‘NAM WAR MEMORIAL

While you can’t be responsible for the accuracy of every ad in Calendar, I thought I should mention the July 12 ad, run by Galerie Michael, which bills their guest Frederick Hart in bold letters as the “Creator, Vietnam Veteran’s War Memorial.”

Hart is a gifted sculptor, but Galerie Michael goes too far here. When people think of the Vietnam Memorial, they think of the graceful, reflective black wall designed by gifted architect Maya Lin. They rarely, I feel, remember the sculpture of three soldiers which was added to the memorial by Hart--or rather, added by politicians who wanted a more upbeat tone to the memorial.

The committee that commissioned Hart’s sculpture (and I grant it’s excellent work) interfered both artistically and politically with Lin’s design. Galerie Michael does a disservice to Hart, Lin and its patrons by giving the impression that Hart was the creator of the memorial, when in fact his sculpture was rather more of a political afterthought.

BRIAN NELSON

Los Angeles