When I fall off the volunteer writing wagon, I need to start up in little bits. So here is one.
Art Basel Miami reminded me of the conservative tendencies in public art. Even the quasi-sponsored public art projects, were without energy. Only the muralist at the primary flight project brought a little freshness to outdoor Miami. My photographs and few downloaded ones are at the AestheticGrounds picasa site.
Question: Does not public art have a responsibility to “record” in the public realm the art of the moment even if the art becomes “dated”? Or even when the administrators do not yet understand the art form?
The newer art in Miami was energized with color, graphics and plastics. So I would like to throw in a few links to some artists that have been working the streets successfully. (On some images, I could read the artist’s name. My apology.)
Primary Flight Miami
Little People Blog, London
Truthtag, Poland
Image from NeoGeo Book
Antoine + Manuel from Hidden Track Book
Beat 13 from Hidden Track Book
Image from Tactile Book
Image from Tactile Book
Image from Tactile Book
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From Tinman
Hi, First of all, ALL art becomes “dated”. Administrators (I’m not sure who you are referring to) are not going to pick a public art project that they don’t understand.
You seem to like colorful, graphically busy 2D work, so you wouldn’t pick a Rothko for your wall, I would, and I’d have a more powerful image with deeper meaning to look at.
Weiss Comment.
I agree that all artwork is dated. (I am constantly fighting the desire for work that is timeless.)
Public Art Program administrators are frequently commission working they don’t understand well. Just time to expand the range.
Rothko in a chapel is magnificant. Rothko in the round-a-bout would not. But, not much Rothko underproduction at the moment. We work with the living and some of the living are dreaming brash colors.