By Dan Nowicki and Rebekah L. Sanders | The Republic | azcentral.com
In bronze, as in life, Barry Goldwater has a knack for finding himself in the middle of controversy.
A new 8-foot-tall, 1,700-pound statue of the late five-term U.S. senator and presidential candidate has two prominent Arizona artists at odds over whether the sculptor relied too heavily on a plaster life mask.
The Goldwater likeness by Deborah Copenhaver Fellows of Sonoita drew praise when it was unveiled March 31 at the Arizona Capitol, where it is on display until later this year, when it will be moved to the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.
But Scottsdale artist Robert Sutz believes the Goldwater countenance is a little too lifelike.
Statement by George Seitts, Rose Law Group energy consultant and former Goldwater Senate aide:
“Those of us who worked for him and the family like [the statue] a lot. The artist did a great good life-like figure at 8 feet tall. Goldwater dead or alive still causes churn. Gets more and better press than many who actually hold office today. And talk about low PR costs.
