Travelling Light (AKA a blue circle)

[Slava]

I'm surprised no other thread is here, but what do you think of our new piece of public art? This is what you get for $470k these days!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...wful-1.1930104

[Canada 02]

It's no Voice of Fire

[You Need a Thneed]

Twitter: @giantbluering

[First Lady]

Dang YNAT beat me to it.,,,, https://twitter.com/GiantBlueRing

I don't think "art" should be the issue. Art is neither good or bad; right or wrong. It's meant to invoke feelings and discussion.

What I think the issue should be is how much and the process taken by government. Some would argue that in times of budget crisis we should cut back or eliminate.

Personally I can see the value of public art. So that we don't end up surrounded in concrete and metal. I think the 1% on larger projects shouldn't be all for one piece.

I'd rather see them call it a "beautification fund" of "up to 1%". That way they can seek input and ideas outside the "arts community" and they have the ability to spend less.

[Shawnski]

FirstLady posted in the funny thread about the Tick. First thing I thought of as well.

Didn't know it was almost half a million though... WTF?

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Dang YNAT beat me to it.,,,, https://twitter.com/GiantBlueRing

I don't think "art" should be the issue. Art is neither good or bad; right or wrong. It's meant to invoke feelings and discussion.

What I think the issue should be is how much and the process taken by government. Some would argue that in times of budget crisis we should cut back or eliminate.

Personally I can see the value of public art. So that we don't end up surrounded in concrete and metal. I think the 1% on larger projects shouldn't be all for one piece.

I'd rather see them call it a "beautification fund" of "up to 1%". That way they can seek input and ideas outside the "arts community" and they have the ability to spend less.

I totally agree with this point. Any one larger piece over, say, $250,000 needs council approval.

[TurnedTheCorner]

I don't care.

[Northendzone]

I fail to understand the rhubarb over the cost of this thing - I mean how many times has an artist painted something minimalists and had a government come along and offer to pay $10 or more millions for it? $500,000 is a deal.

Persoanlly, I would have been happy with a giant picture of dogs playing games of chance.....

[Dion]

Looks like an oversided hula hoop.

[Bunk]

My favourite name for it thus far is "bloop". Aesthetically, the ring doesn't bother me so much as the lights on top.

This is a problem with how the public art program functions vis-à-vis who is funding the infrastructure project - if it's city funded the policy allows funds to be pooled and placement of art can happen where it will have a greater public benefit - like a park or something. If it's provincial funds, they require the art component to be attached to the actual infrastructure project.

[nik-]

It seems odd. Like a strange place to put it and sort of weird to see it with a random field and power lines behind it.

[CaptainCrunch]

Ridiculous waste of money. I should have gone to art school, I guess you don't have to be creative or good anymore.

Stupid amount of money that should have never been approved.

[getbak]

HuffPost Alberta ‏@HuffPostAlberta
No one, and we mean NO ONE, likes this piece of ... public art. #yyc http://huff.to/19ljq7i

Travelling Light ‏@GiantBlueRing
@HuffPostAlberta Ya, no one liked Matt Stajan either when he first got here, now the guy's a freaking folk hero. You just wait.....

[trackercowe]

Should have gotten a Probot like from King of the Hill instead; at least it wouldn't have cost 500k.

[Ace]

It's just a big circle...how can that have been designed by an 'artist'?

The streetlights on top are hilarious, how completely out of place. I suppose that's one way to absorb the cost of the 1% public art (one less street light needed in the real budget)

[worth]

They should set up a giant inflatable basketball on the road and have cars try to score a basket through the blue hoop. If you get it in, you get a lollipop.

[Pontine]

I don't mind it, but the placement is odd.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Bunk

My favourite name for it thus far is "bloop". Aesthetically, the ring doesn't bother me so much as the lights on top.

That's exactly what I think. I actually think its neat, especially if it lights up (which I think it does?). Its a weird place for it to be, but then again in a number of years, once there is more around it in general, it might look really nice.

[Kavvy]

I hate it, but I guess that is art.

[FlamesAddiction]

This is like something Tom Green would do as a joke.