Public "Art"

[Reneeee]

Originally Posted by Bunk

For some of the bad ones by the City, there are some good ones too:

Hey Bunk. Where is that top picture located?

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[Muta]

I'm not a huge fan of the art piece from an aesthetic point of view, but I'm a supporter of getting art pieces out around the city like this. Art is subjective, and just because I don't prefer a piece of art doesn't mean it shouldn't be there. Art hasn't been, and never will be, a popularity contest. When it turns into that, it's little more than a marketing campaign.

As for the local artists vs. international ones, I am a fan of spreading that out to both parties. Just because an artist is local doesn't necessarily make them qualified to do a commission (in general; not talking about this particular art piece in question). It's such a small-minded way of viewing things when we only use local, all the time. World class cities commission artists and designers from around the world, we should follow this lead and expand our horizons. We are a city of many backgrounds and peoples from around the world, and, IMO, our cultural infrastructure should reflect that as such.

[CaptainCrunch]

Isn't there still that piece of public art that's rotting in a warehouse that was meant to be put in front of the Telus center because it was polished steel and created a dangerous driver distraction because of reflecting sunlight to the intensity of the Death Stars main gun?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Isn't there still that piece of public art that's rotting in a warehouse that was meant to be put in front of the Telus center because it was polished steel and created a dangerous driver distraction because of reflecting sunlight to the intensity of the Death Stars main gun?

The piece that was up at the Genesis centre in the NE was removed because a woman was apparently burned by light being focussed into a small spot. It's now just a flat piece of concrete.

[Krovikan]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Swimming. It's a river so technically they'd be swimming on it.

This is what the artist says about the Bowfort Towers..

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/c...eist-1.4236477

Basically go back and look at it again you stupid rubes. You might "get it" some day.

Every time I read something Chu says, I ask how did this guy get elected, a paper weight? Seriously?

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[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by JFK

This thing is pretty ugly and I don't get it but I'm pretty happy Blackfoot or treaty 7 or any other aborigonal group wasn't consulted. Art is subjective but I find 99% of traditional Native art to be pretty ugly overall.

Bill Reid is the greatest sculpture this country has ever produced, his work is both figurative and abstract in a way most non native sculptures couldn't imagine.

[OMG!WTF!]

Again, don't judge this one until you see it...or until it's done. It may look like a construction fence with old house keys hanging from it....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...ness-1.4233221



I am starting to think they just use left over construction materials now. Which is ok. But let's be honest here.

[Resolute 14]

^ lol. "You know that lock bridge in Paris? We should steal that idea. But instead of locks, lets hang the Keys instead!"

"God man... that's brilliant!"

At least it appears we are only paying $12,000 for that particular eye sore - assuming the other pieces mentioned cover the other three $12k chunks.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Again, don't judge this one until you see it...or until it's done. It may look like a construction fence with old house keys hanging from it....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...ness-1.4233221



I am starting to think they just use left over construction materials now. Which is ok. But let's be honest here.

The thing about the locks, aside from their symbolism, is that they're hard to steal. Ever tried walking around Paris with a set of bolt cutters? You tend to get noticed pretty quickly.

The keys though? People are just going to take them off and throw them in the river. Brilliant.

[MoneyGuy]

Stony Plain may have the best public art in Alberta - definitely small-town Alberta. It's the Town With the Painted Past with large, historical historical murals throughout the town centre.

http://www.stonyplain.com/Assets/Off...ural+Guide.pdf

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Stony Plain may have the best public art in Alberta - definitely small-town Alberta. It's the Town With the Painted Past with large, historical historical murals throughout the town centre.

http://www.stonyplain.com/Assets/Off...ural+Guide.pdf

Oh I dont know about that....dont sell Torrington short!

[Aleks]

Some of his stuff looks quite striking and neat, like the sentinels. Those look to give a sense of power. The rest looks the same. I see there was one similar installation of a tower very similar with stainless steel used as the tower material, which looks much much better, but doesn't have the same type of genuine aesthetic appeal that the sentinels or the "fry baskets" of slate have

[Ironhorse]

We were part of one of these art committees (the Glenmore/Ogden interchange), so let me shed some light on the "process". The committee consisted of one member of each community (2),one from a neighbouring business, 3 "peer group" artists (chosen by the city), the construction PM and two city reps. There was a lot of "modern art speak" and definitely a good amount of verbal masturbation. Some of the initial submissions were certainly cringeworthy, but none nearly as bad as a bunch of leftover girders holding up rocks. There was a push by the city for local talent, but the process was open to any artist. Everyone at the table had one number weighted vote.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Locke

The thing about the locks, aside from their symbolism, is that they're hard to steal. Ever tried walking around Paris with a set of bolt cutters? You tend to get noticed pretty quickly.

The keys though? People are just going to take them off and throw them in the river. Brilliant.

Ha ha, what type of people do you imagine live in this world? People only deterred from stealing old padlocks that they have no key to because they would be easily caught? Calgarians stripping house keys from an art piece and throwing them in the river just because they can? What anarchy!

You must be thinking of a world in which people don't have smart phone to occupy all their idle mental energy.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Locke

The thing about the locks, aside from their symbolism, is that they're hard to steal. Ever tried walking around Paris with a set of bolt cutters? You tend to get noticed pretty quickly.

The keys though? People are just going to take them off and throw them in the river. Brilliant.

They (the city) cut all the love locks off the bridge in Paris pretty regularly.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

They (the city) cut all the love locks off the bridge in Paris pretty regularly.

You put on a Neon Safety Vest and you can do anything you want.

[Robbob]

I am with the people that think art should be viewed and needs to be in such places where people are given the opportunity. Driving down the transcanada is not one of those places, especially if one of the selling features is the intricate details in the rocks. We have distracted driving laws for a reason.

[jayswin]

Not surprisingly the artist has been forced to speak out saying it's the most hate mail he's ever received in his life over an art piece.

Disagreeing with art is one thing, but man that's just so Calgary. Growing up I've always wanted to see our city as better than it is I think. If there was one city in Canada where an art piece could bring out the dummy conservativism to that level, buoyed by a hack, conservative local paper that does nothing but fan the old white guy flames, unfortunately myself and likely most people would pick Calgary, and yet again they'd be right.

And before local conservatives jump in and start defending anything - No, I'm not talking about disliking the art or the money or being fiscally responsible. I'm talking about the complete and utter craziness of the ability of art pieces and fancy bridges to take over every waking moment of local media/citizens for weeks, sometimes months at a time.

And in this case basically harassing a known, well respected New York artist with hate mail to the point where he has to publicly comment on it. We're progressive in some ways, but just so Calgary in too many ways. It's embarrassing.

[Resolute 14]

You looking for someone to make a statute of you up on your high horse, Jayswin?

This person convinced the city to pay several hundred thousands of dollars to leave construction debris on the side of the highway and attempted to call it art. He deserves the hate mail. And the reaction has nothing to do with "conservatives" or "hicks" or whatever other group you want to feel superior to today. There's no shortage of examples in other cities where people reacted negatively to literal garbage being passed off as art.

[GirlySports]

Complaining is one thing. Hate mail is a bit much. It's the money budgeted to art so it's going to be something.