Public Art
Public Art is an important part of any community. This art can be in the form of sculptures, paintings, or even performances. The best public art enhance the beauty of the area and helps define the region. This can be done by memorializing an important figure to the community, or by giving the soul or history of an area a physical representation. This doesn't necessarily have to be the case however. Sometimes a piece can simply be eye catching, eventually making the art synonymous with the community. In this blog I won't be talking about public performances, but I do believe that they are just as crucial to a community as other forms of art. I especially like when parks have public amphitheaters, as I believe this helps open up a community to more artistic expression.
Sculptures
The Mustangs of Las Colinas by Robert Glen is a bronze sculpture of wild mustangs running through water. The sculpture was installed in 1984, and commemorates the wild mustangs that used to run through much of Texas, which is where the work was created and displayed. I really love that the history of the local area was used to create a beautiful sculpture to bring life to what would otherwise be a plain tiled courtyard. Specifically I love that water fountains were used on the horses legs to give the illusion that they are actually running through the water. I am also a fan of the size of the sculpture. The horses are of realistic proportions, but are 1.5x the size of the average mustang. This really drives home the importance of these animals to this area.
Freedom Sculpture by Zenos Frudakis is yet another bronze sculpture. Created in 2001 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, This sculpture represents the artists struggle to break free from his mortality. While this seems to be a personal project put out in public, I think most people can, to some extent, understand this struggle and relate to it. It is a struggle that most people have to deal with, and is beautifully represented here. I especially love that the sculpt is made to look as though it is four snapshots of the person breaking free, and is done in a way that the final snapshot bursts into the sidewalk. It really takes advantage of the 3d artform in that way, and I appreciate it for that.
The Nelson Mandela Statue was created in 2013 and is located in Pretoria, South Africa. While the post modern movement was moving away from sculptures depicting war heroes and generals, I still think there was and is a place for memorialization. That is exactly what Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren set out to do. The sculpture is made to look like Mandela's face from the side, split up by bars. This represents his imprisonment, which was the result of his arrest in the place where the statue stands. As you walk through the statue the statue seems to burst with light which represents political uprising. I really enjoy this work because of creativity behind the memorial. Rather than creating a life sized replica of Nelson Mandela and placing a plaque on the footing (which I don't mind in specific contexts), the artists took advantage of the space they had and created a larger than life memorial to the man.
Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate is located in Chicago and was created in 2006. This is a great example of public art that has no real inherent meaning, but has become synonymous with the city of Chicago. The incredibly large statue (33 ft × 42 ft × 66 ft) is a stainless steal representation of liquid mercury. The statue reflects the skyline of the city in fun and interesting ways and can be used to distort the image of anyone viewing it. My favorite part of this public work of art is the fact that is interactive. Everyone is invited to go up to the statue and tough it and walk through it. It is the most unique thing about art like this. Many time art is put on a wall or sectioned off somewhere to protect it, but work like this was designed to be fun for people visiting.
Paintings
This mural, which I could not find a name for, on the side of a building in Honduras is a collaboration between Stinkfish, Mazatl and Kill Joy. The collaboration is part of the Cuma Project, and initiative to help communities affected by hydroelectricity. This specific art was done sometime around 2016. I really love that this art is used to inject color and beauty into this community. The art is incredibly eye catching with the incredibly bright colors that clash with one another. Also the dark shading make the shadows and hair incredibly dark causing the painting to really pop. I love that the buildings in the community were used as canvases to be worked on, rather than constructing an entire new structure.
This final artwork I find incredibly impressive. Flying Carpet by Kurt Wenner, is an example of the artists incredible talent. Located in Italy, and created sometime around 2013, this artwork looks like our looking down into a city below, when viewed from this angle. This ground painting has such natural colors and uses perspective in such an impressive way, that it takes some time to even comprehend that it is just a panting. I absolutely love that artwork like this can be interactive as well. People can take pictures, such as the one above, and create fun memories of the city. Though I wish art like this could be more permanent, I absolutely love that this artwork can make a city street so much more lively and fun to walk along.
Hi Svien,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post regarding public art during the Post Modern Era. I was drawn to it as well. I like that there was a shift from creating monuments of historical war figures in public art to creating art like sculptures and graffiti to be enjoyed. I live in Fairbanks and I feel like over the last 10-15 years graffiti art and murals have really found a home here. Artists are commissioned to make these beautiful works for our community. I feel like prior to the last 10 years graffiti was almost a negative term used synonymously with vandalism so it is neat to see that style of public art to take hold in a positive light. I visited Chicago and had a chance to visit "The Bean". It is truly magnificent. Walking the streets in Chicago you will find that there is many works of art that are interactive. It's super cool. I like how you mentioned that also alot of art is just hung on walls to be be enjoyed but 'The Bean" is interactive. People can walk up to it, touch it and walk through it. How fun! Great post!
Agreed that public art adds something of great value to our communities. Especially in urban spaces that would otherwise feel perfunctory, its nice to encounter human expression. A good art installation can really transform the energy of a place.
ReplyDeleteFreedom and The Mustangs are both breathtaking. The splashing water is a brilliant touch. I also love the graffiti in Honduras, it has such a vibrant upbeat energy. It feels well matched to the environment.
Switzerland has some great public art which my high school math teacher turned me on to. Eva Oertli and Beat Huber's The Caring Hand, along with Albert György's Melancholy
https://www.freefortourists.com/activity/detail/the-caring-hand-sculpture-in-glarus-switzerland
https://travelswithmyart.wordpress.com/2018/07/15/melancholy-by-albert-gyorgy/
Dignity by Dale Lamphere in South Dakota is my favorite public sculpture in the US.
https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/story/dignity-earth-sky
The Nelson Mandela statue is amazing! I wonder if the title name purposeful, as its clearly not a typical statue. Prison bars for depiction is very powerful, and what a legacy he left behind. I would love to experience this.
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