Extinguish the flame?

(Photo from http://www.scenicusa.net/091110.html)

I wasn't aware (shockingly) of "The Sphere".
It began life as a bronze and steel monster in the center of a plaza at NYC's now demised World Trade Center. Meant to celebrate world peace through commerce, it was center stage for the events of 9/11.
Amazingly, it survived the attack intact. Symbolically and physically.
Since 2002, it's stood in Battery Park guarding an "eternal flame" that was lit by world leaders including Mayor Bloomberg and Karzai on the first anniversary of the tragic attack.
Now- (symbolically?) the gas line to the eternal flame is slated to be cut and the ball of peace will be moved- but no one knows where. Battery Park needs renovations and the 25 ft high ball just doesn't fit in the plan.
http://artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=54650

Kickstartin' it!

Now, I am a great fan of kickstarter.com- that financier of films (it funds more films than the NEA), art, invention and social causes. And today, this hero site and public sculpture have collided in a particularly encouraging way.

(Photo frm Kickstarter.com campaign)

The New York Daily news tells the story of Pedro Villalta and Montserrat Daubon, two NYC sculptors who felt that the midtown crowd was gettng quite enough public sculpture, thank you, on their boulevards and avenues, and Harlem was getting left in the dust.
So they took their plans for a 10ft. high stainless steel "Giant Pod" to the Department of Transportation, got the nod to install it on Malcolm X Blvd. at 124th St. for 11 months, and hit kickstarter to get the majority of the dough to make it happen. As of today, it's a go.
 http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/artists-successfully-raise-money-sculpture-median-harlem-malcolm-x-blvd-giant-pod-sprout-june-article-1.1055912?localLinksEnabled=false
So this raises the question of funding the arts and how its changed in the past few years. Foundations and government programs have been tightening their grip- especially on independent, low-visibility artists. Corporations pretty much cast their nets with an eye to great publicity and investment schemes. Local groups (like the  Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, which doanted $1,000 to this cause) just don't ahve that much dough to spread around.
But vacuums don't hold forever, and alternative funding (begging) through the internet has jumped into the pool and is splashing the hell out of traditional sources.
But because of the labor-intensive nature of this funding (those seeking support must do all of their publicity, etc. on their own) it can hit or miss. But it doesn't take any longer than writing a grant and grant reports would have done before.
I myself have had one successful campaign to get archival footage for a doc, and am nearly at the end of a nail-biting campaign to fund my latest film at indiegogo.com/Free-Elephants... My hats off to these innovative sculptors and their concern for public art...

Koons on the Line

Photo from http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2012/03/27/next-big-idea-jeff-koons-train-at-the-high-line

I'm surprised I didn't blog about this before.

I guess there were too many intriguing stories from around the world, and the tale of a proposed monumental sculpture that's meant to hang over the High Line in NYC just slipped through the railings.

For those of you who aren't familair with the High Line, it's a nifty rail trail that winds above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It's a gorgeous and varied place for walkers from around the world who are looking for a unique view of the Big Apple.
Like all public parks (as that is what it is...) it's just ripe for public sculpture.
From the beginning, the High Line has welcomed artists to interpret the park in a variety of ways and some of them are pretty inventive- sound installations with soothing messages, an 11 hour video of the Hudson River, artfully camo-ed storage containers.
The usual 21st century jazz...
Enter Jeff Koons and his multi-tonned sculpture "Train" that's meant to dangle over the peaceful walkway by a crane- stablilized by a gyroscope apparently so that it won't sway too threateningly in the wind.
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/the-high-line-goes-loco-over-potential-jeff-koons-sculpture
Now I don't consider myself a total wimp when it comes to public art, but this piece is about as counter-productive as it gets.
Imagine chatting, laughing, and dreaming as you walk along high above Manhattan's busy streets. Suddenly- up ahead, a shadow falls, and then this monster blocks out the sun.
Holy crap! It's a falling train.
I'm sure the kiddies will be shelling out to their therapists for years after their first encounter.
The High Line Folks assure the public that the $25 million art piece would be perfectly safe (with its spinning wheels and occasional whistle blasts, according to rumors) and is just at the beginning of the planning stages.
There is a fine line between a city park and an amusement park, guys.
Perhaps its best to keep that in mind when installing your public art.

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