Public Art Review issue 17 - 1997 (fall/winter) by forecastpublicart

FOREWORD

Deborah

Karasov

Recently, I have had cause t o reflect o n d e m o c r a t i c m a t t e r s in a v e r y visceral way. W i t h my f r i e n d and c o l l a b o r a t o r , artist Kinji A k a g a w a , I have b e e n involved peripherally in an e f f o r t t o reclaim an o v e r g r o w n natural area and historic c r e e k bed called Sackett Park, adjacent t o t h e Saint Paul, M i n n e s o t a , Boys & Girls C l u b . It is h e r e t h a t A k a g a w a e m p h a s i z e d f o r m e his definition o f public art: " t h e d e m o c r a t i z a t i o n of aesthetic e x p e r i e n c e . " T h e p a r k is a p o c k e t of u n c a r e d - f o r beauty in t h e inner city, w i t h h u n d r e d - y e a r - o l d oaks, raspberries, and w i l d geraniums. Gangs hang o u t t h e r e o n m o s t w e e k e n d s , and area residents have given up t h e p a r k as dangerous and relinquished. In t h e adjacent public housing p r o j e c t are r e c e n t C a m b o d i a n immigrants. M a n y o f t h e i r children a r e m e m b e r s of t h e Boys & Girls C l u b , living in t w o cultures and still feeling ties t o t h e i r previous h o m e - p l a c e . O n l y s o m e have a sense of safety, o p p o r t u n i t y , o r equality. W h a t is t h e visual e x p e r i e n c e of t h o s e parents in o u r city, and o f t h e i r children? D o t h e y feel alienated in t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d w h e r e t h e y live, near a w i l d p a r k t h a t is at its center? A n d w h a t d e m o c r a t i c e x p r e s s i o n are w e making if, as artists, w e w o r k w i t h t h e m t o reclaim t h e space and m a k e it home? To A k a g a w a , public a r t can say s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h e e x p e r i e n c e of t h e Boys & Girls C l u b children and f a m i l i e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t o t h e families t h e m s e l v e s and t o t h e larger city of citizens w h o k n o w little m o r e t h a n t h e e x p e r i e n c e of t h e i r o w n class, and rarely t h e e x p e r i e n c e s o f r e c e n t immigrants near t h e park. T h e w r i t e r s in this issue t a k e o n t h e i r o w n questions a b o u t t h e symbolism of d e m o c r a t i c society o r t h e e x p e r i e n c e of different groups in t h a t society. W e invite you, o u r readers, t o p r o p o s e y o u r definitions f o r t h e d e m o c r a t i c potential o f public a r t .

A PROJECT OF FORECAST PUBLIC ARTWORKS

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ART FOR DEMOCRACY'S SAKE

Martha M c C o y

EOPLE MAY FIND IT A STRETCH TO THINK OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ART AND D E M O C R A -

tic life. Yet in ancient Greece, the c o n n e c t i o n was taken for granted. Tragic

drama as a public art f o r m was t h o u g h t to be central to the d e v e l o p m e n t of vir-

tuous citizens and healthy debate.Today, there are democratic theorists and cultural a n -

alysts w h o are e x a m i n i n g the links b e t w e e n art and democracy and the possibility of true civic dialogue. And there are many artists w h o are acting on this c o n n e c t i o n . Public art and the c o n c e p t of civic dialogue are thus very m u c h alike in receiving expectant attention. As yet, t h o u g h , b o t h public art and civic dialogue are far f r o m universally u n d e r s t o o d , appreciated, or practiced. T h e y are related to each other, and they need o n e a n o t h e r to achieve their respective aims. This article uses p e r f o r m a n c e art as an example, although the principles could i n f o r m any kind of public art. DEFINING CIVIC DIALOGUE

In its most general definition, civic dialogue is a f a c e - t o - f a c e discussion a m o n g c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s o n matters of c o m m o n c o n c e r n and social/political i m portance. But to paint a m o r e vivid picture, civic dialogue is an expressive give-and-take at the heart of a vision of participatory d e m o c r a c y It is a key part of the answer to the most important questions being asked about o u r public life: If w e were to have an active and democratic public life, o n e w o r t h getting engaged in, w h a t w o u l d it look like, and h o w w o u l d we create it? T h e r e is some excellent theoretical w r i t i n g o n civic dialogue, b u t o n e of the most compelling real-life portrayals of it came o u t of Los Angeles in 1992. N o t long after violence e r u p t e d after four policemen were acquitted in the beating of R o d ney King, the National Civic League convened focus groups a m o n g people f r o m all ethnic groups and walks of life. In these groups, people talked about w h a t could have prevented the violence and the civic discord that had just taken place. Across the board, Angelenos expressed the need for safe, neutral settings w h e r e they could have genuine dialogue with people f r o m o t h e r ethnic b a c k grounds. T h e y talked a b o u t the need for those settings to b e an accessible, o n g o i n g part of c o m m u n i t y life—places w h e r e diverse groups of everyday people could honestly e x press their stories and concerns; listen to others; f o r m interracial relationships; discuss c o m m u n i t y issues; w o r k with each o t h e r to m a k e a difference on those issues; and m a k e ( a b o v e ) T h e Kuumba Dancers performing at t h e Lima, Ohio. Celebration of Diversity, 1997. N e w a r t inspired by t h e city's civic dialogue. Photo courtesy Lima News, O h i o

their voices heard by public officials and other c o m m u n i t y leaders. In describing w h a t they wanted for their city, they created a d y n a m i c vision of what every c o m m u n i t y needs. If such o p p o r t u n i t i e s — d e m o c r a t i c discussions w h e r e everyone has a v o i c e — w e r e to exist t h r o u g h o u t a c o m m u n i t y , they w o u l d f o r m the core of a participatory, collaborative public life that is w o r t h getting engaged in.

( b e l o w ) Eunice LaFate, The

Melting

Pot vs.The Salad Bowl, 1997. Inspired by t h e artist's participation in study

CREATING A DEMOCRATIC VISION

circles on race relations.

T h e r e are t w o primary ways in w h i c h public art can play a role in cre-

Photo courtesy t h e artist

ating this vision of a democratic c o m m u n i t y . First, art can help create the conditions

Public Art R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

that are c o n d u c i v e to p r o d u c t i v e civic dialogue. S e c o n d ,

symbols that w e r e o n the walls o r t h e stages. " D o those

public artists can b e active participants in creating real,

images and symbols a n d plays a n d musical sounds r e p r e -

f a c e - t o - f a c e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r civic discussion. W i t h i n

sent t h e diversity of y o u r city? R e m e m b e r the audiences

each of these roles, t h e r e are a m u l t i t u d e of expressive

a n d those w h o w e r e a t t e n d i n g t h e o p e n i n g n i g h t gala.

a n d creative possibilities b e i n g tried, w h i c h deserve at-

D o those a u d i e n c e s represent the diversity of y o u r city?

t e n t i o n a n d study f o r t h e lessons they offer.

T h e s e are questions w e m u s t ask."

Art can validate and uphold the diversity of personal

experi-

Art can help us experience others' experiences.

ences and voices that make up a community.

As w e partake of artistic events o r e x -

W i d e s p r e a d e n g a g e m e n t in civic dia-

hibits or a r t w o r k s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a play, a film, or a n o v e l â&#x20AC;&#x201D; w e e n t e r a

logue depends on a c o m m i t m e n t from the c o m m u n i t y

parallel w o r l d in w h i c h w e o f t e n have p o w e r f u l vicari-

as a w h o l e t o value everyone's voice. P u b l i c art can help

ous e x p e r i e n c e s . T h e s e can m o v e us to e m p a t h i z e w i t h

s u p p o r t a n d even g e n e r a t e that k i n d of c o m m i t m e n t by

p e o p l e w h o are different f r o m ourselves, the basis of the

honestly a n d respectfully d e p i c t i n g a w i d e r a n g e of p e o -

f e l l o w - f e e l i n g that is critical to a g o o d public life, and an

ple's e x p e r i e n c e s . Each of us can r e c o u n t o u r o w n p e r -

essential i n g r e d i e n t of civic dialogue. T h e p h i l o s o p h e r

sonal e x p e r i e n c e s (in great detail); b u t it's only w h e n w e

M a r t h a N u s s b a u m says that " O u r e x p e r i e n c e is, w i t h o u t

listen to o t h e r s ' e x p e r i e n c e s , p u t t h e m on a par w i t h o u r

fiction, t o o c o n f i n e d and t o o parochial. Literature e x -

o w n , and see t h e c o m m u n i t y as t h e totality of those e x -

tends it, m a k i n g us reflect and feel a b o u t w h a t m i g h t

p e r i e n c e s that w e b e g i n to u n d e r s t a n d w h y w e should

o t h e r w i s e be t o o distant for feeling." H e r remarks can

sit d o w n w i t h o n e a n o t h e r a n d converse a b o u t o u r c o m -

apply to any w o r k of art.

m u n i t y life.

Empathy, o f t e n seen as an internal state, JerryYoshitomi, w h o chaired the M u l t i -

does n o t r e m a i n inside us. It lias c o n c r e t e results in o u r

cultural Arts W o r k i n g G r o u p of t h e 2 0 0 0 P a r t n e r s h i p in

actions and in o u r collective life. O n e such effect m i g h t

Los Angeles, has o f t e n n o t e d the p o w e r of public art to

be expressed in this way: "I d o n ' t necessarily agree w i t h

n a m e a n d validate the m a n y stories that exist in a c o m -

you, b u t n o w I can i m a g i n e w h y you think and act the

munity. H e cites t h r e e s i m u l t a n e o u s art exhibits in Los

way you do. In spite of o u r differences, I k n o w we're

A n g e l e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n e x h i b i t i o n of n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y k i m o n o s ,

part of the same c o m m u n i t y . I ' m willing to search for

a s h o w o n c o n t e m p o r a r y Japanese g r a p h i c design, and a

o u r c o m m o n c o n c e r n s , a n d find ways to w o r k w i t h you to m a k e a b e t t e r c o m m u n i t y . " S o m e t i m e s a practical r e -

m i d - c a r e e r retrospective of C a r m e n Lomas Garza. "Most

would

assume

that

the

two

Japanese exhibits w o u l d be closest to m y o w n J a p a n e s e -

i n g a public issue.

kimono

Art can help us to consider points of

e x h i b i t i o n represents the c l o t h i n g of the aristocracy a n d

v i e w w e m i g h t n o t o t h e r w i s e consider. S o m e art is

A m e r i c a n cultural e x p e r i e n c e . H o w e v e r , the

the elite m e r c h a n t class of n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y Japan. M y

mostly a reflection of the cultural and political m a i n -

family left Japan in that c e n t u r y to escape their o w n des-

stream, but t h e m o s t controversial and i m p o r t a n t role of

perate poverty. W h i l e the c o n t e m p o r a r y design e x h i b i -

c u t t i n g - e d g e art is to raise u n p o p u l a r o r less c o m m o n l y

tion relates directly to my o w n aesthetic, c o n t e m p o r a r y

held points of view; that is f r e q u e n t l y an explicit aim of

T o k y o is in fact a t w e n t y - f i r s t - c e n t u r y - w o r l d

experi-

public art. Art that raises v i e w p o i n t s for inclusion in the

e n c e , f r a n k l y n o t c o m p a r a b l e to m y r a t h e r

humble

public d e b a t e can s u p p o r t a vibrant cultural, social, and

J a p a n e s e - A m e r i c a n u p b r i n g i n g , and e x t r e m e l y

distant

political a t m o s p h e r e that is essential to m e a n i n g f u l civic

f r o m m y parents' e x p e r i e n c e in the A m e r i c a n c o n c e n 06

sult of e m p a t h y is a n e w lens for v i e w i n g or u n d e r s t a n d -

discussion.

tration camps," h e says. " I n fact, it is in C a r m e n Lomas

T h e effectiveness of raising alternative

Garza's recreation o f h e r o w n family e x p e r i e n c e s and

views for the p u r p o s e s of s u p p o r t i n g civic dialogue is

g r o w i n g u p that I personally have t h e m o s t c o m f o r t

f r e q u e n t l y related to an a r t w o r k s capacity to generate

w i t h . T h e prints a n d paintings reflect n e i g h b o r s in m y

empathy. After all, w h e n d o w e b e c o m e willing to truly

o w n c o m m u n i t i e s a n d symbols w h i c h w e r e part of m y

" t r y o n " a different p o i n t of view, instead of instantly r e -

life as a y o u n g child. As A m e r i c a n s , o u r cultural b a c k -

j e c t i n g it? Usually w h e n w e can s o m e h o w p u t ourselves

g r o u n d s o f t e n cross racial, religious, and m a n y

in the place of the p e r s o n w h o s e life e x p e r i e n c e s and

geo-

graphic lines."

feelings have led t h e m to hold that view. Art has the c a Yoshitomi also challenges us to t h i n k of

pacity to d o that. T h i s observation is key to the w o r k of

the last t i m e w e were in a publicly s u p p o r t e d cultural fa-

A n n a Deavere S m i t h , a p e r f o r m a n c e artist and play-

cility in o u r o w n city and to r e m e m b e r the images and

w r i g h t w h o i n t e r v i e w s a w i d e diversity of p e o p l e in a

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

Anna Deavere Smith, f r o m the perf o r m a n c e Twilight,

1994, portraying

t h e c h a r a c t e r Sheinbaum. Photo by Ken Friedman

community, them—on

then

portrays

them—almost

becomes

stage. W h e n an a u d i e n c e e x p e r i e n c e s

her

m o r e potential. It reinforces a basic t e n e t of d e m o c r a c y , that e v e r y o n e is capable of s h a r i n g in t h e

deliberate

p e r f o r m a n c e , they e n t e r — t h r o u g h h e r — i n t o a sense of

s h a p i n g of their c o m m o n life. T h a t is w h y art o f this

w h a t it w o u l d be like to b e each p e r s o n . S p e a k i n g a b o u t

k i n d q u i t e naturally leads to public action.

Twilight, a piece she created to m i r r o r t h e diversity o f

An e x a m p l e o f this t o o k place in C a l i -

voices in the a f t e r m a t h of t h e 1992 Los Angeles riots,

fornia, w h e r e a t h e a t e r p r o g r a m h e l p e d b r i d g e t h e racial,

she says, " F e w p e o p l e speak a language a b o u t race that is

cultural, a n d e c o n o m i c gaps b e t w e e n

n o t their o w n . If m o r e of us c o u l d actually speak f r o m

University a n d t h e a d j o i n i n g t o w n o f East Palo Alto.

elite S t a n f o r d

a n o t h e r p o i n t of view, like speaking a n o t h e r language,

U s i n g a r e s e a r c h - t o - p e r f o r m a n c e m e t h o d , city leaders

w e could accelerate the f l o w of ideas."

a n d residents w o r k e d w i t h S t a n f o r d faculty a n d s t u d e n t s

W h e n public art gives p e o p l e a c h a n c e

to create t w o o n e - a c t plays. T h e c o c r e a t i o n of t h e plays

to participate in creating t h e art, it also gives p e o p l e a

g e n e r a t e d f r i c t i o n , dialogue, a n d finally a m o r e inclusive

sense of the p a r t i c i p a t o r y n a t u r e o f public life.

sense of t h e area's h i s t o r y T h e r e w e r e m a n y spin-offs,

T h r o u g h participating in artistic p r o -

i n c l u d i n g c o l l a b o r a t i o n o u t s i d e t h e t h e a t e r to address

cesses, p e o p l e are e m p o w e r e d to create and t o e x p e r i -

c o m m o n c o n c e r n s in t h e c o m m u n i t y O n e c o u l d well

ence

i m a g i n e this k i n d o f t h e a t e r tying i n t o an e f f o r t to s p u r

t h e m s e l v e s as i n h e r e n t l y "artistic,"

generative

p e o p l e . W h e n the art itself is tied to public issues, the

community-wide

d e m o c r a t i z a t i o n of t h e artistic process c o n t a i n s

issues the play raises.

even

civic d i a l o g u e o n p r e s s i n g

public

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

A r t can portray t h e m a n y voices and views o f a c o m m u n i t y , in a k i n d of dry r u n of civic dial o g u e — w h i c h is different f r o m art's capacity to raise a v o i c e o r a p o i n t of view, as essential as that is. S o m e p u b lic art portrays m a n y different voices o r views w i t h i n o n e p e r f o r m a n c e , in effect m o d e l i n g the m a n y voices in an inclusive civic dialogue. Again w e t u r n to A n n a D e a v e r e S m i t h . In Twilight: Los Angeles

1992 a n d in Fires in the Mirror

(the latter o n t h e C r o w n H e i g h t s riot of 1991), Deavere S m i t h portrays, o n e by o n e , m a n y p e o p l e f r o m m a n y b a c k g r o u n d s , each relating his or her o w n e x p e r i e n c e of a pivotal event f r o m t h e c o m m u n i t y . I n this way t h e a u -

A n o t h e r e x a m p l e involved t h e

Flint

d i e n c e can gain a m o r e c o m p l e t e sense of the entire

Youth T h e a t e r p r o d u c t i o n of The 7th Dream w h i c h was

c o m m u n i t y a n d t h e voices that m a k e it up. A natural

based o n a n o n y m o u s w r i t i n g s a b o u t v i o l e n c e by n i n t h -

n e x t s t e p — w h i c h has b e e n t a k e n — i s to have a dialogue

graders in t h e Flint, M i c h i g a n area. T h e

a m o n g a u d i e n c e m e m b e r s . To go b e y o n d that, it w o u l d

William P. Ward used these writings to f o r m six scenes

be natural to use t h e p e r f o r m a n c e as a m o d e l for civic

in w h i c h y o u n g actors delivered first-person a c c o u n t s of

playwright

dialogue that c o u l d b e taken outside the theater in sus-

the v i o l e n t acts area y o u n g p e o p l e had witnessed or

tained, o n g o i n g ways t h r o u g h o u t t h e entire c o m m u n i t y .

c o m m i t t e d . T h i s quickly gave the a u d i e n c e a m o r e c o m -

Videos of t h e p e r f o r m a n c e m i g h t be used to p r o v i d e

plete p i c t u r e of t h e v i o l e n c e facing the y o u n g p e o p l e of

similar e x p e r i e n c e s in s m a l l - g r o u p discussions, b r i n g i n g

the c o m m u n i t y .

t h e t h e a t e r to the n e i g h b o r h o o d s , instead of e x p e c t i n g that e v e r y o n e will c o m e to the theater.

Art can launch and generate real, face-to-face opportunities for civic discussion. A r t can d r a w p e o p l e i n t o a public space.

Andrea Simon, TALK TO ME: Americans

in Conversation,

1997,

If it is accessible, affordable, and reflective of the diversity

film still.Two C h i n e s e boys wave t h e

of the c o m m u n i t y , it can d r a w m a n y p e o p l e . O n c e p e o -

flag of their homeland.

ple are in the r o o m , the artistic e x p e r i e n c e generates

Photo courtesy Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies Library

n e w u n d e r s t a n d i n g , energy, and a sense of c o m m u n i t y that can b e directly t a p p e d and e x t e n d e d t h r o u g h f a c e t o - f a c e dialogue at the event. T h e r e are a large n u m b e r of public art projects that have i n c o r p o r a t e d dialogue a b o u t issues as a part of their artistic w h o l e . In The Beast: The Violence Project (1996), the p e r f o r m a n c e g r o u p

Domestic Dance

U m b r e l l a used a p e r f o r m a n c e o n the t h e m e of d o m e s tic v i o l e n c e as a vehicle to stimulate a u d i e n c e discussions, in m a n y settings and w i t h great effect for those w h o t o o k part. A m o r e e x p e r i m e n t a l , a n d potentially f a r - r e a c h i n g , role of art is to use it to stimulate and galvanize sustained, c o m m u n i t y - w i d e civic dialogue. O n e e x p e r i m e n t a l o n g these lines is a n e w study circle g u i d e and discussion-starter video, developed in c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h a film c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t for the H u m a n i t i e s . TALK

TO ME: Americans in Conver-

sation was created by Arcadia Pictures' Andrea S i m o n . T h e film was c o n c e i v e d as a m i x e d - f o r m d o c u m e n t a r y , a collage, at o n c e dreamlike and j a g g e d , that a t t e m p t s to give the sense of b e i n g in a m u l t i f a c t e d conversation. T h e guide, Toward a More Perfection Union in an Age of P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

William P. W a r d , The 7th

Dream,

p e r f o r m a n c e , Flint, Mich., 1997. Photo courtesy Karl Olmsted Associates, Inc.

Diversity, is designed to help c o m m u n i t i e s organize sus-

Sources:

O k u b o , Derek, et al. Governance and

tained civic dialogue. T h e discussion-starter v i d e o has

Browne, Katrina. " T h e Poetics of

Diversity: Findings from Los Angeles.

Empathy: Movies, Catharsis and

Denver: National Civic League

Public Debate or Ethics at a Theater

Press, 1993.

already b e e n used at a c o m m u n i t y cultural event o n Maryland's Eastern S h o r e to launch

community-wide

Near You." Master's thesis, Pacific

dialogue on diversity. All the capacities of public art for

School of Religion, Berkeley, Cali-

Pitkin, Hanna Fenichel and Shumer,

creating the c o n d i t i o n s of civic dialogue also m a k e it a

fornia, May 1997.

Sara M . " O n Participation." Kettering

potential force for l a u n c h i n g and e n r i c h i n g sustained d e m o c r a t i c discussion. Civic dialogue, in turn, can inspire and support public art. T h e r e is a cycle in w h i c h art a n d civic

Review (Summer 1994). Nussbaum, Martha. The Fragility of Goodness, Luck and Ethics in Greek

Smith, Anna Deavere. Twilight: Los

Tragedy and Philosophy. C a m b r i d g e :

Angeles, 1992. N e w York: A n c h o r

C a m b r i d g e University Press, 1986.

Books, 1994.

Nussbaum. Martha. Love's Knowl-

Sneider, Daniel. "Stanford Theater:

life can e x p a n d t o g e t h e r in m u t u a l l y beneficial ways.

edge: Essays on Philosophy and Litera-

R a c e Relations 101." The Christian

Each will c h a n g e the other, as t h e y c o n t i n u e to g r o w

ture. O x f o r d : O x f o r d University

Science Monitor (December 26,

Press, 1990.

1995).

and t o u c h m o r e people. In the last several m o n t h s alone, w e have seen civic dialogue g e n e r a t e n e w w o r k s of a r t — paintings, plays, poetry, d a n c e — a s well as n e w c o m m u -

TALK TO ME; Americans

nity arts collaborations for creating a n d p e r f o r m i n g p u b -

Mrs. America Bates and daughters.

lic art (music, d a n c e , t h e a t e r ) . In L i m a , O h i o ,

the

c o m m u n i t y - w i d e study circles played a large part in

Conversation.

Photo courtesy Kansas Collection, University of Kansas Libraries

b r i n g i n g Maya A n g e l o u to speak at their c i t y - w i d e d i versity celebration. Angelou tied h e r m o v i n g p e r f o r m a n c e of p o e t r y and storytelling to a salute to t h e c o m m u n i t y for its interracial civic dialogue. T h e "arts w o r l d " is rarely m e n t i o n e d in t h e w o r l d of civic e n g a g e m e n t . T h a t can a n d should change. T h e "arts p e r s o n " is as n a r r o w and false a c o n ception as is t h e civic p e r s o n . Public artists are g a i n i n g m o r e e x p e r i e n c e s in creating the c o n d i t i o n s that help n u r t u r e a n d sustain civic dialogue. O r g a n i z e r s ot civic dialogue are finding ways to engage large n u m b e r s o f c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s in sustained d e m o c r a t i c

discus-

sion. W e n e e d to find o n e a n o t h e r — a c r o s s t h e nation and in o u r c o m m u n i t i e s — a n d w o r k t o g e t h e r in m o r e i n t e n t i o n a l ways. T h a t will weave a lustrous c o m m u n i t y fabric and b r i n g i n n u m e r a b l e benefits to o u r public life.

Martha McCoy is executive director of t h e Study Circles Resource Center. Pomfret, C o n n . The author pishes to thank Catherine Flavin, Study Circles Resource Center's coordinator of research and writing, for the many ideas she contributed to this article.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

WORK OF THE PEOPLE

N a n c y N . Kari and H a r r y C . Boyte

UBLIC ART HOLDS W I T H I N

ITSELF P O L I T I C A L F R A M E W O R K S T H A T C A N C O N S T R I C T O R

EXPAND

people's i m a g i n a t i o n s a b o u t public life. L3y its very n a t u r e public art conveys, albeit in o f t e n u n e x p l o r e d ways, u n d e r s t a n d i n g s of democracy. T w o presidential

m e m o r i a l s — t h e Lincoln M e m o r i a l , dedicated 75 years ago, and the n e w l y o p e n e d R o o s e v e l t M e m o r i a l — m a k e the p o i n t . T h e y present striking contrasts a b o u t t h e relationship b e t w e e n citizens a n d their g o v e r n m e n t , w h i l e they h o n o r political leaders w h o w e r e d e s c r i b e d as "presidents of the people." In t h e first case, dedication of t h e Lincoln M e m o r i a l reflected the a m biguities as well as t h e promise of d e m o c r a c y in 1922. T h e p o p u l a r p o e t

Edwin

M a r k h a m read his n e w l y finished w o r k , " L i n c o l n : T h e M a n of t h e People." T h e main address was delivered by Dr. R o b e r t M o t o n , an A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n w h o was president of Tuskeegee Institute. M o t o n , subject to t h e racial m o r e s of his time, was b a r r e d f r o m the Speakers' P l a t f o r m a n d had to sit in t h e section reserved for blacks. T h e complexities of the event e m b o d y Lincoln's message in the G e t t y s b u r g Address w h o s e words are chiseled inside on t h e south wall: d e m o c r a c y is an " u n f i n i s h e d w o r k . " It must be taken u p by each g e n e r a t i o n . To this day, the space of the M e m o r i a l and the area a r o u n d the reflecti n g p o o l outside invite p e o p l e to that e x p e r i e n c e . Lincoln's insight that d e m o c r a c y is a c o n t i n u i n g labor o f citizens c o m e s alive in t h e m y r i a d of civic acts, large and small, that have o c c u r r e d there over d e c a d e s — f r o m the l e g e n d a r y c o n c e r t of M a r i a n A n d e r s o n , w h o sang b e f o r e 7 5 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e after b e i n g b a r r e d f r o m C o n s t i t u t i o n Hall because of her race in 1939, to M a r t i n LLither King's "I Have a D r e a m " speech in 1963, f r o m the spreading of the

AIDS

quilt over several years to the V i e t n a m veterans w h o c o n t i n L i e to

call the n a t i o n to r e m e m b e r those Missing in A c t i o n . T h e space f u n c t i o n s as an a m p h i t h e a t e r of democracy. T h e Franklin D e l a n o R o o s e v e l t (FDR) M e m o r i a l depicts a radically different i m a g e of citizens and democracy. T h e granite r o o m s along the Tidal Basin are inviting, well-crafted, and beautifully landscaped. T h e y e m b o d y the talents and interests of the designer, L a w r e n c e H a l p r i n . M o r e o v e r , t h e team of five sculptors that he assembled are practiced in t h e m e s o f c o n t e m p o r a r y public art. T h e r o o m s feature sculptures of Franklin a n d Eleanor R o o s e v e l t . T h e 10

q u o t e s on the walls, largely d r a w n f r o m Roosevelt's speeches, exemplify his leadership and refer to the hardships of t h e Great Depression. T h e y describe Roosevelt's views on war and peace, and n o t e federal a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s such as the Tennessee Valley Authority. T w o of the sculptures, b o t h by G e o r g e Segal, f e a t u r e citizens. In o n e called " R u r a l C o u p l e , " a w o m a n sits in a r o c k i n g chair, w i t h a m a n standing beside her. T h e sculpture suggests a f a r m scene, perhaps a f r o n t p o r c h . Nearby, t h e o t h e r sculpture, " T h e Breadline," depicts citizens in an u r b a n e n v i r o n m e n t . B o t h sculptures e m b o d y Segal's l o n g - t e r m emphasis o n h u m a n e m o t i o n s a n d the c o m m o n p l a c e . T h e y also e n c o d e p o w e r f u l political messages.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

In b o t h cases, citizens are drained of e n ergy. T h e i r faces are vacant, spiritless. T h e i r posture is

nalism. T h e p o i n t was to build a c o m m o n national i d e n tity as p e o p l e r e s p o n d e d to national challenges.

d r o o p e d . Taken in the c o n t e x t of the M e m o r i a l as a

N e w Deal art explicitly c o u n t e r e d elitist

w h o l e , the o v e r w h e l m i n g impression is that FDRâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and by

views. Artistic t h e m e s focused on the dignity a n d e n e r g y

extension, g o v e r n m e n t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; s i n g l e - h a n d e d l y saved the n a -

of c o m m o n m e n and w o m e n in the midst o f hardship.

tion. T h e focus is o n FDR's energy and action. Indeed, that

T h e y stressed t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s that o r d i n a r y

is the point: H a l p r i n has said he w a n t e d to highlight h o w

m a d e t h r o u g h their w o r k to build the c o m m o n w e a l t h .

FDR " f a c e d challenges and was able to effect solutions."

Artists were required to " e m b r a c e subjects that w e r e n a -

B u t f r o m the b e g i n n i n g of his administration, R o o s e v e l t

tive, understandable, a n d m e a n i n g f u l to m o s t A m e r i c a n s , "

believed that d e m o c r a c y d e p e n d e d u p o n the w o r k of the

focusing especially on t h e m e s such as w o r k , c o m m u n i t y ,

people. In his first Inaugural Address, he declared that

and democracy. As social critic Lewis M u m f o r d p u t it,

people

"happiness lies n o t in the m e r e possession o f m o n e y ; it lies

"artists have b e e n given s o m e t h i n g m o r e p r e c i o u s than

in the j o y of a c h i e v e m e n t , in the thrill of creative effort."

their daily bread...the k n o w l e d g e that their w o r k has a

Viewed on a n o t h e r level, the M e m o r i a l

destination in the c o m m u n i t y . "

is a w i n d o w into m o d e r n liberalism's views of g o v e r n -

T h i s is w h y t h e exhibit is so striking.

m e n t and the citizenry. It conveys an i m a g e of t h e N e w

It makes visible t h e m u l t i - t e x t u r e d tapestry of a public

Deal t h r o u g h the prism of o u r time. Professionals deliver

culture created by the c o n t r i b u t i o n s of millions of o r d i -

the goods to passive clients. T h e g o v e r n m e n t is t h e c e n -

nary people.

ter of the action. Political leaders are the source of energy

Artists help to shape culture by

em-

and initiative. T h e people are r e d u c e d to a kind of e c h o -

b o d y i n g in their w o r k f o r m a t i v e ideas a b o u t identity.

ing G r e e k chorus, expressing gratitude.

T h e y reflect back to us w h o w e are and w h o w e can be.

At the o t h e r end of t h e mall f r o m t h e

In an i n f o r m a t i o n age especially, such ideas are p o t e n -

Roosevelt and Lincoln M e m o r i a l s , an exhibit of N e w

tially a m a j o r source of power. A central task for d e m o c -

Deal public arts on display at the N a t i o n a l Archives p r e -

racy in o u r t i m e is to recover the idea of citizens as c r e -

sents an alternative interpretation. It shows the m a n y

ators of a vibrant public culture, in a society

ways in w h i c h the N e w Deal catalyzed and called for the

d e f i n i t i o n s o f citizenship are c i r c u m s c r i b e d by

public w o r k of citizens. T h e public w o r k arts programs,

s u m e r i s m and specialized expertise. If artists a n d their

where con-

e m p l o y i n g thousands of writers, sculptors, musicians,

w o r k convey t h e i m a g e of p e o p l e as builders of t h e n a -

p h o t o g r a p h e r s , painters and o t h e r artists, was i n t e n d e d to

tion, n o t simply clients a n d c o n s u m e r s , they have a n o t e -

give ordinary Americans greater access to w h a t Franklin

w o r t h y r o l e t o play in t h e r e n e w a l

democracy

Roosevelt described as "an a b u n d a n t life." Public art of t h e N e w Deal era reflected a vast array of traditions and cultures, f r o m A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n a n d Yiddish theater to

Nancy N. Kari and Harry C. Boyte are c o a u t h o r s of Building America:

E u r o p e a n cabinet m a k i n g , f r o m folk songs to p h o t o j o u r -

Democratic

Promise of Public

The

Work.

I I

(left) Lincoln Memorial. Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy Art O n File/ Seattle (right) FDR Memorial, Washington, D.C. Photo by George Howell

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

WORD POWER

George

Lipsitz

V E R Y WEEKDAY M O R N I N G AT S E V E N , M A R I S E L A N O R T E B O A R D S A C R O W D E D N O . 1 8 C I T Y BUS O N

W h i t t i e r Boulevard near h e r h o m e in East Los Angeles. As she rides d o w n t o w n

to h e r j o b as an administrative assistant, she passes places that have b e e n i m p o r -

tant in h e r past—a string o f Spanish language, m o t i o n p i c t u r e theaters, like t h e o n e s in M e x i c o w h e r e h e r father was e m p l o y e d as a projectionist for m a n y years, m u l t i - c o l o r e d

murals like the o n e s designed by h e r colleagues G r o n k and Willie H e r r o n in t h e m i l i tant C h i c a n o art collective

ASCO,

and h e r favorite e x a m p l e of p o s t - m o d e r n hybridity,

the s t o r e f r o n t sign a n n o u n c i n g East Los Angeles' o n l y c o m b i n e d m u f f l e r repair s h o p and chess club. She is s u r r o u n d e d by o t h e r M e x i c a n - A m e r i c a n w o m e n o n their way t o w o r k , w o m e n r e a d i n g tabloid n e w s p a p e r s detailing t h e h e a r t b r e a k s o f m o g u l s a n d m o v i e stars, w o m e n c a r r y i n g b r o w n p a p e r bags w i t h c o n t r a d i c t o r y l u n c h e s of Slim-Fast diet d r i n k and left-over carnitas, w o m e n w h o w i n c e a l o n g w i t h N o r t e w h e n a p a u n c h y elderly m a n boards t h e bus w e a r i n g a baseball cap that boasts " M y O t h e r W i f e Is A B l o n d e . " N o r t e carries a p e n w i t h h e r and j o t s d o w n m u c h o f w h a t she sees a n d hears o n the bus in a s p i r a l - b o u n d n o t e b o o k . For m o r e t h a n t w e n t y - f i v e years, Marisela N o r t e has t r a n s f o r m e d t h e scenes she sees o n t h e bus i n t o p e r f o r m a n c e poetry, or, as she prefers to call it, s p o k e n w o r d art. W h i l e such art is n o t the physical o b j e c t of c o n v e n t i o n a l public art, it n o n e t h e l e s s captures t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s a n d h y b r i d i t y f r o m w h i c h a d e m o c r a t i c p u b l i c art s h o u l d also draw. H e r innovative, original, and imaginative w o r d - p l a y draws u p o n everyday speech, advertising, a n d p o p u l a r s o n g lyrics to present p o w e r f u l r u m i n a t i o n s o n n e w social a n d civic allegiances in t h e m o d e r n - d a y m e t r o p o l i s . A l t h o u g h largely u n a c k n o w l e d g e d by t h e c r e d e n t i a l - g i v i n g cultural institutions of the Los Angeles literary w o r l d , N o r t e has attracted a d e v o t e d a n d enthusiastic f o l l o w i n g t h r o u g h t h e circulation of cassettes a n d c o m p a c t discs of Norte /word, a collection of h e r s p o k e n - w o r d p e r f o r m a n c e s d i s t r i b u t e d by N e w Alliance R e c o r d s . At swap m e e t s a n d C i n c o d e M a y o c e l e brations, at p u n k - r o c k c o n c e r t s and college campuses, Marisela N o r t e ' s ideas a n d i m ages find a receptive audience. H e r success in c o n n e c t i n g w i t h p e o p l e across social lines a n d their real-life c o n c e r n s is a lesson for all p u b l i c artists w o r k i n g in h y b r i d cities. In h e r s p o k e n - w o r d art, N o r t e expresses special identification w i t h o t h e r w o m e n . In w o r k s replete w i t h Spanish, English, and interlingual phrases, N o r t e d e tails the dangers w o m e n face in public u r b a n s p a c e s — f r o m the ways in w h i c h sexual h a rassment and i n a d e q u a t e transportation m a k e simply g e t t i n g to and f r o m w o r k a struggle to the c o m p l e x e t i q u e t t e and customs that govern contacts b e t w e e n m e n and w o m e n in bars and d a n c e halls. She w o n d e r s a b o u t the w o m e n like herself w h o s h o p at s e c o n d hand and discount stores in a city that is o n e o f the world's great centers of g l a m o u r a n d fashion. In las vidas de ellas—the

lives of the w o m e n — s h e finds p e o p l e w h o struggle w i t h

the b u r d e n of l o w - w a g e labor and the h o r r o r s of sexual harassment, yet still m a n a g e to s h o w they are n o t defeated, w h o c o n s t r u c t ideal looks for themselves that p r o j e c t i n d e S c e n e s f r o m East Los Angeles,

1997

p e n d e n c e and o p t i m i s m . She subjects the patriarchal practices of h e r o w n c o m m u n i t y to

All p h o t o s b y t h e a u t h o r

w i t h e r i n g scorn, r e m e m b e r i n g h o w " m y f a t h e r p u t bars o n m y b e d r o o m b e f o r e I was

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

b o r n , " r e f e r r i n g n o t only to the " b u r g l a r bars" that p e o -

As she negotiates her diverse identities

ple in c r i m e - r i d d e n n e i g h b o r h o o d s p u t on their w i n -

as a w o m a n , C h i c a n a , w o r k e r , c o n s u m e r , and citizen,

d o w s for p r o t e c t i o n b u t to the psychic and e m o t i o n a l

she finds limits to each one, p r e f e r r i n g to m a k e creative

barriers to sexual pleasure that N o r t e feels have i m p r i s -

use of the conflicts that e r u p t w h e n these selves i n t e r -

o n e d y o u n g w o m e n like herself. In o n e of her works, the

sect rather than f a s h i o n i n g a discrete and

sexual d o u b l e standard and suppression of access to b i r t h

i d e n t i t y N o r t e describes herself as " t h e o n e w h o cut

c o n t r o l lead t h e n a r r a t o r to an anguished a b o r t i o n , w h i c h

the label out," r e f e r r i n g n o t only to the d i s c o u n t - s t o r e

she describes eloquently t h r o u g h t h e inter-lingual r h y m e

clothes w h o s e b r a n d n a m e s have b e e n r e m o v e d to sell

"Estoy destroyed (I a m destroyed)."

t h e m for less, b u t also to h e r o w n multiple and c o n t r a -

In its c o n t e n t as well as its f o r m N o r t e ' s

d i c t o r y identities.

art emerges directly f r o m t h e currents, c o n t o u r s , and

A life-long resident of East Los Angeles

c o n t r a d i c t i o n s of the city in w h i c h she lives. Privileging

and a veteran of t h e artistic and political struggles of

the fleeting and the e p h e m e r a l over the carefully c o n s i d -

C h i c a n o activists, N o r t e p r o d u c e s public art w i t h clear

ered poetic line designed to last for eternity, N o r t e brings

c o n n e c t i o n s to place. But t w e n t y years o n , she n o l o n g e r

to s p o k e n - w o r d art a sensibility of t o n e and t i m i n g m o r e

thinks of herself as r e p r e s e n t i n g a discrete, h o m o g e -

often f o u n d a m o n g jazz musicians. She i n c o r p o r a t e s the

n e o u s , o r even clearly i d e n t i f i a b l e c o m m u n i t y . T w o

r h y t h m s and r u p t u r e s of t h e w o r k d a y a n d scours the city

decades of plant closings, e c o n o m i c r e s t r u c t u r i n g , d e -

for clues a b o u t c o m m o n crises w e face. In a city o r i e n t e d

clines in real wages, cuts in social services, attacks 011

a r o u n d cars, she privileges the perspectives of pedestrians

c o m m u n i t y institutions, and massive i m m i g r a t i o n f r o m

and bus riders. For m a n y years she w r o t e all of her p o e m s

M e x i c o , C e n t r a l A m e r i c a , a n d Asia have

on the bus, letting the length of the trip d e t e r m i n e the

t r a n s f o r m e d w h a t it m e a n s to b e C h i c a n o in Los A n g e -

length of her creations. ( T h e slow pace of traffic and the

les. At the peak of the C h i c a n o m o v e m e n t , it was feasi-

i n t e r m i t t e n t bus b r e a k d o w n s characteristic of Los A n g e -

ble to i m a g i n e that t h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n of p e o p l e of M e x -

les' u n d e r - f u n d e d public transportation system often al-

ican o r i g i n in East Los Angeles m i g h t m a k e that area a

lowed her to e x p e r i m e n t w i t h all poetic f o r m s , probably

liberated z o n e , a cultural and political base for t h e c r e -

completely

even the epic.) T h e " b u s p o e m s " allowed N o r t e to have

ation of institutions capable of e n s u r i n g d e m o c r a t i c a n d

f u n w i t h her identity as a Los A n g e l e n o w h o does n o t

egalitarian access to a b e t t e r life for its residents. T h i s

have a drivers license and gave her an o p p o r t u n i t y to

p r o m i s e was frustrated by t h e ever-increasing p o w e r of

speak back, to criticize the p o o r service for inner-city

m u l t i n a t i o n a l c o r p o r a t i o n s , the n e o - c o n s e r v a t i v e attack

bus riders; b u t they also reflected N o r t e ' s desire to i n c o r -

on the state as a source of solutions to social problems,

porate m o v e m e n t and circulation i n t o the process of her

a n d e c o n o m i c r e s t r u c t u r i n g itself, w h i c h has f o r c e d on

poetry, as well as into its final p r o d u c t .

regions like East Los Angeles declines in services, even as

N o r t e ' s picture of life in the

modern

t h e city lavishly subsidizes trans-national

corporations

metropolis is filled w i t h c o n f u s i o n , c o n t r a d i c t i o n , and

and private investors w h o build l u x u r y h o u s i n g and o f -

conflict. She contrasts civic promises of racial inclusion

fice towers d o w n t o w n .

with h e r o w n experiences of racialized exclusion. She j u x t a p o s e s the vulgar h u c k s t e r i s m and p a n d e r i n g

atomized

All this has drastically

reduced

the

prospects for the p e o p l e of East Los Angeles to partici-

c o m m e r c i a l advertising against w h a t she depicts as the

pate in the decisions that affect their lives. Plant closings

equally insincere and false promises of organized reli-

have cost the c o m m u n i t y m a n y d e c e n t - p a y i n g skilled

g i o n . She connects her friends' c o m i n g - o f - a g e stories to

j o b s , w h i l e n e w and exploitive l o w - w a g e w o r k c o u p l e d

their experiences with physical and sexual abuse ("incest

w i t h e c o n o m i c austerity in Latin A m e r i c a has led m o r e

and p e p p e r m i n t s " ) . R a t h e r t h a n conveying a u n i f i e d and

than 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 C e n t r a l A m e r i c a n s to the city. T h i s m i g r a -

h o m o g e n e o u s identity, h e r p o e m s detail the currents that

tion has n o t only increased c o m p e t i t i o n for scarce r e -

r u n t h r o u g h h e r a n d the n e t w o r k s and circuits to w h i c h

sources, b u t t h e cultural changes in the city's Spanish-

she is c o n n e c t e d .

speaking p o p u l a t i o n m a k e traditional C h i c a n o symbols

"CAL & INSURANCE WBIA ESPAN0L 606

MUFFLER SHOP RADIATOR SERVICE

and organizations less effective in m o b i l i z i n g p o p u l a -

Yet these same g r i m realities also give

tions f r o m different national b a c k g r o u n d s o n issues of

rise to n e w n o t i o n s a b o u t public art, p u b l i c space, and

common concern.

the public interests. All a r o u n d t h e globe, p e r f o r m a n c e artists and poets, graffiti w r i t e r s and rappers, p h o t o g r a -

At the same time, the rise of gay a n d lesbian, feminist, a n d

environmental

movements

p h e r s and f i l m m a k e r s , car c u s t o m i z e r s a n d

has

computer

created n e w ways to b e C h i c a n o and s o m e t h i n g else.

hackers p r o d u c e art that e m e r g e s o u t of t h e v e r y circuits

U n i o n - o r g a n i z i n g campaigns a m o n g hotel w o r k e r s and

a n d n e t w o r k s of the m o d e r n e c o n o m y . T h e i r e x p r e s -

j a n i t o r s have created p r o m i s i n g n e w cross-ethnic and

sions have an u r g e n c y a b o u t t h e m rarely f o u n d in w o r k s

cross-class alliances. A l o n g w i t h the interracial s u b c u l -

of art that find favor w i t h i n established cultural i n s t i t u -

tures o r g a n i z e d

around

p u n k , hip h o p , a n d

house

tions. In t h e same way that t h e graffiti w r i t e r s ' tags

encouraged

" r i d e " t h e circuits and n e t w o r k s of public t r a n s p o r t a t i o n

n e w affiliations. N o r t e draws directly on

long-estab-

to find n e w audiences, t h e s p o k e n w o r d art of Marisela

lished c o m m u n i t y traditions and o n the

empowering

N o r t e circulates inside and across i n s t i t u t i o n s — t h e m e r -

energy of yesterday's nationalist politics, b u t she also e x -

c h a n d i s i n g of discs, tapes, and live music, s p o k e n - w o r d

plores the pain and the promise of intersectional i d e n -

events at c o m m e r c i a l clubs a n d n o n c o m m e r c i a l

tities e m e r g i n g in the c o n t e x t of d r a m a t i c changes in

centers, celebrations by e t h n i c organizations a n d cultural

music, these n e w social m o v e m e n t s have

the nature of urban life.

civic

institutions, and discussions inside and o u t of classrooms by teachers a n d students.

Marisela N o r t e is an original and i n n o -

As o u r society b e c o m e s

vative artist, b u t her circumstances are n o t u n i q u e . T h e

increasingly

dilemmas facing urban artists f r o m aggrieved c o m m u n i -

segregated by race a n d class, as privatization

ties are illuminated beautifully by N e s t o r Garcia Canclini

public spaces and p u b l i c institutions t o ever

in his splendid b o o k , Hybrid

R e c a l l i n g past

areas, and as n e w t e c h n o l o g i e s u n d e r m i n e t h e f a c e - t o -

h o p e s for an art "that w o u l d o v e r c o m e its isolation and

face c o n t a c t u p o n w h i c h civic identities and allegiances

Cultures.

relegates smaller

inefficacy by linking itself in a different way w i t h the i n -

have traditionally b e e n built, artists like N o r t e

dividual receivers and even with p o p u l a r m o v e m e n t s , "

m u c h to teach us a b o u t h o w to n e g o t i a t e t h e d y n a m i c

have

Canclini asks if art has n o t instead " b e e n assigned—with

spaces and d a n g e r o u s intersections created by n e w k i n d s

success—the task of representing social transformations,

of social relations. N o r t e ' s use of t h e w e a p o n s at h e r dis-

of b e i n g the symbolic scenario in w h i c h the transgres-

posal to reveal existing c o n n e c t i o n s across social lines

sions will be carried out, but w i t h i n institutions that d e -

a n d to envision n e w o n e s offers an i m p o r t a n t e x a m p l e

marcate their action and efficacy so that they d o n o t dis-

for e m u l a t i o n by p u b l i c artists. As C a n c l i n i r e m i n d s us,

t u r b the general order of society?" T h e defeats suffered

" C h a n g i n g the rules of art is n o t only an aesthetic p r o b -

by the social m o v e m e n t s of the 1960s and the success of

lem," b u t rather a process of q u e s t i o n i n g " t h e structures

neo-conservative attacks on state f u n d i n g for social ser-

w i t h w h i c h t h e m e m b e r s o f t h e artistic w o r l d are used

vices, leaves c o m m e r c i a l culture and private p h i l a n t h r o p y

to relating to o n e a n o t h e r , a n d also t h e c u s t o m s a n d b e -

(which Canclini defines as tax evasion and publicity mas-

liefs of t h e receivers."

q u e r a d i n g as charity) m o r e in charge of artistic creation, distribution, and reception than ever. T h e s e forces have

G e o r g e Lipsitz is professor of ethnic studies at t h e University of California,

n o interest in an art that serves egalitarian ends, that over-

San Diego and a u t h o r of Time Passages, Dangerous

c o m e s its isolation to c o n n e c t w i t h c o m m u n i t i e s and

Struggle, among o t h e r books.

Crossroads, and A Life in the

w i t h the social m o v e m e n t s that e m a n a t e f r o m t h e m . N e o - c o n s e r v a t i v e attacks on the N a t i o n a l

Endowment

for the Arts and o n school art a n d music p r o g r a m s a d -

Sources

vance an agenda designed to limit artistic expression to

Canclini, Nestor Garcia. Hybrid Cultures: Strategies for Entering and Leaving

those f o r m s acceptable to the elites w h o control c o m -

Modernity. Minneapolis: University of

mercial culture and philanthropic institutions.

WOK VUELA IMBSBMIMQ,

Minnesota l'ress. 1995.

BDTBNICfl &L / f l f l f l O N IINCSNSIO Mftfckpsftrms \H(sms (!i3)

VgioMStoms fi?nQ769

— | — |

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD A CRITIQUE OF SOCIAL ACTIVIST

ART

Heather Wainwright

It is art that makes life, makes importance for our consideration and application of things, and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process. —Henry fames

N 1 9 9 5 S U Z A N N E LACY C O I N E D T H E P H R A S E " N E W

GENRE

P U B L I C A R T " AS A G E N E R A L

RUBRIC

for socially engaged, socially responsible public art. H e r a n t h o l o g y Mapping the Terrain offered essays 011 this m o v e t o w a r d activism, and provided a rich c o m p e n d i u m

of nearly 100 artists w o r k i n g in this vein for the last t w e n t y years. ConcLirrently, i n d e p e n d e n t c u r a t o r M a r y J a n e J a c o b was already a d v a n c i n g the r e c o g n i t i o n of c o m m u nity-based public art t h r o u g h exhibits such as Places with a Past (1991) and Culture in Action (1995). M o r e recently, the M u s e u m of C o n t e m p o r a r y Art (MOCA), LOS Angeles, presented Uncommon

Sense (1997), an u n o r t h o d o x and largely e x p e r i m e n t a l e x h i b i t i o n

of six n e w projects that s o u g h t to m o v e b e y o n d the traditional m u s e t i m space, in the words of t h e curators, " t o m a k e c o n n e c t i o n s that [could| actually b r i n g a b o u t c h a n g e in o u r city and offer h o p e for the f u t u r e . " C o n s p i c u o u s l y absent, however, has b e e n a n y t h i n g resembling a sustained and d e v e l o p e d c r i t i q u e of these projects as t h e sorts of w o r k s they are. I n d e e d , o n e of t h e r e c u r r e n t t h e m e s in Lacy's v o l u m e is that this sort of activist art o u g h t to b e a c c e p t e d 011 its o w n t e r m s , that is, the w o r t h i n e s s of the artist's intentions, n o t in t e r m s of social results. W h e r e m i g h t such an i n q u i r y begin? W h a t d o t h e artists u n d e r s t a n d themselves to b e doing? W h a t part of t h e activist art p r o j e c t is t h e art—-and if activism is the p o i n t , w h y does it m a t t e r that art is t h e m e d i u m ? H o w does "social activist a r t " differ f r o m o r d i n a r y social w o r k , or art therapy? D o these projects d e m a n d a different sort of e n g a g e m e n t — w i t h the artist, the audience, the critic? If an artist explicitly intends that t h e p r o j e c t d o social w o r k , t h e n it is reasonable to j u d g e t h e success of that p r o j e c t by w h e t h e r or n o t it achieves this goal. T h i s may seem o d d , even c o u n t e r - i n t u i t i v e , so trained are w e to d e f i n e " a r t " in merely formalist t e r m s and regard all o t h e r d i m e n s i o n s of a w o r k as ancillary appendages, b u t d e f i n i n g art by a conventionally u n d e r s t o o d art p r o d u c t may b e missing t h e m a r k . It is an act o f m i n d , n o t ontology, that separates the " a r t " f r o m " t h e rest." So h o w m i g h t w e reach an overall j u d g m e n t

aboLit

social activist p u b -

lic art? D r a w i n g first f r o m social w o r k and u r b a n sociology, I suggest t w o criteria to begin with: 1. T h e social goals of an activist p r o j e c t as well as t h e m e a n s of attaining those goals shoLild

b e clearly articulated w i t h i n the p r o j e c t . M a r y J a n e J a c o b identifies three

types of n e w - g e n r e projects and their respective goals: — e m b l e m a t i c projects that represent a social t h r o u g h

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

visibility;

issLie

and seek to evoke

change

- s u p p o r t i v e projects that bolster existing social p r o grams by h e i g h t e n i n g visibility o r raising m o n e y ;

will feel an affinity and c o n n e c t i o n w i t h o t h e r s w h o also see t h e w o r k as b e a u t i f u l . Beauty's particular p o w e r is its ability to

and - participatory projects that seek to foster c h a n g e

galvanize c o m m u n i t i e s across g e n d e r , class, a n d racial

and positively affect individuals t h r o u g h collabora-

lines. I n d e e d , it is t h e public's i n v e s t m e n t and r e - i n v e s t -

tive i n v o l v e m e n t .

m e n t over t i m e that gives t h e w o r k its charge. Maya Lin's Vietnam

2. An activist p r o j e c t s h o u l d b e c o m m i t t e d to r i g o r -

Veterans Memorial

ous, systematic self-evaluation. T h i s c o m m i t m e n t

a g o o d e x a m p l e of this p r i n c i p l e . T h a t Lin t o o k risks in

m e a n s the creators of the p r o j e c t should:

the

monument's

abstract

design

evidenced

- specify its criteria a n d indicators of success.

by t h e strong o b j e c t i o n s raised by o n e g r o u p w h o p e r -

- evaluate t h e project in t e r m s of i m p l e m e n t a t i o n :

ceived t h e w o r k as " u n h e r o i c " and disrespectful. Yet

H o w well did the p r o g r a m carry o u t its objectives?

in spite of these protests (and t h e s u b s e q u e n t installation

Were there b e t t e r ways to carry o u t the p r o g r a m ?

of a m o r e traditional c o m m e m o r a t i v e s c u l p t u r e nearby),

Lin's m e m o r i a l has b e e n an o v e r w h e l m i n g success, e v i -

achieved the stated objectives: To w h a t d e g r e e did

d e n c e of t h e public's c o n t i n u a l s u p p o r t a n d i n v e s t m e n t .

t h e p r o g r a m b r i n g a b o u t the i n t e n d e d

results?

As w r i t e r Susan Leibovitz S t e i n m a n notes, it r e m a i n s

W h a t w o r k e d best a n d w h y ? W h a t w e r e the p r o -

t h e m o s t visited m o n u m e n t in W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . , m o r e

ject's weaknesses?

t h a n 10 years after its installation, h a v i n g b e e n a d o p t e d

- e v a l u a t e t h e p r o j e c t in t e r m s o f h o w well

addition

rigorous

social

goals

a n d self-evaluation, activist art s h o u l d s u c c e e d a e s t h e t -

by t h e public as a place of " p i l g r i m a g e , h e a l i n g a n d p e r sonal r e m e m b r a n c e . "

ically in a way that is accessible to t h e general public.

B u t w h a t distinguishes art f r o m o t h e r

C r i t i c Dave Hickey's n o t i o n s of beauty, and p h i l o s o -

f o r m s of social i n t e r v e n t i o n ? Marcia E a t o n defines the

p h e r Marcia Eaton's a c c o u n t of t h e aesthetic are useful

aesthetic qualities of a w o r k as " t h e intrinsic p r o p e r t i e s

n o t i o n s here.

of t h e w o r k c o n s i d e r e d w o r t h y of a t t e n t i o n . " A t t e n t i o n Four

can b e sensual delight, c o n n e c t i o n w i t h a c o m m u n i t y , o r

Essays on Beauty, Hickey defines b e a u t y as " t h e m o d a l i t y

a feeling that one's life has c h a n g e d . For e x a m p l e , t h e i n -

by w h i c h

trinsic properties o f M e l C h i n ' s Revival

In his b o o k The Invisible Dragon: p r i v a t e desire is t r a n s c r i b e d

into

public

Field

(1989-

virtue." Beautiful art f u n c t i o n s as a representation of o u r

1991, St. Paul, M i n n . ) i n c l u d e the visible aesthetics, that

desires and rallies c o m m u n i t i e s a r o u n d it. By " r e p r e s e n -

is, the work's f o r m a l features. B u t t h e y also i n c l u d e t h e

tation," w e m e a n that t h e w o r k has rhetorical p o w e r â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i t

work's invisible aesthetics: on t h e m i c r o s c o p i c level, t h e

speaks for us and "stands i n " for o u r desire; as such w e

restoration of c o n t a m i n a t e d soil, and o n t h e m a c r o s c o p i c level, t h e collaborative efforts o f a sculptor a n d scientist to b r i n g a b o u t the political a n d public a c c e p t a n c e of

(left) John Ahearn, Sweeper,

Bobbie,The

green remediation. T h e s e aesthetic q u e s t i o n s lead us to

1988.

( r i g h t ) John Ahearn, Andrea. Photos courtesy t h e artist

1982.

p r o p o s e o t h e r criteria tor success: 3. T h e ability of an activist p r o j e c t to b r i n g a b o u t c h a n g e s h o u l d derive f r o m intrinsic p r o p e r t i e s of the work. 4. C o m m u n i t y - b a s e d or p a r t i c i p a t o r y projects s h o u l d involve t h e target c o m m u n i t y in aspects of design, i m p l e m e n t a t i o n , and, if relevant, m a i n t e n a n c e . 5. Activist projects s h o u l d strive to w o r k across scales, b e t h e y physical o r t e m p o r a l , o r in t e r m s

m e d i u m a n d target a u d i e n c e . 6. To t h e e x t e n t to w h i c h an activist p r o j e c t deviates f r o m p o p u l a r e x p e c t a t i o n s , particularly

aesthetic

a n d ethical expectations, it may n e e d to i n c l u d e i n terpretive cues. T h i s latter, m o r e provisional, c r i t e r i o n relates to situations like J e n n y M a r k e t o u ' s installation for the N e w York M e t r o p o l i t a n Transit A u t h o r i t y in t h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

early 1990s. M a r k e t o u installed a series o f p h o t o g r a p h s ot G r e e k - A m e r i c a n s in t h e Jamaica subway station in Q u e e n s . T i t l e d Astoria: Dreams ofNewYork,

Marketou in-

t e n d e d these images to s h o w a n o t h e r c o m m u n i t y , b u t t h e response f r o m t h e local A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n c o m m u nity was to c o m p l a i n a n d w h e n that b r o u g h t n o results, to d e f a c e t h e w o r k s . R a t h e r t h a n m o v i n g the images, M a r k e t o u re-titled the w o r k s Portraits of the Greek grant Community,

Immi-

and spent a f e w days " i n r e s i d e n c e "

p r o v i d i n g e x p l a n a t i o n and discussion. In this case, interpretive cues w e r e i m p o r t a n t for the sorts of reasons m e n t i o n e d in the sixth criteria, yet m a y n o t b e a p p r o p r i a t e for all activist p r o jects. G o o d art doesn't always m a k e us feel c o m f o r t a b l e , a n d t h e r e are instances w h e r e artists intentionally exploit t h e t e n s i o n s of c h a l l e n g i n g o u r e x p e c t a t i o n s . Artist Krysztof Wodiczko's b u i l d i n g p r o j e c t i o n s are a g o o d e x ample, in particular t h e 1985 p r o j e c t i o n o f a swastika o n t h e S o u t h African C o n s u l a t e in L o n d o n , w h i c h

was

cited as a p u b l i c nuisance a n d s t o p p e d by the police after

( a b o v e a n d r i g h t ) Rick Lowe,

only two hours.

Watts House Project, installation,

To w h a t extent, t h e n , does social activist

1995. Presented at

Uncommon

Sense, Los Angeles, Calif., 1997.

or n e w g e n r e public art d e m o n s t r a t e these six criteria?

Photos by Lyle Ashton Harris,

To w h a t e x t e n t d o these criteria capture t h e strengths

courtesy o f T h e Museum of

a n d explain t h e weaknesses of these works? For critical

C o n t e m p o r a r y Art, Calif.

discussion I t u r n to w o r k s by t h r e e artists: J o h n Ahearn's South Bronx Hall of Fame a n d Bronx Sculpture Park; R i c k

sweatshirt beside a fierce dog. T h o u g h m o d e l e d on a c -

Lowe's Watt's House Project; and Karen Finley's Go Figure.

tual residents, m a n y in the c o m m u n i t y w e r e deeply o f f e n d e d by the images. T h e a r t w o r k s incensed a large segm e n t of t h e c o m m u n i t y , w h o read it as negative racial

JOHN AHEARN

T h e South

Bronx

Hall of Fame (1979)

g r e w o u t o f J o h n Ahearn's collaborative w o r k Puerto Rican

artist R i g o b e r t o Torres at t h e

with Bronx

stereotyping, g l o r i f y i n g d r u g dealers and " u n a m b i t i o u s and o u t - o f - w o r k " A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s . Ahearn's response was to i m m e d i a t e l y dismantle the sculptures.

gallery Fashion M o d a . Inspired by the gallery's c o m m i t -

W h a t w e n t w r o n g here? W h a t

went

m e n t to the c o m m u n i t y and its s u p p o r t of t e m p o r a r y

r i g h t before? P r i m a r i l y participatory, the portraits of

and grass-roots arts, A h e a r n and Torres began m a k i n g

Hall of Fame w e r e a b o u t t h e subjects, n o t t h e artist. T h e

portrait castings of local residents in t h e s p r i n g of 1979.

castings " s t o o d in f o r " actual people, n o t Ahearn's i n t e r -

At Torres' suggestion, they m o v e d the casting process

pretations of t h e m o r their c o m m u n i t y . Further, those

o u t of t h e gallery and i n t o the streets, a n d t h e result was

represented had a significant say in h o w they were p o r -

Fashion M o d a ' s m o s t p o p u l a r show. W h i l e m o s t portraits

trayed, since they had to e n d u r e the process of b e i n g

are o w n e d by the models, s o m e r e m a i n o n display in the

cast. T h e result of this intense collaborative v e n t u r e and

c o m m u n i t y a n d a collection has t o u r e d internationally

t h e strong focus o n the subject was the creation

as a s y m b o l of S o u t h B r o n x p r i d e .

highly individualized works. C o n s e q u e n t l y , even w h e n

In sharp contrast to t h e successes of

South Bronx Hall of Fame was o n i n t e r n a t i o n a l tour, the

Hall of Fame, A h e a r n in retrospect considers his later i n -

piece did n o t b e c o m e e m b l e m a t i c : t h e personal a u t o n -

stallation, Bronx

o m y of t h e subjects c o m e s t h r o u g h as p a r a m o u n t .

Sculpture

Park ( 1 9 8 6 - 8 9 ) , a mistake.

In contrast, A h e a r n f r o m the b e g i n n i n g

C o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e city to design sculptures for the park adjacent to t h e n e w 44th p r e c i n c t police station,

i n t e n d e d Bronx

Sculpture Park as an e m b l e m a t i c w o r k ,

A h e a r n c o n t i n u e d his w o r k of r e p r e s e n t i n g real life. H e

b o t h in t e r m s of his goals and the city's expectations.

cast three f r e e - s t a n d i n g b r o n z e sculptures: a w o m a n o n

Ahearn's decision to use actual residents as m o d e l s and

roller-skates set b e t w e e n an o v e r w e i g h t m a n w i t h a

thus add a p a r t i c i p a t o r y d i m e n s i o n was positive, but did

b o o m - b o x a n d a y o u n g m a n in sneakers and h o o d e d

n o t alone discharge his responsibility to involve the

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

cal, political; a n d inclusion of t h e target c o m m u n i t y a n d responsiveness t o f e e d b a c k . W h e t h e r t h e p r o g r a m goals are m e t , a n d m e t well, has yet to be seen, b u t a solid i n frastructure appears to b e in place. KAREN F I N L E Y

W h i l e Lowe's p r o j e c t lends itself well to analysis u n d e r the suggested criteria, t h e i r relevance to Finley's w o r k is n o t as clear. P r e d o m i n a n t l y a m u s e u m w o r k , Karen Finley's Go Figure e x p l o r e d issues of the h u m a n body, censorship, a n d fear o f o f f e n d i n g m a i n stream m o r e s and taste. T h e w o r k had t h r e e distinct c o m p o n e n t s . T h e first section, " S e c r e t M u s e u m , " was a m u l t i m e d i a installation o f classic statuary o n t o

which

slides of sexual i m a g e r y w e r e p r o j e c t e d . T h e

second

c o m p o n e n t , " F e a r of O f f e n d i n g , " was an I n t e r n e t p i e c e "target c o m m u n i t y , " because t h e t h r e e figures A h e a r n

w h e r e visitors w e r e invited to type in and s u b m i t w h a t

cast did n o t merely represent the individuals depicted,

o f f e n d s t h e m . R e s p o n s e s t h e n b e c a m e part o f a w e b site,

they stood in for the entire c o m m u n i t y . T h e c o m m u -

w h i l e w i t h i n t h e m u s e u m exhibit, slides w i t h visitor r e -

nity u n d e r s t o o d this instantly, a n d w e r e m o v e d to a c -

sponses w e r e p r o j e c t e d o n t o a f o u n t a i n o f water. T h e

tion. T h a t A h e a r n r e s p o n d e d by r e m o v i n g the sculp-

third c o m p o n e n t was a life d r a w i n g class w i t h i n s t r u c -

tures shows his investment in self-assessment and t r u e

tors and n u d e m o d e l s , w h e r e visitors c o u l d o b s e r v e o r

c o m m u n i t y involvement.

participate in t h e class. Like A h e a r n ' s castings, Finley's " F e a r o f

RICK LOWE

O f f e n d i n g " and life d r a w i n g class are highly p a r t i c i p a d i f f e r e n t in

tory; the art does n o t h a p p e n w i t h o u t the b e h o l d e r , and

m e t h o d and e x e c u t i o n f r o m A h e a r n are Finley's and

the b e h o l d e r b e c o m e s t h e art. T h i s was o n e of Finley's

Lowe's works, b o t h f r o m the M O C A e x h i b i t i o n

recent

and

quite

Uncom-

goals, and b r i n g i n g t h e live n u d e m o d e l i n t o t h e m u -

mon Sense. R i c k Lowe's Watts House Project in particular

s e u m is o n par w i t h Torres' m o v i n g t h e casting o u t i n t o

has a n e w twist, using the m u s e u m space a n d institution

t h e street. T h e s e m o v e s demystify art w h i l e c e l e b r a t i n g it

as a vehicle a n d s p r i n g b o a r d for c o n c r e t e social c h a n g e .

and m a k i n g it m o r e accessible. T h e y challenge i n s t i t u -

E x t e n d i n g b e y o n d the m u s e u m b o t h physically

tional b o u n d a r i e s and irreverently e x p a n d audiences.

and

temporally, the w o r k has b e c o m e a c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d public art p r o j e c t in the Watts n e i g h b o r h o o d . Ideas of the m u s e u m

Finley's c h o i c e o f t h e h u m a n b o d y as o b j e c t / s u b j e c t to demystify art is, of course, a central

in-

part of h e r work's charge and political currency. W h i l e

c l u d e d the establishment of a cultural facility an artist-

installation

s o m e w o u l d d e b a t e w h e t h e r such c o n t e n t can l e g i t i -

in-residence p r o g r a m , and a sculpture g a r d e n . Lowe has

mately c o u n t as p u b l i c art, I t h i n k s u c h a r g u m e n t s are o f f

spent t i m e in Watts talking w i t h residents, e x p l o r i n g

the m a r k , particularly for Go Figure. Instead, t h e m o r e

their histories, a n d discussing their c o n c e r n s in efforts

critical q u e s t i o n s d e r i v e f r o m t h e c r i t e r i a

to collaboratively design a p r o g r a m to a d v a n c e their

above. To w h a t e x t e n t and in w h a t ways is Finley's w o r k

goals. D u r i n g the r u n of the e x h i b i t i o n , MOCA's gallery

self-critical and self-evaluative? W h o is t h e " p u b l i c " in

suggested

b e c a m e an o p e n - f r a m e d t h r e e - r o o m h o u s e that served

Finley's w o r k , and h o w is she, o r s h o u l d she be, a c c o u n t -

as office, m e e t i n g , a n d facilitation space f o r the p r o j e c t ,

able to that public? Is t h e c o n s t i t u e n c y o f t h e m u s e u m -

w h o s e daily activities w e r e o p e n to the public. Also dis-

g o i n g public a n d I n t e r n e t users e c o n o m i c a l l y d i s c r i m i -

played in this s t r u c t u r e was d o c u m e n t a t i o n

the

n a t o r y in light of Finley's goal to raise consciousness of

progress of the p r o j e c t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; d r a w i n g s and schematics as

First A m e n d m e n t rights? Are t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i v e goals o f

well as historical a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y p h o t o g r a p h s o f t h e

Finley's w o r k r o o t e d in t h e general p u b l i c o r in t h e m u -

Watts n e i g h b o r h o o d .

s e u m institution? Is this p r o j e c t a b o u t t h e m u s e u m as

Even t h o u g h

Lowe's w o r k is still in

progress, it's easy to see m o s t of the principles at w o r k : c o n c r e t e p r o j e c t goals; m u l t i d i m e n s i o n a l

c o n d u i t for social activism in art, o r a b o u t activist art as c o n d u i t for the social d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e m u s e u m ?

implementa-

O n a m o r e p r a g m a t i c n o t e , can Go Fig-

tion strategies; w o r k i n g across scalesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;temporal, physi-

ure truly facilitate c o n s t r u c t i v e d i a l o g u e o n c e n s o r s h i p

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

a n d f r e e d o m of expression? D o e s it c h a n g e people's p e r -

ficials? Was m o r e public m o n e y allocated to this issue? Was

c e p t i o n s of a n d c o n t e n t i o n s a b o u t t h e h u m a n

there an increase in t h e use of services for rape victims and

body?

D o e s it c h a n g e people's p e r c e p t i o n s o f t h e i r choices a n d

battered w o m e n ? W e r e there m o r e demonstrations?

thereby c h a n g e their choices? W h i l e t h e w o r k may facil-

C e r t a i n l y it is always difficult t o d r a w

itate dialogue, it is difficult to say w h e t h e r it actually i n i -

distinct causal lines w h e n dealing w i t h such c o m p l e x i n -

tiates c h a n g e . It is these sorts of p r o b l e m a t i c issues that

teractions. Yet to take seriously t h e criteria suggested by

lead artists like S u z a n n e Lacy to resist any sort of s y s t e m -

u r b a n sociology m e a n s that at the very least, an activist

atic o u t c o m e s - a n a l y s i s for art.

artist is c o m m i t t e d to asking these questions. W h a t these

O p p o s i n g any appeal to social science standards, Lacy argues w e s h o u l d n ' t " r e d u c e o u r critical evaluation

one

of n u m b e r s

personal

criteria essentially a m o u n t to is a h i g h d e g r e e o f critical self-consciousness and accountability.

testi-

A n d i n d e e d , w h e n s o m e o n e â&#x20AC;&#x201D; b e they

m o n i e s . . . C o n c r e t e results in the public sphere, and h o w

law e n f o r c e m e n t officers, politicians, medical profession-

they reflect the artist's intentions, may occasionally be il-

als, or artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;walks i n t o o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d and says,

lustrative of a work's success, b u t fall short, as they d o n o t

" I ' m g o i n g to m a k e things better," w e s h o u l d e x p e c t

capture all the varied levels o n w h i c h art operates." W h i l e

n o t h i n g less.

Lacy is right that a social science approach alone w o u l d b e i n c o m p l e t e , it doesn't follow that w e o u g h t n o t b o r -

H e a t h e r Wainwright is a Ph.D. candidate in t h e d e p a r t m e n t of philosophy at

row a n d adapt w h a t is relevant. F u r t h e r m o r e , l o o k i n g to

t h e University of Minnesota. Mpls.

social science doesn't m e a n w e evaluate activist projects

Sources:

Lacy, Suzanne. Mapping the Terrain:

as if they w e r e social w o r k programs. R a t h e r , w h a t w e

Culture in Action: A Public Art Pro-

New Genre Public Art. Seattle: Bay

b o r r o w is t h e o v e r - a r c h i n g m e t h o d o l o g y .

gram of Sculpture Chicago. Seattle: Bay

Press, 1995.

For example, o n e explicit goal of the w e l l - k n o w n w o r k by S u z a n n e Lacy, Three Weeks In May

Press, 1995. Places with a Past: New Site-Specific Eaton, Marcia. Aesthetics and the

Art at Charleston's Spoleto Festival.

(1977), was to raise social awareness c o n c e r n i n g the seri-

Good Life. Cranbury, N.J.: Associated

N.Y.: Rizzoli International

ousness a n d pervasiveness of rape and violence against

University Press, 1989.

Publications, 1991.

w o m e n in Los Angeles. Clearly, this goal was achieved

Hickey, Dave. The Invisible Dragon:

Uncommon Sense. Los Angeles: T h e

w h i l e in p e r f o r m a n c e (public attendance, political s u p -

Four Essays on Beauty. Los Angeles:

Museum of C o n t e m p o r a r y Art,

p o r t , and media coverage evidence this); b u t w h a t h a p -

Art Issues Press, 1993.

1997.

p e n e d w h e n the t h r e e - w e e k p e r f o r m a n c e p e r i o d ended?

Kahn, Douglas and Neumaier, eds.

Were there m o r e lasting measurable effects? After the

Cultures in Contention. Seattle: T h e

event, w e r e there m o r e letters or p h o n e calls to public o f -

R e a l C o m e t Press, 1985.

(left) Karen Finley, Go Figure,

( b e l o w ) Karen Finley, Go Figure, life

installation, 1995-97. Presented at

drawing studio, 1995-97.

Uncommon

Sense, Los Angeles,

o f T h e Museum of C o n t e m p o r a r y

Photo by Lyle Ashton Harris,

Art, Calif.

courtesy o f T h e Museum of C o n t e m p o r a r y Art, Calif.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

Photo by Paula Goldman, courtesy

Calif., 1997.

AMERICAN GROUNDING COMMENTS

Deborah

O N THE ART OF

ELEGY

Karasov

...one man alone does not have strength or dignity or joy, but [these] and all else that is worthy come to him by the grace of the bonds that he has made with his fellows, and out of his sense of belonging to his land. They tell us, as biologists in our own time are again telling us, that no man is alone, because he cannot be; he cannot arrange it so that either the good or the bad effects of this life will apply only to himself; he can only live in the creation, among the creatures, his life either adding to the commonwealth

subtracting from it. — Wendell Berry

E AMERICANS

ARE

STILL

HEIRS

COLLECTIVE

SENSE

LOSS,

LUCY

LIPPARD

suggests in h e r n e w b o o k The Lure of the Local, a sense that h a d spread t h r o u g h t h e c o u n t r y by t h e e n d of t h e n i n e t e e n t h century. M o s t o f t h e

Eastern forests had b e e n destroyed and most of t h e w o r k a b l e land in t h e West had b e e n g r a b b e d by 1893, t h e frontier's w i d e l y accepted demise. Ever since, o u r losses have m u l tiplied as w e c o n f r o n t the ramifications of o u r e c o n o m i c spree, o u r e n v i r o n m e n t a l disc o n n e c t e d n e s s and self-interest. In t r u t h , w e are m o r e estranged f r o m o u r land n o w t h a n w e ever were, i n c o m p l e t e as an i n t e g r a t e d society, w i t h a h o l l o w in o u r culture. T h e history of o u r effort to b u i l d h e r e a great d e m o c r a t i c culture, stark a n d s t r o n g and full o f life, as historian Frederick T u r n e r o n c e d e s c r i b e d it, r e s o n a t i n g f r o m t h e A m e r i c a n land a n d forest, has b e e n r u i n o u s ecologically and agriculturally and n o d o u b t culturally as well. So it should b e n o surprise that public art also has m o r e to d o w i t h o u r m e l a n c h o l y and divided selves t h a n w i t h any creative w h o l e as such. D e s p i t e its h o p e f u l n e s s , L i p pard's b o o k offers examples, discussed below, that are n o e x c e p t i o n to this alienation a n d elegy. Yet public art c o u l d b e m o r e t h a n this. T h e intersections o f n a t u r e , c u l ture, history, and ideology f o r m the g r o u n d i n g for A m e r i c a n s , w h e t h e r t h e y r e c o g n i z e it or n o t . T h e lure of t h e local, as Lippard titles h e r b o o k , is t h e pull o f place that o p e r ates o n m a n y of us. It exposes o u r p o l i t i c s — s o m e t i m e s e x c l u s i o n a r y — a n d o u r spiritual legacies, usually m o n o c u l t u r a l . Perhaps, Lippard proposes, a m o r e responsible p e r c e p t i o n a b o u t place could c h a n g e o u r sentimentality and c e n t r i c i t y and w i t h it a n e w k i n d of art c o u l d

e m e r g e , o n e that accurately reports 011 o u r c o n d i t i o n . L a n d and p e o p l e s — m a n y still f i g h t i n g for their lives 011 and w i t h t h e land, o t h e r s w r e n c h e d involuntarily o r u n h a p pily f r o m their h o m e l a n d s — w i l l m a k e place and its arts c o m e alive. Q u o t i n g historian L a w r e n c e Grossberg, Lippard describes t h e c o r n e r stones o f this n e w art as " a p p r e c i a t i o n of difference, u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f c o n t e x t , a n d ability to m a k e critical c o m p a r a t i v e j u d g m e n t s o n the basis o f e m p a t h y a n d e v i d e n c e " — i n short, an art that creates active self-critical subjects, agents in history b u t heirs to t h e life of a place. P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

S o m e might say Lippard's ideas are too optimistic, given the potential for false steps in a culture

Scott Parsons and David G r e e n lund, The Reconciliation

Project, South

Dakota, 1992. In c o o p e r a t i o n with

so divided against itself. Indeed, most of the works in

t h e Oglala Lakota nation, placed

the b o o k are simple and sentimental in concept, u n -

near t h e Nobel Institute Peace

earthing stories and images: Jack Baker's n e i g h b o r h o o d

Prize Forum, recalling t h e fact that

tales of people g r o w i n g up in Seattle; R o g e r Welch's project with the elderly in Marshville, N o r t h Carolina,

Native Americans had not been invited t o attend. Photo by Scott Parsons

w h o were b r o u g h t together to tell about their lives in small towns here and in Europe; or the posters by R u t h

wealth, ideally we should begin to understand the effects

Ann Anderson and Suvan Geer with senior citizens in

of individual acts, generation after generation, in W e n -

Los Angeles, recalling lost landscapes of clean air, crystal

dell Berry's words "either adding to the c o m m o n w e a l t h

oceans, and the scent of orange blossoms along Wilshire

or subtracting from it." W i t h Sharon Stewart's p h o -

Boulevard.

tographs of c o m m u n a l ditch cleaning in El Cerrito, W i t h little shared experience a m o n g us,

N e w Mexico, or Marty Pottenger's stories of the fathers

such storytelling and old p h o t o g r a p h s are appealing and

and sons w h o worked in N e w York's city water tunnels,

affecting, but limited. At their heart is an imaginative act

every act is portrayed as cumulative or cyclical, as aware

b r i n g i n g together people and land as if we were r e m e m -

of being a repetition of previous acts as the cycles of

b e r i n g o n e and the o t h e r as m e m b e r s of one family. But

other cultures, like single f a r m i n g families in the M i d -

they are close to the limitations of historical societies or

west or, m o r e potent yet, the Native A m e r i c a n tribes

m u s e u m s in the way they represent a placeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in frag-

they replaced. Works like these, truly c o m b i n i n g experi-

ments, through stories, randomly acquired artifacts, and

ence, land, and time, are unusual.

selective photographs, rather than within any historical framework or drama.

O u r public art, still so didactic, has rarely mastered the fact that people need m o r e than to

Unfortunately, few of the works m e n -

understand their connection to o n e another, to the place

tioned in the b o o k realize the holistic, comprehensive,

of their h o m e , and to the earth; they need also the feel-

and restorative aspects of Lippard's ideals. W h e n an artist

ing of such c o n n e c t i o n , and the feeling can c o m e by

describes the c o m m o n w e a l t h of a particular landscape or

b r i n g i n g alive the patterns of place experience, just as

place, and reaches for an art that h o n o r s that c o m m o n -

work rhythms build into song, so that we feel part of the

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

c o m m o n w e a l t h , the c o n t i n u u m of natural and cultural

ratives b r o u g h t back the long hot ride up the ditch trail

history. A nation of urban nomads such as we have b e -

or entire days d r e a m i n g in green m e a d o w s flush with

c o m e simply may not be disturbed e n o u g h by the d e -

spring. But Lippard herself w o u l d say the goal of m a k i n g

struction of the ecological health of the land, because

c o m m o n cause, in Berry's phrase, must only begin there.

o u r d e p e n d e n c e on it, t h o u g h it has been e x p o u n d e d to

N o matter h o w sophisticated the techniques or beautiful

us over and over again in general terms, is not i m m e d i -

the imagery, w i t h o u t experiences and perspectives of

ate to our feelings. Public art of place could give us that

other people and times, such a project will never have

immediacy and c o n n e c t i o n .

the p o w e r of a c o m m u n a l song, as if place was a story

Lippard herself understands the neces-

h a p p e n i n g many times.

sity for c o n n e c t i n g to experience, confessing that she

Is public art of place c o n d e m n e d to b e

had to be thrown back upon her o w n place and its cul-

always so centric or sentimental, constrained by the state

tural history w h e n w r i t i n g the b o o k . T h e bedrock place

of our fragmented, elegiac culture? N o t if w e can over-

in her life is G e o r g e t o w n Island, Maine, j u t t i n g into the

c o m e deep-seated American attitudes, that is, with p u b -

Atlantic O c e a n at the m o u t h of the K e n n e b e c River.

lic art projects that move b e y o n d narratives of lost lan-

H o m e , as she describes it, is the texture of sand and rock

scapes to address these attitudes. For example, Lippard's

and seaweed, m e m o r i e s of walking o n clamshells and

Maine and Davis' Nevada are full of places, o n c e settled,

m u d w h e n the tide was out, fresh fish for breakfast fried

f a r m e d or harvested at great expense of time and labor,

by her grandmother, the heyday of the fishing village—

that are n o w a b a n d o n e d , developed over, or ecologically

n o w in ruins and dry b r u s h — w h e n it had t w o lobster

d e t e r i o r a t e d ; after only a f e w g e n e r a t i o n s a w h o l e

wharves and rowdy Saturday-night dances. This is w h e r e it began for h e r — a n d for

h u m a n era has c o m e to an end there. All of us k n o w such places.

many of us: in one's o w n clan's m e m o r i e s and sensations.

As a u t h o r Wendell Berry has w r i t t e n ,

Yet public art of place should c o m e to include m o r e

people didn't remain in those places because the land

than one's own clan. Steve Davis' project in Nevada is

was necessarily marginal; they didn't remain there b e -

similar to many in the b o o k . Collaborating with local

cause their relation to the place was mechanical and

residents, Davis accompanied t h e m to their childhood

e c o n o m i c rather than cultural. At first glance, this d o e s -

sites and p h o t o g r a p h e d what had b e c o m e of t h e m . N a r -

n't seem to have m u c h to d o with public art, b u t it does—those people w h o left lacked the cultural means,

Marty Pottenger, City Water

Tunnel

#3, 1996.

the feeling of b e i n g heir to the place, that m i g h t have

Photo byT. Brittain Stone, courtesy

provided the k n o w l e d g e of the i m p o r t a n c e of preserv-

of Dancing in t h e Streets

ing the land or of the right ways to preserve it. W e are in the same place emotionally, but o u r public art could heal that disease. T h o s e lands need not have been d e stroyed in the past. A n d most of us need not live in desolate places of a n o t h e r kind or blind to o t h e r e n v i r o n mental destruction today. We must see ourselves as the spiritual heirs to the life of American places. We are the agents of those places, but also a part of their h i s t o r y — past and f u t u r e — a n d public art should insist o n this. Lucy Lippard has given us g o o d reason and many possibilities for c h a n g i n g the f u t u r e of public art of place. N o w we need only wait for the artists. D e b o r a h Karasov is editor of Public Art Review and a consultant in geography and landscape architecture.

Source: Lippard, Lucy. The Lure of the Local: Senses of Place in a Multicentered Society. N e w York: T h e N e w Press, 1997,320 pages, $40 hardcover.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

E X C E R P T

EVICTIONS: ART AND SPATIAL POLITICS Rosalyn Deutsche • • •

Editor's Note: the following are excerpts from Evictions: Art and

tence, t h e editors tie public art to d e m o c r a c y : " P u b l i c

Spatial Politics by Rosalyn Deutsche (Cambridge and London: The

art w i t h its built-in social focus w o u l d seem to b e an

MIT Press, 1996; $35), written with characteristic rigor, passion, and

ideal g e n r e for a democracy." T h e y c o n t i n u e : "Yet, since

insight about the democratic potential of public art.

its i n c e p t i o n , issues s u r r o u n d i n g its a p p r o p r i a t e f o r m

In this pervasive a t m o s p h e r e of c o n s e r -

and p l a c e m e n t , as well as its f u n d i n g , have m a d e public

vative d e m o c r a c y , it m i g h t b e seen as an e n c o u r a g i n g

art an o b j e c t of controversy m o r e o f t e n than consensus

sign that today's w i d e s p r e a d enthusiasm for " p u b l i c a r t "

o r celebration." T h e c o n j u n c t i o n yet, w h i c h links these

has b e e n t e m p e r e d f r o m the b e g i n n i n g by u n c e r t a i n t y

t w o sentences, p e r f o r m s i m p o r t a n t ideological w o r k . It

a b o u t t h e d e f i n i t i o n of the t e r m . Artists and critics have

joins d e m o c r a c y — i n t r o d u c e d

repeatedly asked w h a t it m e a n s to b r i n g the w o r d public

and c o n t r o v e r s y — i n t r o d u c e d in t h e s e c o n d — i n an a d -

i n t o p r o x i m i t y w i t h art. W r i t e r s alert to the p r o b l e m s

verse relationship. Public art w o u l d be d e m o c r a t i c ex-

that plague c o n v e n t i o n a l c o n c e p t s of publicness o f t e n

cept that it is controversial, o r — i n a m o r e optimistic

b e g i n t h e i r explorations of public art by q u e s t i o n i n g t h e

r e a d i n g — p u b l i c art retains its d e m o c r a t i c potential de-

identity, even t h e existence, of their object of study.

spite the fact that it is controversial.

W h i l e they [the critics] n o t e that public

C o n s e r v a t i v e and liberal aesthetic dis-

art is difficult to d e f i n e a n d stress the i n c o h e r e n c e of t h e

courses are by n o m e a n s alone in f i n d i n g ways simulta-

c o n t e m p o r a r y public, they still e q u a t e public space w i t h

n e o u s l y to o p e n

consensus, c o h e r e n c e , and universality and relegate p l u -

space...Michael Sorkin, for example, introduces his i n -

ralism, division, and d i f f e r e n c e to the realm of t h e p r i -

terdisciplinary a n t h o l o g y of critical essays, Variations on a

a n d close t h e q u e s t i o n

of p u b l i c

vate. T h e y tacitly v i e w the plurality a n d strife that c h a r -

Theme Park: The Netv American

acterize the public as p r o b l e m a t i c facts that s u p p o r t e r s o f

Space, w i t h a plea for a r e t u r n to " t h e familiar spaces of

City and the End of Public

public space m u s t find p r o c e d u r e s to r e d u c e and finally

traditional cities, t h e streets and squares, courtyards and

eliminate. [Public art a d m i n s t r a t o r J e r r y ] Allen, for i n -

parks," that are " o u r great scenes of t h e civic." Sorkin

stance, w h o offers a solution typically a d o p t e d by m a n y

c o n c l u d e s that in the n e w " ' p u b l i c ' spaces of the t h e m e

public art advocates, initially a c k n o w l e d g e s that art's

park or the s h o p p i n g mall, speech itself is restricted:

" p u b l i c c o n t e x t " is b r o a d a n d h e t e r o g e n e o u s . Public art

t h e r e are n o d e m o n s t r a t i o n s in Disneyland. T h e effort to

c a n n o t h o p e to express values held by everyone. Still, its

reclaim the city is t h e struggle of d e m o c r a c y itself."

goals should be to serve u n i f i e d , if multiple, publics that,

W h e n Sorkin treats public space as t h e

says Allen, can b e f o u n d if artists suppress their i n d i v i d -

site of political activity rather t h a n as a universal d o m a i n

ual egos and consult t h e p e o p l e " i m m e d i a t e l y affected

that m u s t be p r o t e c t e d f r o m politics, h e significantly

by t h e p r o j e c t " — p r e e x i s t i n g g r o u p s or

communities

redirects m a i n s t r e a m discourse a b o u t public space. H e is

w h o use specific u r b a n sites, distinct constituencies each

r i g h t to link public space to the exercise of free speech

d e f i n e d by s o m e c o m m o n identification.

rights and to challenge t h e c u r r e n t proliferation of sani-

unanimity—fre-

tized urban spaces that tolerate little resistance to the

q u e n t l y cast in the shape of " c o m m u n i t y " — b e c o m e t h e

m o s t c i r c u m s c r i b e d uses. B u t w h e n Sorkin idealizes tra-

o b j e c t of quests for t r u e publicness as s o m e critics, w h i l e

ditional city space as a " m o r e a u t h e n t i c urbanity," a space

usefully d o c u m e n t i n g controversies f o u g h t over specific

essential to d e m o c r a t i c politics, h e avoids the politics of

Homogeneity

in t h e first s e n t e n c e —

and

public a r t w o r k s a n d even e s p o u s i n g controversy as a n a t -

its historical c o n s t i t u t i o n as well as t h e possibility of its

ural i n g r e d i e n t of the public art process, c o n t i n u e to as-

political t r a n s f o r m a t i o n . W i t h i n this idealizing p e r s p e c -

sociate public space and d e m o c r a c y w i t h the goals of

tive, departures f r o m established spatial a r r a n g e m e n t s i n -

building consensus, consolidating communities,

and

evitably signal the " e n d of public space." E d g e cities,

s o o t h i n g conflicts. At t h e same t i m e they place t h e d e f i -

s h o p p i n g malls, mass media, electronic space (even, for

nition of d e m o c r a t i c public space f u n d a m e n t a l l y outside

the right, "bizarrely s h a p e d " v o t i n g districts)

controversy.

t a n t a m o u n t to d e m o c r a c y ' s demise.

become

T h i s d y n a m i c is illustrated by a 1992 a n t h o l o g y titled Context,

Critical

and Controversy.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . fALL.WINTER.97

Issues in Public Art:

Content,

In the b o o k ' s o p e n i n g s e n -

Rosalyn Deutsche is an art historian and critic who has taught at Harvard, MIT, Cooper Union, and Rutgers.

M I N N E S O T A P E R C E N T FOR A R T I N P U B L I C P L A C E S

Since

1984,

the Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places program has incorporated

works of art into more than 60 state buildings including major projects for the Minnesota History Center and Minnesota Judicial Center in Saint Paul. To celebrate more than a decade of acc o m p l i s h m e n t , essays have been commissioned from writers Patrice Koelsch and Mason Riddle. T h e y have chosen to focus on two innovative recent projects with modest budgets, b u t profound impact. T h e Library for the Blind and Physically H a n d i c a p p e d , Faribault, M N and Anoka Ramsey C o m m u n i t y College-Cambridge show the program's c o m m i t m e n t to choosing artwork that recognizes and fosters a wide range of social, historical, and cultural values.

Octopus and Ice Cream: An Aesthetic of Care for Public Art

offers some insight into how a public art work can enlarge the notion of art being both "for" and "about" its public.

by Patrice Clark Koelsch

The Process a n d the Project

Public opinion, that stormy, shape-shifting cloud of conviction and convention, often holds public art to a higher â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or at least different - standard than art that is produced for critical appreciation in a gallery. Art made "for the public" (sometimes crudely understood as art "paid for by the taxpayer") must satisfy criteria that is civic as well as aesthetic. And this may not be such a bad thing.

The funding for this project came from an addition to the library on the campus of the Minnesota Academy for the Blind. In the artist selection process the committee reviewed the demographics of the Academy's student population and discussed teachers' concerns about art for visually impaired children. Severity of sight-impairment varies among the students, and many also struggle with developmental and physical disabilities. In the preliminary committee meetings, a teacher who has been blind since birth noted the difficulty in interpreting abstract shapes and emphasized the importance of using forms that relate to actual experience. The teacher also observed that many students at the Academy fear open space and need to be encouraged to explore outdoor environments.

Public art is particularly susceptible to the idea that a work of art reflects the culture in which it is produced. Hence, public art is not only "for" the public, it is, in some real sense, "about" the public that is its audience. When the site for public art is especially significant, or if there is not much other art at that site, the people who encounter that space regularly are more likely to have a proprietary interest in the art that is placed there. That is why many state and municipal art programs, including Minnesota's Percent for Art in Public Places program, invite representatives of the primary users to participate in the acquisition or commissioning of art.

This information was relayed to Stanton Sears, a sculptor and teacher at Macalester College in Saint Paul, when the commission was awarded to him. Sears then invited his colleague Andrea Myklebust to collaborate with him in the design and fabrication. In their own documentation of the project, they noted that they began the design process "knowing that easy accessibility and tactile interest were essential." After additional discussion with the school staff, they decided their piece should be "a destination within a small community, a place to be found, explored, and quietly enjoyed." The sculptors chose a site just west of the library between two linden trees.

But what happens when the primary users of a site constitute a very distinct constituency whose perceptual abilities differ from that of the general population? Do specific accessibility requirements inhibit artistic creativity? Can a work be civically and aesthetically satisfying to the specific constituency as well as to a more general public? This was the challenge faced by Stanton Sears and Stanton Sears and Andrea Myklebust, Octopus Andrea Myklebust when they began to and Ice Cream, 1994, Cast bronze and stone To better understand how blind people design Octopus and Ice Cream, a sculptural Photo by Regina Flanagan perceive and recognize forms, Sears and plaza for the Library for the Blind and Myklebust met with some students. The Physically Handicapped in Faribault, Minnesota. As a case artists asked the students to try to identify some small bronze study in serving diverse publics, this project illustrates how objects they'd brought from the studio. The students easily public art can satisfy both artistic and civic criteria. It also recognized a toothbrush, a paintbrush, and a length of rope,

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M I N N E S O T A PERCENT FOR A R T IN P U B L I C PLACES

but they had more difficulty with castings of a bird's wing and abstract sculptural forms. Consequently, Sears and Myklebust designed an ambitious sculptural configuration composed of a fourteen-foot castbronze railing leading to a curved concrete bench which culminated in a granite swirl on a carved limestone base. The design and fabrication was executed over a four-month period and the work was installed in the fall of 1994. When asked about their primary artistic concerns in developing this project, both Sears and Myklebust emphasized their commitment to extremely high standards of technical execution. Myklebust characterized it as "an aesthetic of care," explaining that "a handmade object carries evidence of its labor, the care of the maker carries through." Sears spoke of his allegiance to "an archaic sense of elegance — the beauty of the curve and the line." Both acknowledged that their pieces have often been described as "whimsical," and that Octopus Stanton Sears and Andrea and Ice Cream is deliberately Myklebust, Octopus and playful. "Our work doesn't take Ice Cream, 1994, Cast itself deadly seriously," Myklebust bronze and scone remarked, "but the execution of Top Photo by A n d r e a Myklebust Right Photo by Stanton Sears the work should show that we take sculpture seriously." Because the students would primarily experience the work through touch, it was important to use a variety of materials. The linden trees at the site provided fragrance in the spring, and the artists worked with the landscape architects for the library addition to select additional plantings which would offer a medley of scents and textures. Sears and Myklebust also wanted to include the sense of hearing at the site, so they incorporated an unclappered bell that could be struck with knuckles or a cane. Since the piece was at an educational institution, it seemed especially appropriate to juxtapose references to familiar and unfamiliar items. The cast-bronze railing consists of a ropelike form, a bell, a horn-like component with its sound assuming a solid shape, an octopus leg holding a large ice cream cone, a twisting ribbon, and, finally, a staff crowned by an ear of ripe corn. Although an actual scoop of ice cream visually appears to have a lot of texture, here the bronze scoop of ice cream is smooth because it is experienced as smooth by the tongue. Along the rear edge of the concrete bench there is an impression of the horn-sound from the railing and an upside-down impression of the model of the large granite cone. A Braille reader sitting on the bench whose hands fold over the front edge will discover — upside-down and thus perfectly legible — the embossed injunction "Imagine that." The granite anchoring the bench is a sculptural rendition of an echo. The small limestone pedestal partially supporting the granite alludes to institutional architecture as well as to the classical tradition in learning.

Particular Publics, G e n e r a l V a l u e s Octopus and Ice Cream has become the campus destination that the sculptors envisioned. For the visually impaired and physically challenged students at the Academy, the experiential accessibility of Octopus and Ice Cream involves encouraging both physical and cognitive exploration. Students enjoy the game-like aspects of the work (for example, the suction cups on the octopus's leg spell a phrase in Braille). Some students fit the backs of their heads into the bell and strike it, and some regard the swirling granite cone as "the seal." Thus, by incorporating realistic, abstract, and symbolic elements, the plaza engages students at very different age and developmental levels. Moreover, the bench provides an inviting place for older students in particular to enjoy solitude or to socialize. The plaza isn't a pristine temple of art. It's a place to hang out. In this instance, it appears clear that the work speaks to the primary public that encounters it. But it's also sculpturally interesting to persons who are neither young nor visually impaired. The human scale and material variety of the components invite viewers to become "touchers." Virtually no one can resist rubbing a palm over the dome of the ice cream cone or striking the bell. The imaginative juxtaposition of bronze, granite, limestone, and concrete is visually as well as tactilely intriguing. The work literally embodies a very traditional sculptural aesthetic in the emphasis on the detail and durability of the bronze casting and the stone carving. But there are also important — and contemporary — civic values in Octopus and Ice Cream. Most obviously, it embraces accessibility. Not only is it physically available to a portion of the population who usually encounter barriers which prevent them from engaging with art, but it also is accessible to that large segment of the population not acquainted with the moment's cutting edge in art. There is nothing intimidating about Octopus and Ice Cream, but there is also nothing shoddy or ill-made. The plaza affirms the values of play and imagination and careful fabrication. Its very unpretentiousness is a civic value. The aspects of this work that we all enjoy are just those elements that we hope to find in a democratic society. Reflecting on the experience of producing art for a young, visually impaired, physically disabled audience, Sears noted that his concern throughout was "to make work that stays beautiful, that is rich rather than merely adequate." Myklebust concluded, "In the end, the audience is like every audience. You have to have respect for whoever will be interacting with the work. You have to assume — always —

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that the audience will be at least as smart as the artist. We want to make things that are good and decent, things that emphasize what we have in c o m m o n . " In Octopus and Ice Cream the aesthetic of care is manifest both as a respect for the public and a respect for art-making. It is a work that suggests that our differences need not be isolating, that we can become imaginatively inclusive, and that there is a nobility to work that is done skillfully, carefully, mindfully. By embodying these values, Octopus and Ice Cream contributes to the public good, and thus exemplifies a civic standard for public art. Patrice Clark Koelscb lives in Minneapolis and writes about the arts and cultural issues.

Cherishing the Landscape: Anoka Ramsey Community College-Cambridge by Mason Riddle The ancient Latin term genius loci - spirit of place - perhaps best captures the concept of a place as art. The term describes the character, meaning and sense of a place — its culture — both literally and metaphorically. One of the most notable sites in this country that exemplifies genius loci is Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia (1817), in Charlottesville, VA. Part vision, part brick and mortar, and part garden, the amateur architect described his university as "an academic village... affordfing] that quiet retirement so friendly to study."

building in a holistic way, not as an ornamental aftert h o u g h t . The project's c o m m i t t e e chose glass artist and architect Michaela Mahady, Stillwater, M N , to design a large interior window, and Kinji Akagawa, Afton, M N , to create a sequential outdoor seating plan. Presently, the Cambridge campus comprises only one building, although the master plan calls for three additional structures as the student body increases and state funds are made available. Perhaps most striking is the site itself which is one of those magical spots, subtle in its intentions and persona, where the prairie to the west moves effortlessly east into oak savannah, woods, wetlands, and finally to the Rum River. It is a site that you feel before you see it. For the visitor, there is a subtle but exciting transition from west to east, beginning with the landscaped parking area, on to the sweeping amphitheater at the school's entrance which cradles Akagawa's work. One then moves through the building, encountering Mahady's window looking east to the surrounding wetlands and R u m River. The 55,000-square-foot b u i l d i n g was designed by Hokanson/Lunning Associates, Inc. of Saint Paul and is sited on 8 0 acres of land. Brad Hokanson was principal in charge of a d m i n i s t e r i n g the project, and Bob L u n n i n g served as principal designer. T h e handsome two-story b u i l d i n g sits between two rises in the bluff line like a great sailing vessel between two cresting waves. Clad in brick with metal panels and detailing, the structure accentuates rather than obscures the site. The building's varied and plentiful fenestration affords much light, and remarkable views in every direction. Mahady's window provides a striking vista onto wetlands and woods. Measuring 26 feet by 12 feet, it gives new meaning to the term "picture window." Inspired by her initial visit to the site on a brilliant but frigid January day, Mahady was exhilarated by the enveloping land and sky. It was an unexpected transcendent experience, so she titled her work Satori, which means "flash of illusion."

Although of a decidedly different style and feel than Jefferson's neo-classical g e m , l U K - 5SB Anoka Ramsey C o m m u n i t y • M S • College-Cambridge is - • another "academic village" that embodies the notion of genius loci. Located in Cambridge, M N , Michaela Mahady, Satori, 1996. Glasswork Photo by Regina Flanagan approximately 100 miles north of the Twin Cities, the Satori is the focal point of the school was dedicated in the fall of 1996. Its new building, second-story student lounge and bookstore. It is a beautiful expansive site and two public art projects give resonance to work that is both something to look at and something to look such abstract concepts as learning, collegiality, democracy through. A melange of diff-erent types of glass, the window and culture. In its straightforward prairie splendor, functions as an interpretive veil to the landscape beyond, and the comprehensive design scheme supports the notion of its configuration echoes the expansive arched sweep of the gathering, and functions as a literal and metaphorical ceiling. Although an abstract geometric design, the piece foundation for the exchange of ideas, "affordfing] that thematically reflects the building's architecture and the landquiet retirement so friendly to study." scape, and how light captures and intermingles with the two. The Cambridge campus was viewed by the Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places program as a pilot project where artists were identified early on so they could collaborate with the architects and the school in the design of the building and the site. Art was to be integral to the

Satori changes colors, not only as one moves by, but also with the time of day and the seasons. For Mahady, its interactive nature is a metaphor for the project's entire design process. "The process went extremely well," she remarked. "I was working w i t h architects who were open to different responses to the

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site, rather than making it what they thought it should be." Mahady particularly liked being involved from the onset in the overall design process. "An interactive situation is extremely rewarding and affords a more interesting opportunity to create work than if you are just putting work in a building that already exists," she explains. In fact, when Lunning saw the linework in Mahady's window concept, he re-designed the building's painted steel handrailings to continue her design motif. Cambridge River Prairie Islands by Kinji Akagawa is simultaneously a discrete sculptural work and an integral component to the overall landscape and building design. The work comprises four seating areas created from stone, wood, and cast bronze which elegantly exploit the natural sweep of the landscape.

Kinji Akagawa, River Prairie

Cambridge

Islands,

1996.

Stone, wood, and cast bronze Top Photo by Nancy Gipple Right Photo by Regina Flanagan

Akagawa's belief in democracy is deep-rooted, and he strives to create works that enhance the notion of a public realm to serve an "inter-cultural" community. In the spirit of the American philos-opher John Dewey, Akagawa believes education is for everyone. Thus, the artist is deeply committed to creating public spaces that are flexible and suited to a broad range of activities, while still providing everyday aesthetic experiences. Akagawa also believes that if our public spaces are to be more fulfilling, then engineers, city planners, state bureaucrats and the public must become more culturally and aesthetically knowledgeable and involved. For Akagawa, the term "public art" is a misnomer. "Democratic art" would be more appropriate. "All art is private; we experience it at a personal level," he remarks. "Democratizing the aesthetic experience is what is needed, so all different walks of life can cherish a place. If we have an inter-cultural community, then we must develop a corresponding sense of place." At its core, Cambridge River Prairie Islands promotes the notion of collegiality. The individual islands progress upward along the natural contour of the amphitheater and eventually merge with grass and concrete terraces. "My goal is to give an experience," states Akagawa. "Cambridge River Prairie Islands offers an alternative to sitting in the library. Students can sit alone or in groups on a log or rock, and are visited by nature as a bird comes to its bath. The plants are giving off oxidation..." Influenced by Buddhist and Shinto traditions, the work speaks to the importance of the environment, the use of natural materials and the necessity of human care. It is physically and psychologically part of the site.

Akagawa's artwork is so well integrated into the overall design of the site, it appears to merge with it. The landscape design by Bob Close of Close Grant Landscape Architects in Saint Paul, is also critical to the success of Akagawa's Cambridge River Prairie Islands. The two form a symbiotic relationship that could not exist if one were missing. Although not yet mature, the native plantings around each island and throughout the amphitheater provide a specific but informal environment. The surrounding land is restored prairie and, when established, will provide an arresting year-round setting. Remarks Close, "Our intention was to develop the site as it was originally, before it was farmed and turned over to the college. It was a gift to get such a powerful site to work with and Kinji's sensitivity to the site â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to land, in general - was more than we could have hoped for." Clearly, the success of the Cambridge campus project was rooted in the interactive design process shared by the artists, architects, community members, and the school. Mahady, Akagawa, Lunning, and Close all agree that working collaboratively from the beginning laid the path for such a pro-found outcome. "We are all sitebased artists and designers, and embrace an evolving design process," comments Close. "Through our interactive process we were able to come up with a meaningful transition from the building to the landscape - there is a natural relationship to the amphitheater and wetlands due, in large part, to Kinji's and Michaela's work." According to Lunning, "It was simply a matter of listening to one another and respecting each others' ideas." Ultimately, the design of the Cambridge campus is about place making; the creation of a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts. Boston Globe critic Robert Campbell once wrote, "The places we value so much have almost never been created in our own time." He contends, "It has to do, above all, with creating a humane public realm... We can often make good public buildings today, but seldom good public realms." If Campbell were to visit the Cambridge campus, he would find a humane and good public realm, one that has current value and future significance. Mason Riddle is a writer living in Saint Paul. For a m a p of installations and complete bibliography, contact: M i n n e s o t a P e r c e n t for A r t in P u b l i c Places c/o M i n n e s o t a S t a t e A r t s Board 4 0 0 Sibley S t r e e t , S u i t e 2 0 0 Saint P a u l , M i n n e s o t a 5 5 1 0 1 - 1 9 2 8 ( 6 1 2 ) 21 5 - 1 6 0 0 / ( 8 0 0 ) 8 M N - A R T S MINNESOTA P E R C E N T FOR

T T Y (612) 215-6235

ART

IN P U B L I C PLACES

E-mail: msab@state.mn.us

P R O J E C T

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL (below) Lawrence Halprin, FDR

R e v i e w e d by G e o r g e H o w e l l •

•

Memorial,

•

1997. Aerial overview.

Room 2. Photo by Lawrence Halprin

Controversies over a wheelchair depiction of Franklin D e l a n o

with the National Organization on Disability (NOD). NOD

Roosevelt, and other disability issues, still threaten to m a r the

spearheaded a coalition of over 50 disability groups challeng-

n e w FDR M e m o r i a l in Washington, D.C., and could p o r t e n d

ing the m e m o r i a l ; it effectively p e r f o r m e d an e n d - r u n action

o t h e r disability debates for public art projects in the future.

around the FDR C o m m i s s i o n , w h i c h oversaw the m e m o r i a l ,

Ironically, the m e m o r i a l is popular with visitors just because of

after the disability g r o u p felt its c o n c e r n s were b e i n g ignored.

its accessibility. Indeed, visitors seem visibly moved as they

According to Dickson, activists lobbied individual m e m b e r s

t o u c h R o b e r t Graham's bronze reliefs h o n o r i n g social p r o -

of the FDR Commission and the W h i t e House. C o m m i s s i o n

grams enacted d u r i n g the heart of the Great Depression.

co-chair Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and commission m e m b e r Representative M a u r i c e Hincey ( D - N e w Y o r k ) then

T h e m e m o r i a l took fifty years f r o m conception to completion.

s u b m i t t e d j o i n t resolutions in their respective

San Francisco architect Lawrence Halprin, designer of G h i -

Meanwhile, the NOD mobilized s o m e 250 activists w h o were

rardelli Square, was responsible for overall design. Halprin's d e -

prepared to disrupt the May 2 dedication if the resolutions

sign cost $48 million, including $5 million f r o m private c o n t r i -

were not passed, but the Senate resolution passed May 1,

butions. Made from polished red granite and sprawling across

avoiding a public c o n f r o n t a t i o n . After the H o u s e

seven acres of West Potomac Park, the m e m o r i a l features a se-

passed in early July, President C l i n t o n signed the bill into law

ries of rooms, one for each of FDR's four terms. Figurative

o n July 24, 1997.

chambers.

version

sculpture by Leonard Baskin, Neil Estern, Tom Hardy, and George Segal symbolize the emotional tenor of the Roosevelt years, while cascades of water unify the structure.

T h e FDR Commission's official position has l o n g b e e n that FDR never wanted to be represented in a wheelchair and they were therefore h o n o r i n g his wishes. D o r a n n G u n d e r s o n , e x -

Various activists from the disability c o m m u n i t y have taken the m e m o r i a l to task, charging it hides FDR's use of a wheelchair and is offensive to the blind c o m m u n i t y because some of the reliefs use unreadable, " f a k e " Braille. A resolution recently adopted by the A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l for the Blind, calling in vague terms for the Braille to be fixed, shows that disability is-

ecutive director o f the commission, responded to questions about the controversy with a New York Times o p - e d piece by Eleanor Roosevelt Seagraves, FDR'S granddaughter, backing up that assertion. Ms. Seagraves w r o t e that her grandfather never "ate meals, worked, m a d e public appearances, or r e laxed" in a wheelchair.

sues at the m o n u m e n t are still unresolved, despite legislation giving the Secretary of the Interior authority to install a p e r -

H o w FDR will be depicted is still unclear. It is n o w the Secre-

m a n e n t addition to the m o n u m e n t , recognizing that FDR led

tary of the Interior w h o is responsible for any changes to the

the c o u n t r y "while the President used a wheelchair."

memorial. W h i l e the law specifically calls for a " p e r m a n e n t addition," the language is o p e n as to the type of representation

" M o n u m e n t s teach people what is great about America. We

("a p e r m a n e n t statue, bas-relief, or o t h e r similar structure").

don't want m o n u m e n t s to teach people that disability is s o m e -

According to a staff m e m b e r in Congressman Hincey's office,

thing that we must hide," said J i m Dickson, a blind activist

Congress was deliberately vague in order to avoid a protracted

P R O J E C T

FDR Memorial,

( b e l o w ) FDR Memorial,

1997. R o o m 3, FDR

1997. R o o m

and Fala by Neil Estern.

2, R o b e r t Graham sculpture.

Photo by j o e Sulley

Photo by Lawrence Halprin

read a plaque in front of Old Faithful. Why is that omitted here w h e n there is fake Braille?" T h e Braille acted as "an invitation to touch, more than anything," sculptor R o b e r t Graham told the Washington Post in May. "Braille is not much different than touching a face or anything else." For Graham, the Braille was simply another element among the solemn fragments of faces, machines, and tableaux of working people that emerge from the reliefs like memories from the moody depths of history. By ignoring the tact that Braille is a system of writing, and not just a tactile symbol, Graham's gesture offended blind visitors. T h e disability controversies have colored the memorial's successes. Even members of the American Council of the Blind agree that the memorial calls attention to the government's responsibility for the less fortunate. In fact, a demonstration at battle like the one that haunted Maya Lin's 1981 Vietnam Vet-

the memorial was called in early August to protest the current

erans Memorial, eventually leading to the addition of three

attack on social programs inspired by the N e w Deal. T h e

figurative sculptures by Frederick Hart.

memorial also allows visitors to directly participate in a public

T h e NOD remains adamant, however. "We would look at anything less than a statue as a token gesture," says Dickson.

artwork through the intimacy of touch. N o matter how abstract a work is—and what could be more abstract than Graham's treatment of history as a veil of disembodied faces?—

But why insist on a literal depiction? According to Seagrave,

the public will respond if they feel welcomed; hence the anger

FDR's disability is subtly apparent in the memorial. Neil Es-

of activists w h o feel less than welcome.

tern's massive nine-foot statue is a literal depiction of furniture in the Roosevelt's Hyde Park residence (the heavy armchairs helped FDR keep his balance). Estern also argues that a close look at FDR's leg projecting from his cape reflects his polio. A literal wheelchair depiction, one could argue, implies something akin to socialist realism, images used for ideological intent. T h e m o n u m e n t already has Eleanor Roosevelt minus her fur coat because of objections by animal rights activists. For many, the issue comes down to a distortion of hist o r y — d o we revise the images of the past to conform to

"1 think the arts community and the m o n u m e n t community underestimated us," says Dickson. " T h e y really didn't want to deal with us. This has been a big step in the coming of age of the disability community. There will be other fights around universal design issues...The most useful thing about the disability fight, in light of democracy, is that it allowed a real debate to take place. You can't debate silence. As America grays, people have to come out of the closet about disabilities, or we're going to have a lot of miserable people."

contemporary attitudes? Wouldn't a work depicting conflict

G e o r g e Howell writes about art in t h e Washington, D.C. area for Art

over the disability be more meaningful than a smiling FDR

and

waving from his wheelchair? T h e objections of the disability community are not easily dismissed, however. For a site that has touted its accessibility, the m o n u m e n t falls short. While there are plenty of wheelchair ramps and most sculptures and spaces are at sidewalk level, the plinth supporting the statue of FDR and his dog Fala—a natural posing spot for photographs—is not accessible for anyone in a wheelchair. Consider, likewise, the Braille issue. " T h e heart of the m o n ument is in the statements carved on the walls," declares Dickson, referring to master carver John Benson's inscription of FDR's speeches on social justice. "But those statements are not on Braille plates. I can go to Yellowstone and

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

Sculpture.

Papers

P R O J E C T

FENCES R e v i e w e d by Cynthia Abramson • • •

Dedication of Lincoln High School Fence Project, 1996. Photo by the author

What does it take for public art to provide a vehicle for civic dialogue? T h e Lincoln High School Fence Project (1996) in Portland, Oregon, shows how, through ongoing civic dialogue, a typical artist-student design collaboration sparked discussion about the role and responsibility of an educational institution to its students; where c o m m u n i t y

involvement

transcended the usual citizen's advisory boards and artist selection committees and played a key role in re-assessing how local civic institutions interact with the community at large. Portland is a rare example of a city's c o m m i t m e n t to public discourse, public involvement in decision-making and public accountability. This commitment is so evolved that citizens truly believe their municipal government operates with their best interests at heart. In such a climate, civic discourse and discord are viewed as inherently positive and part of the natural process of getting things done. Civic dialogue is possible only when a "civic culture" exists—one that encourages and values public participation, and fosters a sense of ownership and stewardship over the public realm. In a word, civic dialogue is predicated upon trust. To engender that trust, stakeholders need to be proactively

In 1992, Tri-Met, Portland's regional transit agency, set aside

engaged in dialogue from the start of a project, when discus-

funds to commission permanent public artworks for its 18-

sion and dissension are most productive, and when design

mile Westside MAX (Metro Area Express) light-rail extension.

modifications are easier and less costly to make.

T h e station abuts Lincoln High School in southwest Portland. In 1993, Tri-Met announced its plans to erect a 12-foot-high,

And it doesn't end there; this dialogue can shape a project and address problems as they arise. Unfortunately, the typically "expert-driven" approach to design and planning poses the largest deterrent to meaningful civic dialogue, and its resulting achievement of true collaboration. What happens too often is that a government agency initiates a project to solve a "problem" the community has had no part in identifying, and that may not be as pressing as another, less politically sexy issue. In many instances, an interdisciplinary design team is assembled, often including an artist; this team puts together a plan to address said problem, which is then shown to the community for review and input, usually after the fact. T h e only kind of dialogue this approach engenders is fierce community criticism, based on, among other things, a mistrust of the motives of the professionals involved. In contrast, when communities are solicited for input and insights first and given an opportunity to proactively and positively address a project, people feel secure voicing their opinions, buy into the project, and tend more readily to grant approval down the road.

134-foot-long concrete s o u n d - d a m p e n i n g wall along the edge of the athletic field to separate the light-rail tracks from the school. Principal Johnson's initial shock quickly gave way to relief, as she was assured that, "as civil servants, Tri-Met would be willing to work with the students and the school on a c o m p r o mise." T h e debate that ensued—within the neighborhood and among the school board members, school administration, and the students—initially focused simply on developing a more user-friendly alternative to a concrete wall. T h e Goose H o l low Foothills neighborhood, which had f o r m e d a light-rail committee at the start of the project to develop and review designs and site plans with Tri-Met, spearheaded this discussion. Their goal was to find a design solution to what one committee m e m b e r described would end up as "a big ugly blank surface that looks like a utility substation." While the students, cameras in hand, began seeking inspiration for their project in the architecture and rich fenestration of the surrounding neighborhood, it became increasingly evident that the school administration wanted to obscure the

This is how the Lincoln High School Fence Project pro-

public's view of athletic events, to shelter the students f r o m

ceeded. In fact, according to school principal Velma Johnson,

people in the outside world, and reduce distraction by neigh-

the community itself put the plan together.

bors wandering by. T h e principal and most students, however.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

P R O J E C T

Lincoln High School Fence Project, 1996. Photo by the author

were convinced that the purpose of the project was to form a

yearbook photos, and a red ribbon of student quotes. T h e wall

connection between the school and the neighborhood to

was installed in fall 1995 and the windows were fabricated and

which they, as m u c h as anyone, belonged. Rebecca Banyas,

installed in spring 1996. A plain concrete wall, according to

public art project manager for Tri-Met, credits the students

Banyas, would have cost as much as $60,000. Tri-Met consid-

with providing the impetus for gaining acceptance for the

ers the finished art project, which cost nearly double that, to

fence project. " T h e y came to meetings with administrators

be well worth the investment.

w h o said what was and was not good for the students. Students saw things more holistically and challenged the administrators, asking t h e m , ' W h o are you protecting here?'"

While the exterior of the fence facing the light rail and neighborhood is richly decorated, the interior wall facing the athletic fields was purposely left blank. According to Johnson,

Finally, it was agreed that a fence project proposed by a stu-

every graduating class will create their own mural for the

dent design team and artist Carolyn King would meet the di-

space, creating "a student body of ideas; a living monument."

vergent needs of all parties, providing both visual access and a sense of security from street traffic and the light-rail tracks. King was selected because of her capability to orchestrate the intense collaboration that the project called for. "She kept a tight reign on aesthetics and let ideas fly," confirms Banyas.

T h e Lincoln High School Fence Project was a catalyst for civic dialogue in one Portland community, spurring the redefinition of missions and relationships, establishing partnerships, and helping transform what was destined to become a plain concrete wall into a fence, something that backyard

T h e 134-foot-long base serves as a concrete canvas into which

neighbors can chat over. This is public art and civic dialogue

ceramics and 30 bronze inlays depicting the 125-year-old

at its best.

school have been embedded. Large, eclectic wire-mesh w i n dow shapes sit 8 to 15 feet high on top of the base and allow

Cynthia Abramson is public art project director and transportation program

viewing from either side. Artist King and 100 students fabri-

manager for Public Space, Inc., a nonprofit urban planning and design firm

cated more than 800 tiles, comprised of original drawings,

located in New York City.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

C O N F E R E N C E

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? R e v i e w e d by C a t h e r i n e H a m m o n d • • •

Helen and N e w t o n Harrison, California

Wash:A

Memorial,

1996.

Photo by William Short Change Agents 97—Americans for the Arts public art preconference

Morrish reminded participants that "the city and public art

Minneapolis, June 5-7, 1997

methods of working and products no longer exist as they did

Change Agents 97, the public art preconference at the Amer-

twenty years ago. That city on which we structured ideas

icans for the Arts (formerly

annual conference held in

about percent-for-art and how projects are supposed to work

Minneapolis June 5-7, provided an opportunity to assess new

has changed radically as cities have had to figure out new ways

directions for the field. Keynote speaker William Morrish (see

of financing." With maturing suburbs facing the same e c o -

next page), challenged public art administrators and artists

nomic and social problems normally associated with the inner

NAALA)

alike to look closely at old assumptions about art, public space,

city, and the blurring of city, suburban, and rural boundaries, a

and cities. Instead of thinking about cities as governed by ge-

more systematic approach to public art is needed.

ographical boundaries, myopic organizations, and entrenched neighborhoods, Morrish argued that we should think of the city as landscape, and landscape as infrastructure that is as much cultural system as utility.

Morrish challenged public art administrators to move from thinking about public art programs that enhance city infrastructure projects to a more wide-ranging metropolitan approach that not only includes the fine scale of neighborhood

Presenters offered compelling examples of public art and in-

activities but crosses boundaries and creates complex systems

frastructure that can improve a community's civic capacity to

of public space, long-term partnerships between people, city

understand w h o they are and what they value. A m o n g them:

and suburb, organizations, and disciplines. H e posed this ques-

— Santa Monica's California Wash (1996) by Helen Mayer Harrison and N e w t o n Harrison, a section of beachfront street over a flood- and tidal-control system. T h e work memorializes the vanishing ecology of California's original sea coast, while its design and landscaping

tion as a final challenge: " W h a t is the social infrastructure that would get people to understand their place, to not be fearful, and to begin to understand that being part of a metropolitan area is not the decline and fall of civilization, but actually something quite exciting?"

tell the story of how water constructed the topography and ecology of this part of Southern California. It cre-

Catherine H a m m o n d is president of A r t + Infrastructure, an international

ates a metaphor for harmony between the multitudi-

public a r t consulting group based in Boston.

nous demands of the m o d e r n urban environment and the natural habitat. — San Diego's plan for the Point Loma wastewater treatment plant renovation, scheduled for completion about 2002, which promotes a visual interlacing of landscape with machine and a more hospitable environment for workers and visitors alike. Here, a multidisciplinary team led by artist Mathieu Gregoire established design standards that will add native plants, architecture revealing of the treatment system, and artist-designed floors, walkways, lighting, poetry, and interactive informational exhibits to this 35-year-old water treatment plant dramatically sited on the San Diego coastline. — Vicki Scuri's Dreamy Draw Pedestrian Bridge (19891995) over a ten-lane Phoenix freeway is infrastructure as cultural landmark connecting neighborhoods. From the freeway, it provides a prominent gateway to the Paradise Valley community; the bridge is characterized by geometry and textures recalling patterns found in desert plant forms and indigenous Indian basket-weave patterns, and color that references Arizona red rock, red tile roots, and the red doors of the neighboring Mercury Mine elementary school.

Public Art R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

C O N F E R E N C E

ARE METAPHORS ENOUGH? William Morrish

Vicki Scuri, Dreamy Pedestrian

Draw

Bridge, Phoenix,Ariz.,

1989-95. Photo courtesy t h e artist

The following remarks arc excerpted from the fane 5, 1997, keynote address at "Change Agents 97," the Americans for the Arts public art

more effectively and therefore maintenance costs will be reduced.

pre-conference in Minneapolis. — Public space is part of a system. It has layers of many meanings and functions. It isn't just open space (which is probably one of the worst words ever to be used in city planning because it has no relationship to anything of quality—it just is open). — T h e facts can never become physical unless you have not only the three economic, social, and cultural legs of the table, but also the four players of design, finance, policy, and implementation sitting around the table making the hologram of what's possible appear in the middle, conjuring up practical solutions. — T h e infrastructure, the material that really makes our life work, isn't hidden behind us. It's in front of us. There is no distinction between water pipe and stream; they are all part of one system. — Public art isn't a percent. It is an integral part of making the pieces come together. — "Put the public back in public works" is a great rallying cry when you say to citizens, "If you want to see what the accumulations of your individual tax efforts are, you're driving on it, you're drinking from it, your going to events in it, so why shouldn't it be about you?" — If people understand public works as a cultural system, one, they will come and visit it, and two, they will use it

— I've begun to see [many public art projects] actually fade, become abandoned, unmaintained, to essentially run the life of their metaphors. The glamour has fallen off, the tiles have dropped, and people have gone on to other cutting-edge questions.Yet the space that was supposed to be made by all of our energy seems to me to have been left behind. — The question of maintenance is very important to the longevity and spirit of public art. We have rendered this out of many of our projects and therefore those abandoned public art pieces may become the downfall of our whole organization when people refer to it as "See, no one liked it, it just fell apart, so I guess we'll just pave the next park." — T h e r e is great opportunity in the ecological field, but the rhetoric is way beyond its technology. Many artists have pointed the way, but many projects have failed because we have not repeated it enough, and we've not done enough " R and D " to really make them work. Artists and designers working with scientists can move this field forward, but it is going to stop dead if we only represent it as a series of little pieces.

William Morrish is d i r e c t o r of t h e Design C e n t e r for t h e American Urban Landscape, University of Minnesota, Mpls.

C O N F E R E N C E

WATERWORKS Patricia Johanson, Fair Park

R e v i e w e d by Jack Becker

Lagoon,

Dallas,Tex., 1981-86. Photo courtesy International

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Sculpture C e n t e r

Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 5-6, 1997

Civilization as we know it is Hushing itself down the c o m mode, and it will likely take all the artists and engineers with it. If extraterrestrials don't show up with some answers beforehand, it'll be all over in a few generations.

'ST."

This kind of thinking has been nagging at me ever since the Waterworks symposium this spring, sponsored by the C a m bridge Arts Councils and held at Harvard's Arthur M. Sackler Museum. Drawing an estimated 200 people, the presentations featured a good mix of engaging individuals with articulate, insightful, and often profound messages. Coordinated by Hafthor Yngvason, a veteran public arts administrator and critic, the symposium brought together artists Mary Miss, Joan Brigham, Lorna Jordan, Mags Harries, Ed Patricia

A very different presenter, Patricia Johanson, is a pioneer in

Phillips, engineer David Voigt, environmentalist John Todd,

the field of ecological public art. Inspired by natural forms in

designer Jim

the plant and animal world, she illustrated h o w such forms ac-

Levine, Patricia Johanson, Peter Richards, critic Garland, theologian

and a u t h o r

Timothy

Weiskel, and architect John Kissida. " O f t e n we don't think about water, although it's one of the most desired features [of a city]," Cambridge Deputy City Manager Richard Rossi declared in his opening remarks. C o m i n g on the heels of the area's third-largest snowstorm, and in anticipation of an innovative new water treatment facility, the need for and timeliness ot this discussion were evident. While Mags Harries had only just begun her design development work with the city, having the latest and greatest

tually make sense as practical design analogies to serve the purpose of, say, water purification systems or reclamation of waste sites. Yet she readily admits to the long-term c o m m i t ment required to make even a small dent in "the system": She's already been through three Brazilian leaders in her decade-long effort to build an elevated walkway in a dense rainforest severely threatened by economic exploitation. Ironically, the commercial draw ot the project is what may eventually "save" the site.

case studies to consider was a smart approach to making the

Seeking to integrate functional infrastructure into public

most of a big investment.

space, Seattle artist Lorna Jordan's design for Waterworks Gar-

Following are snapshots of the presentations:

den in R e n t o n , Washington, made the case for making water treatment facilities accessible to the public. Working with e n -

Artist Mary Miss seeks to help the viewer make connections,

gineer David Voigt, they attempted to place aesthetics on a

exploring place-making as a continuous experience, a future

level playing field with engineering, and, says Jordan, ulti-

"act of engagement." Her thoughtful work shows a clear rev-

mately "the interdisciplinary approach yielded a unified

erence for the land, evident in her thoughtful work that makes

whole." Waterworks Garden is a living landscape, a thoughtful,

obvious the inextricable link between water and land. Tracing

audience-friendly place with meandering paths that contrasts

the history ot her work, she pondered new ways of thinking,

sharply with the nearby reclamation plant. O n e wonders if au-

asking how artists allow a glimpse into the "individual, inti-

diences know, or care, what's going on at the site, or if didactic

mate elements of our lives" through public art.

panels are needed to explain everything.

Commercial water features were the subject ot the presenta-

Joan Brigham s work with steam has resulted in some fascinat-

tion by Jim Garland ot Wet Design, w h o showed off the latest

ing collaborations with other artists and commissioning o p -

techniques, combining high pressure, high tech, and often

portunities. Most recently, her involvement with reclamation

overly theatrical fountains. T h e flashiness seemed inappropri-

artists has drawn increased attention to the ecological state of

ate given the environmental concerns expressed throughout

affairs in the Boston region. A mix of the interpretive, ama-

the symposium; but Wet Design's projects, like their fanciful

teur, poetic and activist, this informal group of artists, archi-

leapfrog water jets at Disney World, while occasionally waste-

tects, designers, community members, and environmental ac-

ful, can capture the imagination and draw mass attention to

tivists seek out derelict landscapes, left-over polluted sites, and

water as an infinitely versatile medium.

make them their canvas, their stage.

Public Art R e v i e w . FALL.

C O N F E R E N C E

( b e l o w l e f t ) Lorna Jordan,

Water-

( b e l o w r i g h t ) Lorna Jordan,

works Garden, Renton.Wash., 1996.

Grading plan for

G a r d e n R o o m No. I : " T h e Knoll."

Garden, Renton.Wash., 1996.

Photo courtesy t h e artist

Waterworks

Ed Levine, w h o works on the edge of sculpture, architecture,

Yet he suggests our attempts at creative solutions may be

and interior landscapes, discussed his latest project. Secluded

too little, too late; shock therapyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a huge global disasterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

on a Vermont farm is a series of compelling structures in a vil-

may be the only way to truly change the way of the world,

lage configuration. These intimate "outhouse" forms reflect a

or the "public metaphor," as Weiskel terms it. A cholera epi-

variety of concepts and evoke feelings about the "nature of

demic in China, which has a booming 10 percent annual

experience." He has the ability to simplify, compress, and con-

population growth, coupled with only a 2 percent potable

dense complex ideas, so they may be perceived on many lev-

water supply growth, is one likely scenario that would shake

els. Unfortunately, because of the remote location the only

us up sufficiently.

way most people will experience this work is secondhand. Artists and engineers imagine and make real. They need to Artist Peter Richards offered an overview ot his work, includ-

give compelling forms to our ecological imagination, or

ing sculptures capturing the sounds of tidal movement and a re-

we're doomed. While the best intentions of getting artists in-

cent collaboration to address acid mine drainage in Pennsylva-

volved has not resulted in the kind of change required to

nia (see "A Place of Regeneration," Public Art Review 16,

turn things around, we could start with improved design ed-

spring/summer 1997). H e has also made tremendous contribu-

ucation at an early age, and we all need to become pro-

tions to the field through his work as director of arts programs

foundly ecological designers.

at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, most notably with the 1996 " T h e Turbulent Landscape" exhibition he curated, which featured artist installations interpreting natural phenomena.

If these efforts show such promise, why aren't we funding more demonstration projects and proposals for new infrastructure? In the panel discussion, critic Patricia Phillips pro-

John Todd's visionary work in "living technologies" d e m o n -

claimed the need to break through the "calcification of public

strate the feasibility of "closed system" solutions that c o n -

art programs" that limit growth and experimentation. We

stantly regenerate and feed into themselves. Instead of "think-

need more interdisciplinary efforts to accelerate attention to

ing linear," like flushing wastewater away to be treated

these projects and people, and we need the media to get on

elsewhere, Todd's technologies restore water through the in-

the bandwagon soon to help us create mass awareness, under-

troduction of plants and other aquatic life. Like Mel Chin's

standing, and support, and hopefully turn this ship around.

bioreniediation projects, or Viet Ngo's lemma experiments, Todd has taken symbiotic systems such as toilets without waste to their next step. Noting that we've already consumed in our lifetime as many resources as all prior consumption, his goal is nonetheless reducing human impact by 90 percent.

From flooding in the Upper Midwest to droughts on Mars, perhaps it's time to think universally and act globally. O n the verge of the millennium, our greatest challenge appears to be uprooting our bad habits and redirecting our misguided ambitions. Water is the thing that connects us all, and we're damn

Timothy Weiskel's wake-up call came late in the first day.

lucky to be here to taste it, even if just for a moment. Let's

Prefacing a call for recycling decay into life with comments

show some respect.

like "We have artists and engineers to blame for the mess we're in, yet it's those same people w h o are our likeliest saviors," he lauded efforts like Todd's, seeking to return waste-

Jack Becker is project manager at FORECAST Public A r t w o r k s in St. Paul,

water to a reusable state.

Minn., and publisher of PAR.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

E X H I B I T I O N

DOCUMENTA X AND SKULPTUR PROJEKTE Reviewed by Jerry Allen

Mariella Mosler, Linien und

Zeichen,

installation view, Kiinstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany, 1996. Photo by Werner Maschmann

KASSEL, G E R M A N Y — J u n e MUNSTER, G E R M A N Y — J u n e

21-September 22-September

28, 28,

1997 1997

Accompanying catalogues: July, Francoise, coord, ed. Documenta

X. Kassel:

Museum Friedericianum, 1997. Bussman, Klaus, Koenig, Kaspar, and Matzner, Florian, eds. Contemporary

Sculpture

Projects In Munster

/ 997. Austfelding-Ruit:

Verlag Gerdhatje, 1997. Distributed in the U.S. by DAP Publishers, N e w York.

This year Germany hosted two of the great European art exhibitions. The two shows, Documenta and Skulptur Projekte, are markedly different in their intentions, appearance, and ultimately, in their appeal. Documenta, presented every five years in the city of Kassel, aspires to be a comprehensive survey and interpretation of contemporary art. The curator, Catherine David, formerly a curator at the Jeu de Paume and at the Centre Georges Pompidou (both in Paris), referred to her exhibition as a "manifestation culturelle"—that the exhibition, taken as a whole, offered a way to "apprehend the state of the world." David suggested that the process of curating the show was akin to "montage," the editing process in filmmaking, with the individual works assembling into a definitive whole that is distinct from, and greater than, the parts. T h e curator, however, set for herself a seemingly impossible task. Her vision, for which she coined the phrase "retroperspective," encompassed a look both past and present. Ultimately, the goal was some prologue to the new millennium. Alas, the burden of curating the final Documenta before the year 2000 was simply too much. In general, the show came across as forced, obsessed with discovering the leading edge of form and media. A telling critique of the exhibit was delivered by my long-suffering nine-year-old daughter, Emily, a veteran of many exhibitions, when she complained, "1 thought we were going to see some painting and sculpture."

O n e of the most intriguing works was by the Brazilian artist Tunga, whose work was sited on one of the platforms at the old railroad station. The installation consisted of props used by 14 actors who periodically performed a work in which the actors, each carrying identical black luggage, collide, spilling their contents of human body parts. Even in the static form of the installation, the work was mysterious and thought-provoking. Finally, Mariella Mosler's gorgeous ground relief, in which her meticulous geometric patterns were transferred with astonishing precision in sand spread on the floor, was particularly noteworthy. T h e work was so unerringly perfect you were tempted to move a tew grains of sand to assure yourself it was not an illusion.

Frankly, after two exhausting days touring the exhibition, a larger "cultural manifestation" that offered a glimpse of the state of the world, present or future, never did become apparent. On the other hand, once rid of that expectation, one was able to see some remarkable individual works.

Skulptur Projekte in Minister 1997. the once-a-decade survey of public sculpture, showcased the work of 72 artists in 62 locations around the city. With its circular pedestrian and bikeway surrounding the central district, the city was as engaging as the artwork.

Andrea Zittel installed A-Z Escape Vehicles, A series of "modifiable habitats." Taking their exterior form from travel trailers, the artist leaves it to the owner to design and install the interiors, forcing an extension of the creative process beyond the artist to the collector. T h e individual pieces were remarkably expressive, leaving the feeling of an intimate personal glimpse of the owner.

The experience couldn't have been more different from D o c umenta. Unburdened by impossible aspirations, this exhibition made a straightforward engagement with the city and the viewers, offering innumerable avenues toward understanding the work and the places the art illuminates. It said in the simplest terms that the city can be a vehicle for understanding the art, as the art is a vehicle for understanding the city.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

E X H I B I T I O N

Some works took the form of functional art, which the show's catalog refers to as "art as a service." Jorge Pardo, an artist and public art administrator from Long Beach, California, constructed in the Aasee (a local lake with surrounding parks) a 40-meter jetty ending in a roofed belvedere. T h e structure was a gorgeous intervention in the landscape, especially when viewed from the opposite shore, with sailboats floating past. In this same art-as-service mode, Berthold H o belt's and Wolfgang Winter's pavilions constructed ot bottle crates were used as exhibition information centers throughout the city. Many of the works were intended to give a festival-like quality to the spaces they occupied: Tony Orser created a lantern that talks to passers-by; a walking stick by R o m a n Signer squirts water over a pond in a kind of erratic fountain; Janet Cardiff offered a telescope that plays a videotape of events recorded from that vantage point. Two works deserve special mention. Nam Jun Paik's extraordinary installation, 32 cars for the 20th century: play Mozart's ( a b o v e ) Tunga, Defaa/xo do meu

"Requiem"quietly,

Chapeu,

ert (The Contrary Concert).

1995.

and Rebecca Horn's Dasgegenlciufige Konz-

Photo by Marc Pottier

Paik's work consisted of 32 American automobiles, from a ( c e n t e r ) Jorge Pardo, jetty with

1924 Willy to a 1959 Buick, symbolizing the technology of

belvedere at Aasee, 1997.

the 20th century. They were, however, eviscerated of their

Photo by Jerry Allen ( b e l o w ) N a m Jun Paik, 32 cars for 20th century,

1997.

Photo by Jerry Allen

functioning parts, the insides replaced with televisions and other electronic paraphernalia. T h e cars were frozen as sculptures by the u n i f o r m silver paint that covered them c o m pletely. T h e strains of Mozart's " R e q u i e m " suggested that something had died, perhaps the industrial age that produced both automobiles and television. Horn's piece was installed in the Zwinger, a tower that was part of the 16th-century fortifications of the city; once serving as a jail, the tower was acquired by the city in 1911 as a historic site. You entered through a cellar door into a dim chamber lit with oil lamps. Here and there you heard the rhythmic tapping of mechanical hammers, chipping away, as it were, at the ancient walls. This eerie concert waxed and waned as you worked your way through the passageways and rooms to the upper levels. O t h e r elementsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a glass funnel dripping water ever few seconds, an intermittent electrical arcâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;added to the sense of mystery and unseen forces at work. This installation alone was worth the price of the ticket. I can't wait tor 2007.

Jerry Allen is director of cultural affairs for t h e City of San Jose, Calif.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 97

B O O K / M E D I A

AFTER THE END OF ART: CONTEMPORARY ART AND THE PALE OF HISTORY Reviewed by Patrice Clark Koelsch • • •

A r t h u r C. Danto

art world) on moral and political grounds, and thus "belongs

Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1997 239 pages, $24.95

to everyone, as it should, being art." A rigorous hike for the mind led by a guide w h o helps us see

When philosopher Arthur Danto encountered Andy Warhol's Brillo boxes in 1964, he realized there was no special way vi-

familiar terrain in fresh ways, After the End of Art is well worth the effort of keeping up.

sual art had to look to be art. He's been teasing out the implications of this paradigm shift ever since, first in his academic

Patrice Clark Koelsch lives in Minneapolis and writes about art and culture.

work, and, since 1984, in his role as art critic for the Nation. This book advances his claim that the Old Master narratives of art history have come to an end, and that in this new era anything is possible—including the Chicago Culture in Action project that resulted in We Got It!, a people's art candy bar produced and marketed ("under Beuysian considerations") by

PUBLIC ART SEATTLE SHINJUKU l-LAND PUBLIC ART PROJECT R e v i e w e d by Paula Justich • • •

the Bakery, Confectionery, and Tobacco Workers Union of America, Local 552.

Seattle A r t s Commission Public A r t Program. 1996 Produced by Dav Lion, Electric Fish

This volume grew out of the Mellon Lectures that Danto de-

Photography & QuickTime VR by A r t O n File

livered at Washington's National Gallery of Art in 1995.

$35.00 ($2.50 for shipping & handling)

Danto skillfully reiterates and embellishes his argument that the aesthetic impulses that energized art from the Renaissance through the first half of this century are no longer at the core

Housing and Urban Development Corporation,Tokyo Branch, n.d. Produced by Paradise Cafe, Inc. N o t for sale

of making art. Painting is not what it used to be: it's neither essentially mimetic nor expressionistic nor even " p u r e "

T h e very qualities that define public art—accessibility, inter-

Greenbergian modernism. N o w just one of many art media,

action with its audience and site—have made documentation

painting has lost its privileged position.

ot public art installations problematic. While photographs or

In this brave new world we can think treshly—i.e., philosophically—about art. Without allegiance to any inherent visual aesthetic, we can finally really see, Danto believes, the truth

slides can capture the finished pieces, the static quality of this media fails to convey the full scope of the installation, with the "public" often not evident.

that's been obscured by the long obsession with the visual;

For a more comprehensive approach, video or film is the log-

now we can apprehend what's been the case all along: A

ical choice. T h e opportunity to intersperse creation of a piece

work of art must: (1) be about something, and (2) embody its

with artist interviews and the completed installation forms a

meaning. This deceptively simple formulation turns out to be

holistic understanding of why that piece of art is where it is.

complex and powerful. It entails pluralism and can conceptually accommodate the Culture in Action candy bars as well as the cave paintings at Lascaux, the spirit masks of the Asmat, and the "film stills" of Cindy Sherman.

N e w technologies have started to offer possibilities to those interested in exploring video documentation, focusing on the CD-ROM (compact disk, read-only memory) drive, a standard feature on most personal computers being sold today. Using

Although most of the essays in A fter the End of Art are not

the same technology as a stereo CD, CD-ROM has experienced

specifically about public art, the chapter "Museums and the

a phenomenal growth rate in recent years. Basically an easy-

Thirsting Millions" mulls over the prickly cluster of issues

to-use high-capacity storage disk, CDs have been become so

embedded in the increasingly political debates about muse-

prevalent that any electronics store has a least one bin filled

ums, the public, public art, and community-based art. Here

with CDs featuring games, educational tools, software, and

Danto calmly discusses the gulf between the nineteenth-cen-

accessory programs. A CD incorporating Q u i c k T i m e (Apple

tury ideal of the public museum as an uplifting curriculum in

Computer's proprietary digital video system) and video edit-

beauty and knowledge, and the contemporary "tribalizing" of

ing software allows you to create your own multimedia pre-

museums into institutions for particular

sentation. While not nearly as fluid or high-resolution as tra-

interest-groups.

While he makes an eloquent case for the intentions of the old

ditional video or film, CD-ROM can offer the multifaceted

museum as "a fount rather than merely an object of knowl-

approach essential to documenting public art installations.

edge," he also acknowledges that We Got It! was appreciated

Public Art Seattle and Shitijuku i-Land illustrate the advantages,

by diverse segments of the population (including m u c h of the

as well as the limitations, of current CD-ROM technology.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

M E D I A

Public Art Seattle was commissioned by the Public Art Program

were extremely simplistic, offering only the options of back-

of Seattle. Washington, to document the diversity of projects

ing out screen by screen or returning to the main screen, lim-

installed throughout the city in the last 25 years. T h e CD is a

iting a viewer's control.

map to 66 projects, offering detailed descriptions of the installations and their history. After first clicking on the program icon, the viewer is immediately confronted with a set of directions for navigation: by artist name, thumbnails of the pieces presented in pages of collages, or by area map; it would have been beneficial to first orient the viewer by providing an introduction to the program and the city of Seattle before getting to the navigation page.

Effectively using a musical score over a series of dissolving still images, the CD begins by detailing the design and implementation for this massive project, which involved seven buildings, landscape design, and commissioned works by 10 international public artists. There are several wordy written explanations by the project architect and project art advisor on their vision for Shinjuku i-Land that flesh out the project. An introductory video details the project's process and concepts; what

T h e map proved the most effective way to view the work.

principles were employed in creating the stunning office

Broken into four areas, each geographic section notes with a

buildings, and how the public art components fit into the

red dot where the pieces are located. W h e n the mouse is

overall picture. It is a testament to the compelling nature of

moved over a particular dot, the location is highlighted and

this video that you are somewhat disappointed that the CD fo-

you can link to the description of the piece. W h e n returning

cuses in detail only on the public art installations and not all

to the map after viewing the artwork, the selected spot on the

aspects of the project highlighted in this introduction.

map remains highlighted, so you know where you are. U n f o r tunately, both the artist and piece navigation tools return you to the beginning of the list, forcing you to scroll through screens to return to where you linked to the artwork.

T h e 14 public art installations, however, are very effectively documented. There are Q u i c k T i m e videos of each piece, accompanied by vaguely "new age" music, and shots of the site at various times of day and night, tracking passersby as well as

Each artwork is beautifully photographed in detail. A limited

playful children w h o use some of the pieces for hide-and-

n u m b e r of pieces are also documented through audio state-

seek. T h e video quality is superb, with smooth transitions and

ments by the artists, Q u i c k T i m e videos, or by Q u i c k T i m e VR

limited pixelation. There are video interviews with each artist

(virtual reality). Q u i c k T i m e videos are short video loops that

(subtitled as needed), artist statements, and a section titled

play back using a relatively small movie frame. VR displays an

"Process" that tracks a series of stills documenting the process

interactive 360-degree panoramic sweep of the installation

of creation, i.e., blueprints, design meetings, installation shots,

(reminiscent of stereoscope film strips), which the viewer

all of which combine to give a thorough understanding of the

controls with the computer mouse. It's most effective in giv-

pieces and their relationship to the project as a whole. Listen-

ing a sense of the interplay of site and artwork. You can zoom

ing to R o y Lichtenstein describe his artistic vision while

in on areas of the photo to the point where the image be-

standing in front of his completed piece adds another dimen-

comes completely pixelated (breaking into the individual

sion to the viewer's appreciation of the artwork.

squares of color). While both effects are initially exciting, there are limitations.

Both Shinjuku i-Land and Public Art Seattle point to a new interactive way to document public art. While still struggling

VR is still a series of static images that are manipulated to

with restrictions, CD-ROM technology is becoming less costly

give a sense of movement, and that manipulation tends to

and more accessible to the personal computer user. T h e o n -

blur the images as you move through them. Q u i c k T i m e

going refinements to the Q u i c k T i m e video system that im-

playback is limited to a small portion of your computer

prove compression and playback methods, the increased speed

screen and varies in quality; it can be extremely jumpy and

of CD-ROM drives and computers, and the ease of CD use, all

grainy, with varying degrees of pixelation. Even with these

indicate that this technology should be more universally used

limitations, however, clicking through a VR view of an instal-

for public art documentation in the future.

lation while listening to the artist describe the process of creation is an engrossing experience.

Paula Justich is the managing director of FORECAST Public Artworks and spends an inordinate amount of time playing on her computer.

Shinjuku

i-Land takes the multimedia process a step or two

further in documenting the public art created for a urban redevelopment project in Tokyo. Designed as a marketing tool, this CD is slightly jazzier and more filmlike, but less interactive and user-friendly than Public Art Seattle. T h e navigation tools

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

R E C E N T

P R O J E C T S

T h e community engagement

[ b e l o w left RobertTherrien,

connected pods or cocoons for

u n d e r m i n i n g , feeling out the

c o m p o n e n t o f INSITE 97 is in full

Under the Table, San Diego, Calif.

p e o p l e t o w a l k t h r o u g h . Several

passage f r o m p r i v a t e t o p u b l i c ,

s w i n g w i t h t w o d o z e n area

Photo courtesy InSITE]

w e e k s f o l l o w i n g t h e Festival, t h e

all o c c u r c o m p e l l i n g l y a n d

installation was destroyed by

o b s e s s i v e l y in this w o r k .

artists i m p l e m e n t i n g t h e i r programs. T h e c o m m u n i t y e n g a g e m e n t initiatives, w h i c h include interactive programs, p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n , a n d special e v e n t s , is j u s t o n e c o m p o n e n t o f i n S I T E 9 7 , w h i c h also f e a t u r e s a binational exhibition of approxi m a t e l y 4 0 n e w w o r k s in p u b l i c spaces set f o r S e p t e m b e r 2 6 t h r o u g h N o v e m b e r 30. T h e community engagement p r o g r a m s are as v a r i e d as t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d s that m a k e up the binational, bicultural region. F o r e x a m p l e , T i j u a n a artist C a r m e n C a m p u z a n o is w o r k i n g w i t h children f r o m five T i j u a n a c o m m u n i t y centers and o r p h a n ages t o c r e a t e a series o f m u r a l s based on the experiences and m e m o r i e s of recent immigrants t o t h e city. A n d t h e San D i e g o

T h i s past s u m m e r t h e T a i p e i

vandals. D o u g h e r t y a g r e e d to

Gallery, N . Y . , h o s t e d t h r e e c o n -

c o m e back to create a n e w

As p a r t o f t h e SACRAMENTO COUNTY

ceptual art p e r f o r m a n c e projects

piece under the sponsorship of

p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t p r o g r a m , five

w h i c h t o o k p l a c e in t h e M c -

t h e Salina A r t s a n d H u m a n i t i e s

quilters from the Sacramento

G r a w - H i l l Plaza. In a p e r f o r -

C o m m i s s i o n a n d t h e Salina A r t

R e g i o n have recently dedicated

m a n c e called SYSTEM-TRANSFORMING:

C e n t e r . T h e n e w p i e c e , called

their works for the lobbies of

CATHEDRAL, t h e artist H s i a n - f u Lu

DEJA VU, d o e s n o t r e p l i c a t e his

t h e state c o r o n e r ' s a n d f o r e n s i c

used 98 folding chairs to c o n -

f o r m e r untitled piece, but in-

services' building. D e e D a n l e y -

s t r u c t seven p a i r e d arcs w i t h i n a

stead s u r r o u n d s t h e o u t l i n e o f

Brown worked with fourth

15-minute time frame. T h e

t h e old piece. Youth w e r e again

graders to create drawings o f

structure remained for 30 m i n -

i n v o l v e d , a n d fliers a n d p o s t e r s

19th-century immigrants to the

u t e s , a n d t h e n t h e artist d e c o n -

w e r e d i s t r i b u t e d in t h e n e i g h -

region: Patricia Pratt w o r k e d

s t r u c t e d it, also w i t h i n a t i m e

b o r h o o d describing the work,

with a school for homeless

s p a n o f 15 m i n u t e s . T h i s w o r k

[directly b e l o w Photo courtesy

children to create a quilt of

explored b o d y m o v e m e n t , art

t h e Salina Arts and Humanities

personal baskets, each w i t h

and industrial design, and p o w e r

Commission]

s o m e t h i n g the child holds most

through mere organizing. O t h e r

dear; C h a m y T h o r w o r k e d with

p e r f o r m a n c e s w e r e Intersection, a d r a w i n g p e r f o r m a n c e by A r t h u r Tsay, a n d Money

for Art b y L e e

M i n g Wei, w h o folded five-dollar bills i n t o o r i g a m i s c u l p t u r e s

This fallVito Acconci dedicates his PARK IN THE WATER, a p e r m a nent project on the grounds of the Haage Hogeschool. T h e

while talking to onlookers,

Hague, Netherlands. Acconci

artist C i n d y Z i m m e r m a n is

[directly b e l o w Cathedral

has c u t o f f t h e t i p o f t h e p a r k

enlisting hundreds of volunteers

Photo courtesy Chinese Information

a n d , w i t h e v e r y t h i n g still o n it,

to create a t e m p o r a r y site-

and Cultural Center]

tilted it a n d p i v o t e d it i n t o t h e

1994.

s p e c i f i c p u b l i c a r t w o r k at t h e

water. T h e park's g e o m e t r i c

i n a c t i v e landfill in t h e h e a r t o f

Artist Patrick D o u g h e r t y c o m -

p a t t e r n o f p l a n t i n g has b e e n

Balboa Park. T h e i n S I T E v e n -

pleted a site-specific installation

d i s t u r b e d b y this i n t e r f e r e n c e .

t u r e is o r g a n i z e d b y I n s t a l l a t i o n ,

f o r Salina, K a n s a s ' a n n u a l S m o k y

T r e e s h a v e l a n d e d in t h e w a t e r

a n o n p r o f i t visual arts o r g a n i z a -

Hill R i v e r Festival this past July.

in f l o a t i n g p o t s a n d w h e r e t h e y

t i o n in S a n D i e g o , a n d t h e

F o r m e d f r o m w o o d saplings

b r o k e a w a y f r o m t h e quay, steps

I n s t i t u t o N a c i o n a l d e Bellas

g a t h e r e d in t h e area a n d b u i l t

were f o r m e d to the water. T h e y

Artes, Mexico's f o r e m o s t fine

w i t h v o l u n t e e r s o f all ages, t h e

are m e a n t t o b e u s e d as

arts i n s t i t u t i o n . It is t h e largest

i n s t a l l a t i o n r e s e m b l e d five i n t e r -

benches, although sometimes

c o l l a b o r a t i v e b i n a t i o n a l visual

t h e y a r e t i l t e d so t h a t t h e users

project ever a l o n g the 2 0 0 0 -

are u n a v o i d a b l y s h o v e d i n t o a

mile U . S . / M e x i c o border.

private corner. Anarchistic and

teens and o n e senior to design a quilt d e m o n s t r a t i n g the folk a r t o f H m o n g Pa D a o ; a n d Barbara H o c k e n s m i t h w o r k e d with t w o seniors creating a sampler quilt using traditional quilting methods. Holley lunker's a r t w o r k was p u r c h a s e d d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e artist a n d d e p i c t s a n aerial v i e w o f t h e S a c r a m e n t o Valley, [directly b e l o w Chamy T h o r Untitled. Photo courtesy Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission]

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

R E C E N T

P R O J E C T S

In t h e historic core of Los

size t h e relationship b e t w e e n

IHE VENDOME MEMORIAL, w h i c h is

f u t u r e plans to include a u d i o

Angeles, M a y S u n , R i c h a r d

t e c h n o l o g y a n d nature,

t h e most recent installation in a

clips of artists talking a b o u t

Wyatt, and Paul D i e z created

[below left Photo courtesy

series of projects sponsored by

their w o r k .

CITY OF DREAMS/RIVER OF HISTORY, an

the artist]

t h e n o n p r o f i t , Boston-based

e n v i r o n m e n t w h i c h celebrates t h e richness of t h e site's past, present, and f u t u r e . T h e i r installation includes e m b e d d e d floor elements, an i n d i g e n o u s fish-filled a q u a r i u m , an e n o r m o u s mural, historic artifacts excavated f r o m Los Angeles' original C h i n a t o w n o n t h e c u r r e n t site of U n i o n Station. T h e project is o n e of n i n e in the three-million-dollar U n i o n Station Gateway I n t e r m o d a l Transit C e n t e r . T h e artists designed e v e r y t h i n g f r o m tiled f o u n t a i n s and painted metal fences and guardrails to bus

EXPECTATIONS was a collaborative p r o j e c t by S u z a n n e Lacy and Lisa Findley, U n i q u e Holalnd, M a x i n e W y m a n , A n n i c e Jacoby, and Sheila Jordan, that investigated teen pregnancy, as a matter of social policy, political debate, and personal e x p e r i e n c e . C o m missioned t h r o u g h C a p p Street Projects A r t i s t - i n - R e s i d e n c y Programs, t h e project included an e x h i b i t i o n as well as a six

scape architect Peter W h i t e , t h e m e m o r i a l h o n o r e d the n i n e firefighters w h o lost their lives w h i l e extinguishing a fire at the H o t e l V e n d o m e 25 years ago. [directly below Dedication ceremony. Photo by Linda Haas, courtesy Urban Arts]

PUBLIC ART ALLEY, its biennial art project. T h e interactive e d u c a tional carnival of art p e r f o r mances, music, games, and o n site w o r k s h o p s celebrated and showcased artistic projects created by eight different collaborative artist-youth teams i n c l u d ing y o u t h f r o m Teen Empowerment, United South

(http://www.zpub.com/pub-

E n d Settlements, Q u i n c y

lic/), a newly created w e b site,

School C o m m u n i t y C o u n c i l ,

o p e n e d this S e p t e m b e r w i t h

and City Year.

In partnership w i t h t h e Public Art C o m m i s s i o n of C h a r C h a r l o t t e / D o u g l a s International

M e t r o Art, w h i c h involves artists

A i r p o r t installed this s u m m e r

in a variety of p e r m a n e n t and

FIRST IN FLIGHT, a 2 2 - f o o t m o b i l e

t e m p o r a r y projects t h r o u g h o u t

f e a t u r i n g 16 historical airplanes

t h e m e t r o system.

r a n g i n g f r o m three to four feet

rail station called C h a m p i o n

sculptor Ted Clausen and land-

tion in Boston, in J u n e p r e sented WONDERS OF IHE WORLD III:

p r e g n a n t and p a r e n t i n g teens.

lotte/Mecklenburg, the

e n t r y of San Jose's newest light

D e p a r t m e n t . D e s i g n e d by

n o n p r o f i t artist-run organiza-

PUBLIC ART ON THE NET

T h e initiative was sponsored by

was installed this s u m m e r at the

past s u m m e r by the Boston Fire

The Revolving Museum, a

w e e k s u m m e r school course for

b e n c h pavilions and murals.

ECOTECH by D e b o r a h K e n n e d y

U r b a n A r t s , was dedicated this

in size. Massachusetts artist G e o r g e G r e e n a i n y e r created this kinetic clock t o w e r / m o b i l e that rises in the a t r i u m of t h e airport.

Buster Simpson's proposal for a m o n u m e n t a l sculpture of a foot for t h e city of San Francisco. T h e caption b e l o w Simpson's r e n d e r i n g asked: " B u t is it art?" Also listed are End of the Line, a collaborative bus placard p r o gram in Pittsburgh; Ecological Art; Public Art in Los Angeles; Philadelphia Public Sculpture; and t h e Soros C e n t e r for C o n -

Christel Pradel-Lien's ORAGE tapestry was installed in the R o c h e s t e r , M i n n . , Public Library in May. T h e f i v e - f o o t - b y f o u r - f o o t tapestry of w o o l , c o t ton, and linen, c o m p l e t e d in 1990, depicts a rural M i n n e s o t a landscape and sky. [directly below Photo courtesy D.M.F. Fine Art]

Station. T h e six-ton b o u l d e r is

t e m p o r a r y Arts-Prague, w h i c h is

T h u n d e r g u l c h , N.Y.C., has re-

cut i n t o f o u r thick slabs

organizing its o w n interactive

t u r n e d this fall w i t h

m o u n t e d o n e i t h e r side o f t h e

w e b site as a w o r k - i n - p r o g r e s s .

LUNCHTIME@THE WALL, using t h e

walkways. S y m b o l i c images,

Assisting the d e v e l o p m e n t of

building's 14-foot v i d e o wall in

text, and stone inlays o n t h e

this site is t h e Public Art R e -

the lobby to presents artists'

polished surfaces of t h e boulders

search Archive, established by

videos, CD-ROM, and I n t e r n e t

carry o u t t h e t h e m e of t e c h n o l -

Sheffield Hallam University in

projects to the public.

ogy, and o n e slab is t o p p e d by a

England. T h e y will be u p d a t i n g

large b r o n z e casting to e m p h a -

their records in O c t o b e r , with

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.97

R E C E N T

P R O J E C T S

Arts in Transit of St. Louis, M o . ,

hair tangled with metal leaves

J a n e I n g r a m Allen's BIRD WATCHING

Karin F. Giusti's WHITE

in J u n e o p e n e d TILELINK, 2 , 0 0 0

and twigs, is placed high a m o n g

PROJECT was installed in J u n e o n

HOUSE/GREENHOUSE was installed in

tiles created by schoolchildren

the branches of an oak tree in

top of bus shelters a l o n g

Battery Park, N e w York City,

and o t h e r c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s

the L a u m e i e r w o o d s . M a u r i s

G e n e s e e Street, t h e main d o w n -

this year. T h e structure of steel

that a d o r n the pathway and

LA CASA DELLA MEMORIA ( H o u s e

t o w n street in Utica, N.Y.

beams, w h i c h is 4 0 feet by 15

b e n c h e s c o n n e c t i n g the n e w

R e m e m b e r e d ) is his first

Allen w o r k e d with the city o f

feet by 14 feet a n d covered w i t h

D e l m a r P a r k - a n d - R i d e lot to

o u t d o o r site sculpture in the

Utica, D e p a r t m e n t of U r b a n

clear vinyl a n d Plexiglas, was

the adjacent M e t r o L i n k station.

U.S. M a u r i spent three weeks

and E c o n o m y D e v e l o p m e n t ,

p a i n t e d w i t h a representation

Local artist C a t h e r i n e Magel

in July c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e large

and w i t h t h e Utica Transit

of the W h i t e House on one

and an artist t e a m w o r k e d with

spiral dwelling-like structure

A u t h o r i t y to c o o r d i n a t e the i n -

l o n g wall and a billboard-size

the schoolchildren, and c o s p o n -

f r o m materials like tree saplings

stallation of t h e sculptures. T h e

dollar bill o n t h e o t h e r .

soring organizations were the

and plant materials,

birds, each a b o u t 18 inches tall

Sandwiched between the two

Skinker-DeBaliviere C o m m u -

[below left La casa della

nity C o u n c i l and the West E n d Arts C o u n c i l .

yet slightly different in size,

images w e r e 2 0 0 rose bushes

Photo courtesy Laumeier

shape, and color, are m a d e of

w i t h varietal n a m e s like " M r .

Sculpture Park]

painted h a n d m a d e p a p e r over a

L i n c o l n , " " J F K " , and " A m e r i c a n

memoria.

wire a r m a t u r e and coated w i t h

Pride." T h e s e were d o n a t e d t o

A FRESH LOOK ACROSS THE RIVER:

T h e Q u i x o t e C e n t e r in B r e n t -

p o l y u r e t h a n e for durability. T h e

t h e N e w York C i t y parks and

BRINGING THE PAST TO THE FUTURE,

w o o d , M d . , a private, n o n p r o f i t

birds appear to be w a t c h i n g t h e

c o m m u n i t y gardens w h e n t h e

an exhibition of collaborative

collective dedicated to peace

p e o p l e as they wait for t h e bus,

project c o n c l u d e d . T h e fully

interdisciplinary projects by

and social justice issues, unveiled

l o o k o u t t h e w i n d o w s of office

f u n c t i o n i n g g r e e n h o u s e was

teams of students f r o m Fountain

a n e w public-accessible relief

buildings, o r pass by o n the

c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e L o w e r

Valley H i g h School, led by

sculpture installation in J u n e .

street. T h e installation will r e -

Manhattan Cultural Council

faculty, was exhibited May 2 5 -

T h e installation by D a n Walsh,

main o n v i e w indefinitely,

and situated for six m o n t h s

July 13 at the H u n t i n g t o n

titled CELEBRATE DREAMS, features

[below center Photo by Timothy S.

in Battery Park w i t h i n sight o f

Beach (Calif.) Art C e n t e r .

three steel panels d e p i c t i n g

Allen]

t h e Statue of Liberty, w i t h

T h e projects presented i m a g i n a -

figures from C e r v a n t e s story

tive redesigns of the Santa Ana

Don Quixote de la Mattcha, as

Two projects this past year

R i v e r C h a n n e l , taking into

well as relief figures that invite