Jerry Saltz went to the unveiling of a new statue of Andy Warhol that is only on display for six months in New York’s Union Square. Despite the brief exhibition–and his disappointment in Rob Pruitt’s work–Saltz thinks New York needs a destination for young and ambitious:

I love the passion behind it and the idea of putting this sculpture in this place at this time. It beautifully evokes the pathos, perversity, and runaway genius of this great swish-hero-artist. Pruitt is right when he says, “Every day, a thousand more kids come to New York propelled by Andy’s legacy … [making] this pilgrimage, coming here to make it big, to be an artist. Like Oscar Wilde’s grave at Père Lachaise, there should be a destination in New York to mark that journey. I think something needs to be in the streets of New York, something you could visit at four-thirty in the morning.” Pruitt’s monument will be on view only through October 2. It should be left here forever.

Jerry Saltz on the Unveiling of The Andy Monument (New York)