Pittsburgh hits it home

There's no doubt as to what Pittsburgh PA values most in its civic life.
At least memorially.
Sports figures in bronze dot the town- and even take the spots that might once have gone to business and political leaders.
Two figures stand next to each other at the Pittsburgh Airport- George Washington and Franco Harris. Guess who gets the most attention from passersby? Who is the background for more photo ops?

(Photo from Discover magazine wweebsite)

http://tribune-democrat.com/sports/x2029129981/Pittsburgh-filled-with-statues-of-sports-heroes

Holy cellphones!!!

If you haven't heard, there's a uproar in the Netherlands about a new sculpture on a 13th century church  these days.
The new piece is an angel- obviously meant for the 21st century. She's in a pantsuit and talking on a cellphone. I'm fascinated by people  and their cells, so this was a natural for me.
The statue goes far beyond being a visual rest, though.

(photo from cellular-news.com)

One woman started an "angel hotline" for people to call in their questions and thoughts. It's been so successful that the church has followed suit.
For a great video of this go to http://www.aljazeera.com/video/europe/2012/03/201231985650964997.html

Debate!

Just a link today guys- but a pretty engaging one.
http://www.debate.org/debates/People-should-be-allowed-to-erect-public-statues-of-whoever-they-choose/1/
Let me know what you think!

San Diego's Kissing Battle!

I can ignore it no more.
The ongoing battle to keep a permanent version of the statue "Unconditional Surrender" based on the WWII photo by a guy I know has heated up and involves politics, art, hurt feelings, and public office resignation. The best of the culture battles that are public art.

(Photo from Roadside America)

Seems that the statue, which has been on loan to the city since 2007 is an offense to the taste of many of the city's art committee members. It's 25 feet tall, brightly colored, and based on a picture (original photographer in hot contention) of sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day, celebrating the end of World War II.

The committee gave it the thumbs down in November when someone proposed a permanent version in bronze. But in a March 6 vote, the city did not agree. Calling it magical, they said if the backers can raise the necessary $1 million to build it, the city welcomes the new piece.

Exit 2 of the city's Public Arts Committee members. Another accused the city have having no taste.

But the battle is about more than just taste, it's about the role of art committees and arts commissions in general. It's been going on, actually, since the 19th centure when the US cities started forming them to deal with public art.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/mar/15/kiss-statue-leads-resignations-disappointment/

From generation unto generation

We're all pretty familiar with the city-wide fiberglass sculpture projects that have sent animals trailing across our urban maps ever since the late 20th century.
The basic form of whatever animal (lions in Zurich, Switzerland in 1988, cows in Chicago in 1999, horses in Tucson, Cod in Boston and elephants and donkeys in DC) is given to various artists to decorate in their own image. They're whimsical and serious, beautiful, funny and grotesque.
Fabulous, and, of course, lucrative for the charities that sponsor them and who benefit from their post-display auction.
It's a real international concept in the public art world- and one to be applauded as far as I'm concerned.
(See more on the trend at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CowParade)

Today, British Columbia is adding an exciting new twist to the concept.
They're producing steel-reinforced fiberglass Terra Cotta Warriors for the city's delight.
Beyond a community art project/fundraiser, they are meant to be a tribute to the importance of Chinese immigrants to their area.
The only caveat to the artists, according to a spokesperson, is, "As a measure of respect to the culture from where the figures originated, society president Stephen Miller said Wednesday there won’t be anything like statues in Canucks colours. So, forget about a “Luongo” or even a “Darth” warrior."

This "art on art" concept opens a whole world of possibilities in the future. Aside from all the other benefits mentioned above, it could be a way of familiarizing people with classic sculpture from a variety of countries.
Michelangelo's "David" (uh, oh- not in the USA, I'm afraid...)?
The Sphinx?
Easter Island Heads?
I can hardly wait!!!

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Terracotta+Warriors+chosen+Lions+charity+statue+theme/6302985/story.html#ixzz1pDGB2qSs

An Equestrian at Last!

(Photo from http://www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth/)

It's all come around again in a way.
When the four plinths that surround Trafalger Square in London were erected in the mid 19th century, two of them were meant to hold standing bronze guys and two were meant to hold equestrian  bronze guys. All went well until the money ran out, though, and for 150 years, the fourth plinth remained empty.
Then, in 1998, after a nudge by a reader of The Evening Standard and an art critic to install George III on the site, the Royal Society of Arts came up with the brilliant plan of using it for temporary sculptures by international artists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_plinth
Competition for the spot has been fierce ever since it opened with a tiny figure of Christ called "Ecce Homo"
The range of pieces has been amazing and controversial. The latest, installed last month, takes the plinth back to its original intent- in a way.
It now holds an equestrian piece (called Powerless Structure, Fig. 101) at last. But the equestrian is a young boy on a rocking horse. at 13 feet tall, it's hard to miss.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/feb/23/sensitive-fragile-trafalgar-squre-fourth-plinth?newsfeed=true

Catching up

(Photo from artobserved.com)

A few days ago, I was overwhelmed with new stories on  the public sculpture scene, but couldn't cover everything at once. I hereby attempt to get to the backlog!

One of the new pieces slated to go up in New York City this summer is a fascinating work by Charles Long that will be installed in Madison Square Park in May. It's essentially a long railing with amorphous shapes along it. When viewers stroke the forms, they make sounds and vibrations. It is, aptly enough, called "Pet Sounds".

What I particularly love about this multimedia piece is that the shapes that take the place of pets are so cool. They really do look like a template for creatures of the distant past- or future. There's no need to make a realistically detailed animal in order for it to win our hearts. Oddly enough, someone recently told me that the reason they love elephants is that they are all shape and no detail.

I eagerly await this new experience.
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=54022

Home runs and Ballpark Sculpture

 (Photo from sportressofblogitude.com)

OK, baseball fans- the new Marlins ballpark is ready, complete with one of the most elaborate ballpark sculptures in history. For those of you who are used to bronze homerun heroes guarding the gates of their home team, this piece in FL might come as something of a shock. It's BIG (74 feet!). It's garish. It's (as one observer said) "So Miami..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZch2jIMVtk

And, as it turns out, the kinetic piece by Red Grooms, a wildly colorful sculptor whose pieces have caused a ruckus from New York City to Denver, may be a hazard to the game.  According to sources, it may interfere with the sight-line of left handed batters...

That remains to be seen, but the home team has already been expressing its opinion. According Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, "With the roof open and the wind blowing out, the Marlins peppered the "home run sculpture," the $2 million centerpiece of their new ballpark, with one metal-denting blast after another. That was batting practice, and it prompted catcher John Buck to remark that "it felt like you hit your dad or grandpa on the arm with a ball" — inflicting pain unintentionally, in other words.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/07/2444040/artist-rendering-of-marlins-sculpture.html

When art and signage collide...

 (Photo from Eavacuteer.org)

So I was pretty hesitant to check out the latest New Orleans public art project when I heard that it was made of stick figures. How good could they be?
But I've got to admit that Douglas Kornfeld's 17 sculptures of universal symbol-type figures hailing a passing vehicle are pretty engaging. Easy to understand and big enough to see.
They're going to be placed at designated spots around town to help people get transportation out of danger should another hurricane slam into that beleagured city.
This brings up the whole question of double duty art.
Although a lot of public sculpture is informally used as meeting spots for people, giving directions, etc., pieces specifically designed for signage give rise to the question- "Is it good art, or good signage?"
Can this work be both at once?
I'm looking for more examples and welcome remarks and links...
 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/03/07/sculptor_chosen_for_orleans_evacuation_art/

Proposing art

(Image from Timessquarenyc..org)

There's so much news in the world of public sculpture this AM that I'm dizzy with it all.
New York City is going gangbusters with huge street art on Park Avenue (see earlier post) and the new Times Square Alliance-backed installations.
The first, called the Manhattan Oil Project, recreates two 25' high oil pumps in shiny black and fetching red that are supposed to evoke a pletora of responses from the viewer, who, of course, will "get" the art proposalese explanation by the artist in an instant. Being a new criticism kind of gal, I find this piece particularly difficult to swallow.
Right near the industrial/economic irony that is the MOP stands a quieter piece made of white marble, which does lead the viewer to a certain calmness and peace in the midst of the chaos of that overwrought crossroads.
But to read the proposal statement, you'd never guess it.
So I guess today's theme is all about- what can you really know about a piece of public art/sculpture from reading its proposal???
http://artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=54064

Breaking news

I was all set to talk about a new multimedia sculpture installation in NYC's Madison Square Park today, and will perhaps soon, but this beaking sculpture news just hit the radar and it was too good to keep to myself.
Rush Limbaugh is about to join other Missouri icons like Walt Disney and Mark Twain in the state capitol's Hall of Fame. As Speaker Tilley said when he gave the bronze head the nod- "It's not the hall of the universally loved..."
Gotcha, fellow.
But what (besides fame) could or should qualify someone for the honor of standing forever in the Halls of public government?
Is there anything else that Missourians want to be known for?
http://www.komu.com/news/sculpture-of-rush-limbaugh-headed-to-the-state-capitol-28517/

Walkabout....

It's hard to pick the top public sculpture story of the day today, but I think I'll begin with a series piece by Rafael Barrios that just opened on New York's Park Avenue.
 http://www.hauteliving.com/2012/02/haute-art-rafael-barrios-takes-park-avenue/
The City's been doing these serial pieces for a while now, and this latest is a stainless and acrylic laquer take on everyday objects.
Though static pix of the pieces may not shake you tree, a walk around can give you a whole new feel for them...
And that, pals, is what public sculpture is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngJMDZIxx98