The State Department is planning to spend $400,000 in taxpayer funds to buy a sculpture for the new American embassy being built in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to contracting records.
The work, by noted American artist John Baldessari, depicts a life-size white camel made of fiberglass staring in puzzlement at the eye of an oversize shiny needle.
Officials explained the decision to purchase the piece of art, titled “Camel Contemplating Needle,” in a four-page document justifying a “sole source” procurement. “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified,” the document explains. “Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country,” it says. (Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle.)
To emphasize Baldassari’s fame, the contracting officials pulled a section from Wikipedia. “John Anthony Baldessari (born June 17, 1931) is an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images.”
In a statement, State Department press spokeswoman Christine Foushee said the proposed purchase comes from the department’s “Office of Art in Embassies.” In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.
Steven Beyer of Beyer Projects, the art dealer for the project, said the government reached out. “They approached us,” he said in a phone interview. “We were, of course, quite surprised.”
The $400,000 price tag “is actually a very a reduced price for this sculpture,” he said. “There is an art market that makes these prices, and this is one of the most prominent American artists.”
Another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display at Hall Wines in Napa Valley, Calif., and Beyer said that copy sold for far more then the State Department would pay.
He points out that while some Americans may find it frivolous for the government to pay for art, others will find it important. “It depends on what part of the public you are in,” he said. “If you go to the museum and enjoy art and are moved by it, things cost what they cost.”
To put the sculpture’s price tag into a local perspective, the average yearly income in impoverished Pakistan is about $1,250 per year, according to the Agency for International Development.
Tell Congress enough is enough – stop wasting our money on garbage!
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
We should feel better because we’re getting a good deal. Reminds me of the story of the thief who bargained done the prices before stealing everything in order to save the shopkeeper a loss.
The art in museums is paid for by endowments, donations, and entrance fees. This is being paid for, involuntarily, by the taxpayer. As an aside, museums shouldn’t be funded by the taxpayer, either–it’s the middle class subsidizing the hoity toity.
1. You are aware that camel and eye of needle is not found in Taanach. When copying an article from goyim, more checking is required.
2. Rich country’s typically display their wealth with fancy embassies, including expensive artwork. This is normal (I didn’t say “wise”, only “normal”).
For $400k it should be gold plated, then it could actually go up in value, like an investment. We could melt it down at any time if we needed the tax money somewhere else. Camel’s are a gold color anyways.
But if it’s fiberglass it may float in the event of a massive flood thus saving the money spent, does anyone know how far above sea level the location is?
The Muslims in Pakistan might be interested to know that the concept a camel and the eye of a needle is a decidedly Xtian one. Perhaps the US was sticking it in their eye (pun intended).
They would be more annoyed if it was an elephant instead (see Baba Metziya 38b).
“In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.” So $400,000.00 is 0.5% of what? More than a couple hundred dollars, you think? If the State Department wants to open this new embassy with a splash, or to engender positive feelings among the locals, let them distribute the (our) money to poor families, make a difference in their lives, upgrade a couple villages, maybe throw some parties or concerts with big name entertainers, maybe open a tech training program for poor people so they have access to improved living conditions, maybe some leisure time, when they can smoke a camel instead of just glom one. Course if they asked me directly, I’d say spend it on American families, job training, medications and support services for old people on fixed incomes, more cops to patrol our streets, improved border security, no end to the need in the U.S.A. Trouble is, people who work in the Department of State are usually not those who work their way through junior college. The concept of hard-earned cash is so declasse. Ethnic, even.
Interesting. They have $400,000.00 to waste on this garbage, but they couldn’t afford to protect the lives of the Americans that were in the embassy in Bengazi! Hillary, where are you?