose.
“He looks like The Rock, he looks white, which is fine by me, but he has no character or atmosphere. He has no internal scale. He doesn’t feel the material,” he added.
Art critic Jerry Saltz set Dwyane Wade statue on fire in front of the Kaseya Center in Miami
“They found a photograph, scanned it, probably or some shit, and played it,” Saltz continued. ‘It’s shit. How much did they pay for it, $100? 200? They are dogs***.’
Amid the backlash over the sculpture, Armany and fellow sculptor Oscar León stood firm on their piece.
“Anyone who is a little bit critical, come to Miami,” León said on NBC News. “See it in person and you will be pleasantly surprised.”
“(Wade) approved it on the site, approved it in the photos and approved it himself,” Armany added. And if someone doesn’t approve, he can go to Dwyane himself.
However, Saltz did not back down from his criticism, stating that the statue looked like “art by committee.” He also accused León and Armany of defrauding the Miami Heat.
“Those two guys aren’t even artists,” Saltz insisted. ‘They are businessmen. They are scammers (but) they don’t know it.’
Wade poses next to his statue after the October dedication ceremony outside the Kaseya Center
Wade’s legendary NBA career was highlighted by his three NBA championships in Miami.
“Personally, I’m biased, I think it’s one of the best statues ever created because of what it represents to us and to me,” Wade told the Miami Herald despite the criticism.
The statue of Wade depicts his iconic “this is my house” gesture after a double-overtime victory over the Bulls in the 2008-2009 regular season. Armany shared the challenges of Wade’s celebration, compared to other works that portrayed action shots.
“That’s what makes things a little more difficult because, at the end of the day, you’re still looking at hundreds of hundreds of pounds of bronze that have to stand safely for many years,” the sculptor said.
In addition to his Wade piece, Armany was responsible for the Michael Jordan statue in Chicago and several sculptures outside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
His creative hand touched statues of Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and the Kings’ 50th anniversary. A second Kobe Bryant statue was unveiled in August, depicting the late Lakers legend sitting courtside with his late daughter Gigi.