Why is 20th century public art more acceptable than in less recent history and how has its role changed Public art has been a quiet aspect of cultures throughout history, mainly standing on the sideline shaping and transforming the landscape in significant strides. This form of art dates back millennia’s, the Greeks being some of the first societies to advocate the concept in ways many wouldn't recognize. For example statues, temples and monuments, mainly devoted to their religious beliefs or cultural practices. From the 20th century onwards, public art has come to the foreground and is under greater focus from the public, this heightened interest could be widely agreed down to innovation of art itself, the use of dissonance being a prime example of this. Artist such as Banksy have thrived off this new found love in society. Public art has expanded its repertoire into other forms since it’s rise; these include graffiti, fountains and large-scale painting. "Inevitably, in the path of our advance will be found historical monuments and cultural centers which symbolize to the world all that we are fighting to preserve. It is the responsibility of every commander to protect and respect these symbols whenever possible." - DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER The study of public art would naturally bring anyone to the question of, what is private art? This private element connotes that the piece of art in question is on a more intimate level with the audience. The opposite of this is therefore arguably that public art is meant for the purpose of a congregation or a large-scale view. Whereas Public art has a strong relation to its viewer public art aims to please the masses that may pass it in their day-to-day business. This kind of public art does not require a unanimous liking or reaction, but only recognition to its purpose. These may include a sense of exhortation, commemoration or even triumphal, and then the many emotions of which the creator is trying to express or more over, invoke within the audience. However a deeper look into the workings of public art would reveal that expression and originality from the artist’s perspective is less emphasized in the outcome of the piece of work, this is not the case for ‘private’ art. This form requires the artist to maintain a sense of individuality so that it ensures it reaches out to the viewer, justifying its existence. This as we now know is very oppositional to public art whom only pines for a reaction, thrives in the real world.
One of the key concepts that lead to public arts popularity is that it is not specific to a single form of art; it encases many cornerstones that have shaped art itself to date. It does not appear in any particular medium but encompasses many to bring the audience a variety in the hope that it reaches out and appeals to all and most tastes. This gives way to new ways of art generation being highly accepted straight off; things that have not been considered yet, people like the new. As with most art, especially a branch as prominent as public, people such as Banksy have become household names who’s work and even imitations can be recognized back to them. Banksy is a Britishbased graffiti artist whose interests also lie in political activism, film directory and painting. He uses a distinctive stenciling technique in largely populated and prominent areas to present his ideas to the masses that will pass by. These commonly satirize government, capitalism and bring forward issues at the time such as war and violence in a silent protest until the issue passes. After it may stand monument to that memory, examples of this include 9/11. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on the streets and about in cities throughout the world. Banksy uses many symbolisms such as the image of children to portray youth, such images are placed in scenes like war-zones to make a first look visually striking Many Governments however around the world brand graffiti and the work of Banksy as vandalism; at first glance it may seem as such, however over time and over the rise of the elusive artist, his work is becoming more accepted and can be said to be making steps to becoming public art. As we know what is and isn't art is decided on individual perspective, this individuality is something that can now be expresses more than in recent history through the rise in technology and social media sights such as Facebook. His more recent work can be found around New York city, the artist spent some time there stenciling and graffiti, however the police did not take kindly to him which unfortunately effected his work substantially. It can be argued that
apart from the issues he reflects upon such as war, which will most likely be a way of life for the near future. If there was no problem with him and more over what he does, his popularity and fame would not be what it is today. His work may not be sanctioned or he may not have a permit but it can be safe to say that his work is more useful in society and has a more respected within the public with a better know voice than some other artists we see. It can be argued that the work of Banksy has had a pivotal role in re-defining societies idea of what graffiti is; where for the most part of its popularity within youth culture it has been deemed unnecessary he as an artist has re-guided this public arts role and purpose to embody a peaceful protest. It first spread its vast wings in February 1998. Antony Gormley's The Angel of the North. Over its life time the angel has become one of the most talked about pieces of public art ever to have been produced. The angel stands at 20 meters head to toe just off the A1 in Gateshead, Newcastle, the Angel takes up the horizon of this busy road an town. It consists of 200 tonnes of steel it stretch to 54 metres. This is to commemorate the long mining past that Newcastle hold. The Angel of the North has become major visitor attraction for Britain in its time. Bringing in a crowd of around 150,000 a year, and more than 90,000 drivers pass every day through the A1. A hilltop site was chosen so that it could be seen from all around. That means that it is seen by more than one person every second, this panoramic hilltop has been strategically selected so that it is also seen by passengers on the link from London to Edinburgh. this location is the kind of environment where public art can thrive in. This piece of art leans towards a commemorative purpose and serves to celebrate Newcastle's strong history in Britain. Because of this the notion that public art's role spans most ventures in life is quite fitting of this piece of work - this particular case being that of our history in mining and the industrial revolution, it also goes to show that art work such as this can be just as useful in delivering a message and serving an informative role as easily as our computers or smartphones do each day.
Antony Gormley was born in 1950, he is a prominent artist of a generation of celebrated younger British artists who started to make a career for themselves during the 1980s. His work over his time has been exhibited around the world and has major public works in the USA, Japan, Australia and Norway. Public work in Britain can be seen in locations as far as the crypt at Winchester Cathedral and Birmingham city centre. In 1994 he won the prestigious Turner Prize and in 1997 was awarded the OBE for services to sculpture. He has exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Gallery, British Museum and the Henry Moore Sculpture Gallery in Leeds. The angel of the north is not the only piece of work that has been widely celebrated, he has an extensive range scattered all over Britain. His more common work delves into the world of the human body and how they conform to the spaces surrounding them. This is a piece of work from Gromleys project Event Horizon in Sao Paulo, Brazil. If not for the angel of the north then Gromley is Famous for his sculptures based on moulds made from his own body as we see here. This piece was soon taken down by police as it took a negative reaction in its audience who saw this as a real person committing suicide. This stands to prove that unlike Banksy the public reject it instead of the law. It can therefore be argued that public art is like all art; it has to be widely enjoyed before it can be unanimously accepted as a masterpiece. "The impossible thing I'm trying to do is accept that we live in the world of the visible but make it unsatisfactory enough that behind the visible is some other kind of potential that does not exist in the sculpture but exists in you the viewer." - ANTONY GORMLEY This quote is trying to put across the message that the people who appreciate all work, private and public alike are what drives art to be great, its role in recent years has existed to serve the people and not
just express someone's skill as it did in the Victorian era for example, however much it is required; our reaction to it good or bad make art and in particular public art what it is today. He points out that artists can provide the clay, the paint and the product and that this can exist alongside society in city centers but for it to exist within and be accepted it must first be noticed and valued. This is arguably the potential he speaks of. Sir Anish Kapoor, was born on 12 March 1954 is an Indian-born British sculptor. Born in Bombay, Kapoor has lived in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art he then went on to study at the Chelsea School of Art and Design. Kapoor was of a generation of British sculptors who established themselves on the international scale during the 1980s. He has shown a balance of influence from both western and eastern culture on his art to date. Spirit and mythology play a strong part in his sculptures, this is from frequent visits to India and neighboring countries. He utilizes natural materials such as sandstone, marble and slate mixed with a variety of powdered colours and vivid hues, therefore enhancing and promoting an environment for internal radiance to take shape. In the early 1990s he introduced a stronger sense of mysterious in his work; exploring the effects of negative space by cutting a perfect circle from a gallery floor. Kapoor in other projects works with strong senses of weightlessness which stem from transformations of materials such as earth slabs coated with blue pigment that become symbolic of sky and water. The Arcelor Mittal Orbit is London’s newest land-mark standing at a 114.5 meters tall. This projects was pioneered in a collaboration with Anish Kapoor, Cecil Balmond and the Arcelor Mittal steel company. Britain's largest piece of public art can be located at the heart of the Olympic park Stratford. This is a prime example of commemorative public art, raised to be a permanent legacy to London's hosting of the
2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. This piece of art is also assisting in the post-Olympics regeneration of the Stratford area. Sitting at its peak is two observation towers, in-between the Olympic stadium and the Aquatics center meaning visitors attending after its public opening in 2014 will catch never before seen panoramic images of the east. Looking at this tower from a pure design perspective we see that although a range of artists worked to create it Kapoor's ideas have a show a strong influence in its features. This is through the bold colours of red; a colour symbolic of warmth, as well as being a dominant colour in the British flag. Another feature anyone familiar with Kapoors work would notice is the minimalist take on the project, standing almost like a skeletal structure, the unfinished minimal use of materials aspect is a feature most could tag with Kapoor and spot in other pieces of work undertaken by the artist. Besides exemplifying British achievements with the whole Olympic park the Arcelor Mittal Orbit stands to reason that British public art can still compete on an international scale, rivaling that of the Eiffel tower in Paris. This particular project, at the height of the locations attraction served to show that there is still a thriving industry for public art and its still ever growing role in entertainment at places such as the Olympics; just like Christ the redeemer may become in the 2016 games. Christ the Redeemer is a statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for being the largest Art Deco statue in the world, standing at 30 meters tall, with an 8 meter pedestal, its wingspan stretches to 28 meters wide. In total it weighs 635 tones, and is located at the peak of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. As to be expected from the name It has become a symbol of Brazilian Christianity, and an icon for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil as a country. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed in 1922 only to finish 9 years later. Heitor da Silva Costa the artist who put this project in motion was born July 25, 1873 and died April 21, 1947. He was a Brazilian civil engineer,
and designer. During his time in Rio he designed Christ the Redeemer having won the tender to do so in 1923. Maybe Costa chose this location on purpose or maybe it is a coincidence that this representation of Jesus would be based in a city rife in poverty and corruption. Even so this piece goes to show the relevance of public art whatever time period has within religion; its role is to unify a group of people under one geographic religious belief system and broadcast it to the world. In this particular case Rio de Janeiro, in other examples, the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France to the great Buddha statue in India. This relationship with religion public art has goes over centuries, dating back to the nine crusades. At the core of these campaigns was a desire for access to shrines associated with the life and ministry of Jesus, above all the Holy Sepulcher or its more common name the Basilica, venerated as the hill of Calvary where Jesus was crucified. This goes very far to prove that public art has been at the centre of religion for centuries, so much so that it can be argued its role within a religious establishment can be brought into question on how much has it's role actually changed or has it just taken a lighter more out of focus approach? Born in Oxford street London. Sir Alfred Gilbert attended The Thomas J. Heatherley school of art and then the Royal academy. However Gilbert found the teachings of the RA to be limited and sought out to help his studies working with Mathew Noble and William Gibbs Rogers; two well respected artist within their professions. In 1872 Gilbert became a studio assistant to Edgar Boehm where he also worked with Edouard Lanteri. As Gilberts history suggests, he is no stranger to masters of art and in turn his work reflects that of what can be considered a masterpiece. Over his career he has exhibited work around the world, however most Londoners will know him as the mind behind the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus, becoming one of the most infamous piece of public art in London, next to Nelson's column and Charring cross - less commonly known for being the referred to location when we see motorway signs stating we are one mile away from London. The Eros statue is of an era where sculpture was widely celebrated and appreciated in a more
higher culture of class of people, however as we know public art more over this piece in particular can be seen by all who catch a train. This in turn starts to raise questions about the quality public art has to offer in modern culture as a form of art itself, as we live in a fragmented society where everyone has their own taste and ideas in what art is. Due to this its role in recent years has existed through a 'play it safe' notion to entertain or commemorate, whereas if we go back further it has existed to supplement the utilitarianism that ran high due to the fact there were less ways of expressing a personal opinion. To conclude this title, the rise of large corporations and business' can be linked to the fast and steady acceptance of public art; advertisements although predominantly serving a different purpose than public art itself still embodies some of its values, to be noticed and appreciated. Graphic design plays an instrumental role in this process designing the compositions and aspects that go into making a piece of work to be exhibited to the public on a mass-market scale, overall excluding advertising from the public art definition. This can still give clause however to the idea that the world of public art is repeated, sold out and the once elegant form of art has become saturated in the sheer amount of it we see on our streets. The role of public art since any form of any civilization has been a varying one, this is to be expected over time, for example what might be art to a caveman would be a way of documenting and piecing together the early stages of a history for us today. Not only has the role of public art been a mix of negative and positive factors in cultures and societies it has been instrumental in shaping how we perceive the world as it is at the core of what makes a people, an era, a culture or even a county such as Britain. A place overflowing with works and artists attempts at bringing art; something that was reserved for the social elite and rich is recent history to the public. The appreciation of art is a right to be had and shared by all as it shapes us as much as we do it and we should be able to appreciate it everywhere at every time.