Public "Art"

[OMG!WTF!]

Nobody looks at an artwork and thinks "it's only okay, but I love how cheap it was!" That mindset only works for things with strict utility. The value gained by art is too nebulous to put a dollar value on, so it's hard to pick the 'better choice at a better price' before committing to build something.

But there certainly is a market for art. I'm coming at this as a dealer myself. We've sold two pieces for public display in the last couple years and are close to closing another one. Our buyers are private companies and they've done their research on pricing for sure. I've seen rfp's from the city and the problem we have is they don't actually come out and say what the price tag needs to be, but they definitely make it easy enough to figure out. So we're doing that wrong for sure. And I think the average public art artist is much less talented than fine art artists.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I get that there are some people in this thread that don't like the public art projects that are being built. Can those people answer one question for me?

a) Would you rather see different art projects? What are some examples of public art projects that you approve of? or,
b) Would you prefer that the government saved the money to fix more potholes, do more street cleaning, or whatever else?

A!

- Luminous Crossings
- Jumping Trout
- Chinook Arc
- Family of Horses
- Brotherhood of Man
- Conversation
- Bearing
- The Colour of Snow
- The Device to Root Out Evil (gone)

From other cities:

- Cloud Gate
- Charging Bull

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Instead of throwing out a tender and seeing who responds maybe we could approach someone established as a fine art artist and work with them on a commission.

That's called sole-sourcing and one of the consequences of the Peace Bridge brouhaha is that it's politically toxic. (Which, I think, is a shame. Open bidding is good for commodities, but has drawbacks when applied to art, or even architecture.)

[GGG]

Did they add a public art component to the budget of the library? If so that is ridiculous, the whole building design is public art?

I like the drinky bird but not sure it fits with the rest of the building

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I like the ladder and I like the bird. both are interesting to me.

I get that there are some people in this thread that don't like the public art projects that are being built. Can those people answer one question for me?

a) Would you rather see different art projects? What are some examples of public art projects that you approve of? or,
b) Would you prefer that the government saved the money to fix more potholes, do more street cleaning, or whatever else?

There is some public art I like, the laughing men in English Bay are both interesting and accessible, the stacked cars are great particularly in the context next to the viaduct.

Most public art is dreadful though just because it is so dull, it is bought not because it is good but because it fills a space,

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by wireframe

I like the ladder and I like the bird. both are interesting to me.

I get that there are some people in this thread that don't like the public art projects that are being built. Can those people answer one question for me?

a) Would you rather see different art projects? What are some examples of public art projects that you approve of? or,
b) Would you prefer that the government saved the money to fix more potholes, do more street cleaning, or whatever else?

Most of the art the city puts up is actually decent. Others have already given several examples.

Likewise, it is inevitable that, when left to a small, exclusive council of bureaucrats, there will be awful choices made from time to time. And that's not just a Calgary issue. Though, when our small, exclusive council has failed, it has done so spectacularly. The blue circle is just as stupid today as it was the day it was approved, and the Bowfort garbage heap is going to still be a garbage heap until the day it rusts apart and the city removes it in shame.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Likewise, it is inevitable that, when left to a small, exclusive council of bureaucrats, there will be awful choices made from time to time.

A council of bureaucrats does not select public art. The selection panel is made up primarily of citizen volunteers.

[Resolute 14]

Volunteer bureaucrats are still bureaucrats.

[81MC]

Is the alternative to weigh input from every forum member, Facebook post, and newspaper comment?

[Resolute 14]

Argument from extremes is never an intelligent rebuttal.

[Fuzz]

https://goo.gl/maps/9yv4uKZmhMz


This was the ugliest hunk of metal ever put on display, made only worse by the dimly lit alcove it was stuffed into. Fortunately it is gone now, hopefully melted down into something more aesthetically pleasing, like a wheel rim for winter tires.


Sorry, for the crap pic, couldn't find anything other than Streetview, probably because no one ever stopped to take a picture of this titan of turds.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://goo.gl/maps/9yv4uKZmhMz


This was the ugliest hunk of metal ever put on display, made only worse by the dimly lit alcove it was stuffed into. Fortunately it is gone now, hopefully melted down into something more aesthetically pleasing, like a wheel rim for winter tires.


Sorry, for the crap pic, couldn't find anything other than Streetview, probably because no one ever stopped to take a picture of this titan of turds.

It's still there. It's just inside now. The plaque on it says something like "the interpretation is largely left to the viewer."

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

https://goo.gl/maps/9yv4uKZmhMz


This was the ugliest hunk of metal ever put on display, made only worse by the dimly lit alcove it was stuffed into. Fortunately it is gone now, hopefully melted down into something more aesthetically pleasing, like a wheel rim for winter tires.


Sorry, for the crap pic, couldn't find anything other than Streetview, probably because no one ever stopped to take a picture of this titan of turds.

Titled:

"An Ode to the Laziest Custodian Who Refuses to take this to the Dump"

[Wormius]

That would actually be really hilarious if it wasn’t a piece of art, and just some random refuse that people were complaining about.

[SebC]

At least you can't say that's it's ruining a beautiful location.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Wormius

That would actually be really hilarious if it wasn’t a piece of art, and just some random refuse that people were complaining about.

Or even if it was some random refuse that the lazy custodian decided to call art so that he didnt have to take it to the dump!

So many possibilities.

[wireframe]

I actually like that metal pile. Looks interesting enough to stop me when I walk by. Can you tell me where it is so that I can walk over today to see it in person? I might change my mind when I see it.

Either way, I like seeing at least a few things that aren't a photo of a horse/pumpjack or animals stamped on concrete.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Better or worse than Vancouver's new ladder to no where?



http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/108-s...der-public-art

That's art?

I drive by it every day twice. I thought they were building a cell tower or something.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Coach

That's art?

I drive by it every day twice. I thought they were building a cell tower or something.

Lightning rod?

[Fuzz]

It's just for convenience so all those Vancouverites can get up on their high horse more easily.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Locke

Lightning rod?

that would actually be useful in a prairie city like Calgary.