Podcast Summary: Pablo Torre Finds Out — "From Ronaldo to D-Wade: Athlete Statues, Reviewed by Pulitzer-Winning Art Critic Jerry Saltz"

Date: December 3, 2024
Host: Pablo Torre
Guest: Jerry Saltz (Pulitzer-winning Art Critic)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the curious and often controversial world of athlete statues. Pablo Torre invites acclaimed art critic Jerry Saltz to rigorously evaluate statues of iconic sports figures — from Dwyane Wade to Cristiano Ronaldo — providing sharp insights on what makes (or breaks) a tribute. With humor, candor, and art-world expertise, Saltz breaks down the aesthetic, cultural, and emotional weight behind these monuments and what they say about both the subjects and society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jerry Saltz's Background and Art World Perspective

• Saltz’s accidental social media fame:
  • Jerry recounts how he was introduced to Instagram by a student and uses it, despite technical challenges, as his primary social outlet.
    • "My second self is my first self...my online life is where all my fun is.” (04:53, Saltz)
• Art critic’s life:
  • Saltz describes the intensity and isolation of being a full-time critic—constantly viewing art but living a solitary existence.
• Journey to art criticism:
  • Saltz didn’t attend college, worked as a long-distance truck driver, and only began writing art criticism in his 40s.
    • "Anybody listening to this? I am a much bigger loser than even you. I have no degrees, never went to school. I really don't know anything. I became an artist. I moved to New York when I was 27." (09:53, Saltz)

2. Philosophy of Criticism and Envy

• Love through critique:
  • Saltz advocates for real, sometimes brutal, criticism as an act of love in both art and sports.
    • "Love means also being critical... for some reason, art critics are expected to love everything." (18:00, Saltz)
• Navigating envy:
  • Warns artists (and, by analogy, others) against being consumed by the success of peers.

3. The Economics and Elitism of Art

• Art markets vs. art as experience:
  • Criticizes the commercialization of art ("obscene" auction prices), but notes that art’s core value is its power to create “ecstatic truths.” (20:06)

4. Critiquing Athlete Statues

Dwyane Wade Statue

• Saltz’s reaction:
  • Highly critical, calling it uninspired, formulaic, and lacking character.
    • "That is an absolute work of art because it looks like a little mini statue on an idiotic store bought trophy. It's crap." (26:16, Saltz)
  • Observes that the work was likely made via photorealistic scanning, missing any sense of “touch, hand, or artistry.”
    • "There's nothing to it other than the pose...it has no character, it has no ambiance, it has no internal scale." (26:16)
• Debate about realism and likeness:
  • Saltz cares little for perfect resemblance, emphasizing expressive or material qualities.

Rocky Statue (Philadelphia)

• Functionality vs. artistry:
  • Saltz criticizes the sculpture for being generic and formulaic, despite its iconic subject.
    • "You could put the name Wade Johnson on this, it would be the same." (32:09)

Michael Jordan Statue (Chicago)

• Praise for baroque drama:
  • Appreciates the “cinematic” athleticism and drama:
    • "This is an action shot. This is a frozen moment in time...The person underneath him becomes meaningless... That's mortal reality, immortal reality." (33:09–34:27, Saltz)
• Notices detail and nuance:
  • Even critiques the “humunculus” at the sculpture’s base, giving the work a surreal touch.

Brandi Chastain Hall of Fame Plaque

• Mimesis goes awry:
  • Saltz finds the likeness so off that it becomes interesting in a different (unintentional) way.
    • "They've taken a thin woman, a blonde, and made her into Gertrude Stein...or a Russian policewoman." (35:52)
• Chastain’s own reaction:
  • “It’s not the most flattering, but it’s nice.” (36:32, Chastain via Torre)

Cristiano Ronaldo Bust

• From travesty to folk brilliance:
  • Saltz loves the wild, asymmetric features, seeing accidental genius rather than failure:
    • "That could be a great piece of folk art. That is a great piece of up. Super crazy, manneristic...the face is completely crooked. The eyes are asymmetrical...I'd love to meet that artist. That is wild." (37:21)
• Encourages more boldness:
  • Advises the artist to lean fully into their strange, expressive style.

5. The Butter Sculpture of Pablo Torre

• Live reveal & tactile review:
  • In an irreverent finale, Pablo’s staff unveils a life-sized butter bust of him.
  • Saltz delights in the work’s craftsmanship and medium, tying it back to the Midwest traditions of butter sculpture.
    • "I'm a huge fan of butter sculpture, being from the Midwest. This is just lovely. I think it's just lovely. I want to touch it a lot." (41:51)
• Symbolic and existential reflections:
  • Pablo and Saltz riff humorously on the existential meaning of seeing oneself memorialized in dairy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social Media:
  • "As long as I can stay logged in, I love it. I don't know how to do anything, though." (00:39, Saltz)
• On Art Criticism:
  • "You have to make an enemy of envy." (17:46, Saltz)
  • “No artist owns the meaning of their own work.” (21:18, Saltz citing his wife Roberta Smith)
• On Athlete Statues:
  • "How much did they pay for it? $100? 200?" (27:12, Saltz on the Wade statue)
  • "It's a happy medium between thinking and non thinking. That looks like a photograph in three dimensions." (30:43, Saltz on the Wade statue)
  • "Some of the greatest sculpture ever made was made in Greece and Rome of athletes." (31:25, Saltz)
• On the Ronaldo Bust:
  • "I would tell that artist to push all these ideas, get rid of the computer, get rid of the realism, and just go for it." (38:26, Saltz)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Saltz's background: 00:00 – 09:53
• Saltz’s art journey & advocacy for criticism: 09:54 – 18:00
• On art, money, and society: 19:33 – 20:53
• Discussion of Obama’s presidential portrait: 21:13 – 24:43
• Start of athlete statue critiques (Wade, Rocky, Jordan, Chastain, Ronaldo): 24:43 – 38:26
• Butter sculpture reveal & existential musings: 39:02 – 44:48

Tone

The conversation is lively, irreverent, and honest—with Pablo’s curiosity and humor perfectly matched by Saltz’s disarming candor and wit. Saltz’s monologues often swing from comedic self-deprecation to incisive art-world analysis, making complex ideas enjoyable and accessible.

Summary Takeaway

Jerry Saltz’s deep art-world perspective (and his outsider’s eye for athletic celebrity) transforms a lighthearted look at statues into an examination of how we choose to remember—and commodify—talent, heroism, and myth. Along the way, the episode reminds listeners that the line between success, mockery, and true artistic revelation is a lot blurrier—and more fun—than it first appears.