Public Art Review issue 23 - 2000 (fall/winter) by forecastpublicart

FOREWORD

C a t h e y Billian

L O R Y E A R S N O W , A M O U N T A I N ' S B E E N K N O C K I N G AT MY S O H O D O O R . I ' V E A N S W E R E D

THAT

r ~ H k n o c k by b u i l d i n g p r o j e c t s that translate t h e e r u p t i v e , erosive, a n d i l l u m i n a t i n g forces o f . X . n a t u r e for u r b a n a n d rural h u m a n e n v i r o n m e n t s . A n o t h e r k n o c k was for t h e p a n e l , " P u b l i c A r t as an E n v i r o n m e n t a l Lens," w h i c h I c o - c h a i r e d w i t h F O R E C A S T ' S J a c k B e c k e r at t h e C o l l e g e A r t Association's 2 0 0 0 m e e t i n g s . T h i s issue o f Public Art Review is its sequel. In its pages Patricia Phillips e x p l o r e s t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y artist's visual a n d visceral translations o f m o v i n g t h r o u g h space. M a r a S c r u p e e x a m i n e s t h e h i s t o r y o f h u m a n cultures a n d t h e i r art o b j e c t s , a n d h o w t h e y have h o n o r e d , i g n o r e d , o r a t t e m p t e d t o o v e r c o m e n a t u r e . J o h n G r a n d e ' s survey focuses o n r e c e n t earth sensitive a r t w o r k a n d artists, a n d m y o w n article seeks t o p r o m o t e a f e w dissolved b o u n d a r i e s b e t w e e n artists, e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s t s , and i n t e r p r e t e r s . Finally, w e are pleased t o o f f e r an e x c e r p t o f L u c y Lippard's latest b o o k , w h i c h c o n t e m p l a t e s t o u r i s m in all its guises, f r o m r u b b e r n e c k i n g to " e x o r c i s e d nostalgia," t o w h i c h Ms. Lippard has t h o u g h t f u l l y r e s p o n d e d w i t h s o m e r e m a r k s directly related to this issue s t h e m e , Nature

Trails.

For m e , t h e l o u d e s t k n o c k o f all, h o w e v e r , has b e e n f r o m passion t r y i n g t o e n t e r i n t o t h e l a n g u a g e o f b o t h p u b l i c art a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n — t w o site-based disciplines that create a p o w e r f u l sense o f d e s t i n a t i o n , b u t o f t e n leave o u t t h e sense o f process: t h e e x p l o r i n g , p e r c e i v i n g , a n d d i g g i n g — d e e p e r . Perhaps t h e real c h a l l e n g e is t o give this process m a t e r i a l f o r m s — t o i n f u s e t h e art p r o d u c t w i t h t h e passion of t h e creative act. I n f e c t i o u s e n t h u s i a s m a n d c o n t a g i o u s c u r i o s i t y are s y m p t o m s (and valuable p r o d u c t s ) o f a r t i s t i c e x p r e s s i o n , t w o t h a t are w o r t h s p r e a d i n g . T h e y are c o n d i t i o n s f e d by strangely p r i v i l e g e d sensors f r o z e n in a s t u b b o r n stage o f d e v e l o p m e n t that refuses t o o u t g r o w childlike a m a z e m e n t . T h o s e artists and e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s t s w h o b o n d to natural p h e n o m e n a w i t h d e e p e r - t h a n - l e g a l links have a lot t o share w i t h a w o r l d that sees n a t u r e o n l y tangentially. If scientists w o u l d o n l y c o n c e n t r a t e o n c l o n i n g that g e n e t i c trait

• • •

Jack Becker

wV V

I T H T H I S T W E N T Y - T H I R D ISSUE O F PAR WE M E A N D E R A W I N D I N G T R A I L BACK T O N A T U R E .

W h i l e w e ' v e c o v e r e d e c o l o g i c a l issues a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l aspects o f public art since 19< 1990, h e r e w e l o o k at t h e j o u r n e y itself. W e u n c o v e r p u b l i c art addressing t h e passage

o f t i m e , o u r m o v e m e n t t h r o u g h space, a n d t h e a g e - o l d relationship b e t w e e n t h e natural w o r l d a n d o u r built e n v i r o n m e n t . P u b l i c art is h u m a n n a t u r e . Artists a n d designers have struggled f o r millennia t o i n t e r p r e t n a t u r e , to t a m e w i l d e r n e s s , t o navigate t h e e a r t h , t o shape o u r s u r r o u n d i n g s , t o direct o u r v i e w s , a n d t o c r e a t e s e n s o r y e x p e r i e n c e s f o r us b e y o n d w h a t n a t u r e a l r e a d y p r o v i d e s . S o m e t i m e s t h e struggle pays off, b u t m o r e o f t e n w e c o m e u p s h o r t . T h e title, Nature Trails, refers t o m o r e t h a n t h e p a t h o n w h i c h w e travel. It also suggests that n a t u r e is b e h i n d , a n d n o t in t h e lead. In spite o f t h e fact that n a t u r e increasingly i n f o r m s g o o d design, like o u r delicately b a l a n c e d e c o s y s t e m , w e o f t e n take it f o r g r a n t e d . W o r s e yet, w e abuse n a t u r e . W e p u t n a t u r e b e h i n d us as w e p l o w a h e a d in t h e n a m e o f progress. W e design w i t h g r e e d a n d e g o in f r o n t ; w i t h b l i n d e r s o n w e i g n o r e signs telling us t o t u r n b a c k a n d l o o k at w h e r e w e ' v e b e e n . All o f us, that is, e x c e p t f o r a f e w e n l i g h t e n e d artists. B u t h o w can p u b l i c art c o n t r i b u t e to o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o r a p p r e c i a t i o n o f o u r w o r l d ? H o w can w e learn to respect n a t u r e a n d r e s p o n d to its cues? H o w can w e r e t u r n nature to the forefront? W e invite y o u t o take a walk w i t h u s — t h r o u g h t i m e a n d space, t h r o u g h p r e served w i l d e r n e s s a n d u r b a n s e t t i n g s — a n d take a closer l o o k at o u r h u m a n n a t u r e in t h e process. T h e n a t u r e o f p u b l i c art is in t h e r e too, cultivating a n d g r o w i n g a c u l t u r e all its o w n .

PublicArtReview NATURE TRAILS

features THE INTANGIBLE TRAIL

O N THE BEATEN TRACK:

A P P R O A C H E S TO A PATH

O N T H E NATURE OF TRAILS

Mara Adamitz Scrupe 4

T O U R I S M , ART, A N D PLACE

Patricia C. Phillips

A MEANDER

Cathey Billian 2 5

EXCERPT

Lucy R . Lippard 1 0 EARTH SENSITIVE

John Grande

project and conference reviews FLYING BUTTRESSES A N D

THE FANTASTIC JOURNEY

HAVING A S W I N E T I M E

STAIRWAYS TO THE SKY

Nancy Silverman 3 4

ANIMALS O N PARADE

Moira F. Harris 3 7

S U R R E A L I S M I N THE M E X I C A N J U N G L E

Victoria M a t t h e w 3 I THE ART OF U N I V E R S A L D E S I G N

Ricardo Barreto 41

book reviews WANDERLUST

D I A L O G U E S IN PUBLIC ART

A HISTORY OF W A L K I N G

R o b Silberman 4 4

Deborah Karasov 4 4

listings

PUBLIC ART REVIEW

FORECAST board of directors

acknowledgments

VOLUME 12, NUMBER I

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Review,

THE INTANGIBLE TRAIL

Mara Adamitz S c r u p e

Editor's

NoteiThe

of human painted

and

mounds,

medieval

"The

attitudes

Intangible

on cave walls

ecclesiastical

and sculpting

long disengagement

is excerpted

with the natural

sculpted

the preserving human

following

interaction

dating from

carvings, of U.S.

from a longer piece in which

Paleolithic

and, as we take

wilderness

nature and ponders

times,

the

on our Web site:

path images

Celtic

American

Scrupe

we create. Along

its effect on our physical

Trail" may be read in its entirety

to ancient

up below, Native

areas, Mara Adamitz

toward nature are reflected in the images from

the author follows

world using visual art as a trail marker. From animal

mortuary images

meditates

and

how

the way she regrets

and psychological

our

well-being.

wunv.forecastart.org.

' ATIVE A M E R I C A N P I C T O G R A I ' H S , R O C K C A R V I N G S , A N D D E C O R A T I O N S

UTILITARIAN

objects were the expressions of people w h o were profoundly integrated within nature a n d w h o s e physical a n d spiritual e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h , a n d p e r c e p t i o n s of,

a n i m a l s , p l a n t s , a n d i n a n i m a t e o b j e c t s s u c h as r o c k s o r t r e e s , d e t e r m i n e d t h e w a y t h e y w e r e r e p r e s e n t e d . R a t h e r t h a n s e r v i n g as i l l u s t r a t i o n s , t h e d e p i c t i o n s o t w h a t n a t i v e s s a w i n t h e w o r l d a r o u n d t h e m r e f e r r e d t o t h e i r m e a n i n g as s p i r i t u a l v i s i o n q u e s t s a n d w e r e believed t o c o n t a i n t h e e m b o d i m e n t o f forces in n a t u r e a n d in t h e spiritual w o r l d . N o t surprisingly, there are u n c a n n y similarities b e t w e e n the images o f the

colonial-era

N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s a n d t h e cave art o f Paleolithic h u m a n s , w h i c h can b e e x p l a i n e d b y a consideration of the shared mindset w h i c h p r o d u c e d t h e m . Before E u r o p e a n settlement o f t h e N e w W o r l d , its n a t i v e p e o p l e s , l i k e a n c i e n t h u m a n s , l i v e d i n a w o r l d o f p r i m a l experience, w h e r e nature was the only order, t h e central m e a n i n g , a n d the final arbiter. T h e p r i m a l m i n d that e m e r g e s f r o m this e x p e r i e n c e p r o d u c e s images that have

"exquisite h o m o g e n e i t y and a w h o l e n e s s that puts each tribal m e m b e r in direct t o u c h with...its carefully prescribed and p e r p e t u a t e d forms."1 By contrast, the

European-

A m e r i c a n , R e n a i s s a n c e - i n s p i r e d m o d e l f o r r e p r e s e n t i n g n a t u r e d e p i c t s t h e t h i n g itself, devoid of any larger m e a n i n g , and therefore lacking integration w i t h the w o r l d that surr o u n d s a n d c o n t a i n s it. F o r t h e n o n - n a t i v e v i e w e r , a " b i r d " is a " b i r d , " a n d h a s n o f u r t h e r m e a n i n g o r s i g n i f i c a n c e b e y o n d its s u r f a c e a p p e a r a n c e . H o w e v e r , w i t h i n t h e

native

belief s y s t e m ( a n d p r e s u m a b l y also f o r P a l e o l i t h i c p e o p l e ) , t h e c a r v e d o r p a i n t e d i m a g e represents the i c o n o g r a p h y given to a person or a c o m m u n i t y in a vision quest or s i m ilar a p p e a l f o r p o w e r f r o m t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d . T h e p a i n t i n g o r c a r v i n g is a c t u a l l y t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o t h e p h y s i c a l o b j e c t it p o r t r a y s a n d b e c o m e s t h e e s s e n c e a n d m e a n i n g bird, bear, or wolf. Such c o n c e p t s w e r e hopelessly i n c o m p a t i b l e w i t h E u r o p e a n

philo-

sophical and religious traditions. By the ( l e f t ) Bridal Veil Falls i n Y o s e m i t e National Park, Calif., c. 1906.

mid-nineteenth

century, European

settlers' a m b i t i o n s

e x p a n d e d their presence and influence f u r t h e r west and south o n the A m e r i c a n

had con-

P h o t o r e p r o d u c e d by t h e

tinent. T h e doctrine of Manifest Destiny had pushed t h e m into hitherto

unknown

Library of C o n g r e s s ,

regions, limiting the range of wild lands and r e m o v i n g the original peoples w h o

had

ÂŠ by H e r v e Friend,

o n c e l i v e d o n it. B y t h e l a t e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , it b e c a m e i n c r e a s i n g l y u n c o m m o n

for

t h e a v e r a g e c i t y - d w e l l i n g A m e r i c a n t o e x p e r i e n c e e n c o u n t e r s w i t h w i l d n e s s , as

had

h e r o r his f o r e b e a r s . M a n y o f t h o s e f o r w h o m

the

Hollywood, Calif.

mortal Christian

combat

with

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

what remained of the wilderness no longer the survival of m o s t A m e r i c a n s . " T h e could approach wilderness with

threatened

average

citizen

the viewpoint of the

vacationer rather than the conquerer,"2 thereby

laying

the g r o u n d w o r k for w h a t w o u l d b e c o m e , in t h e t w e n t i eth

century, a national

movement

preserve

what

remained of America's u n t a m e d lands.The establishment i n 1 8 7 2 o f t h e first n a t i o n a l p a r k , Y e l l o w s t o n e , a n d

the

s u b s e q u e n t creation of o t h e r early park reserves reflected a growing national m o o d toward wilderness tion. In Y o s e m i t e alone, t w o m i l l i o n acres

preservacontaining

natural w o n d e r s w e r e set aside, i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z i n g ( a b o v e a n d b e l o w ) Native American symbols

the

w i l d e r n e s s e x p e r i e n c e w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n o f m a k i n g it

carved into rock, c. 1900.

a v a i l a b l e t o all c i t i z e n s f o r p u r p o s e s o f r e t r e a t , r e c r e a t i o n ,

P h o t o f r o m t h e W i t t e m a n n Collection,

and enjoyment.-1 T h e

r e p r o d u c e d by t h e Library of Congress

establishment

of these

national

m o n u m e n t s and parks fostered the perception by wilderness had b e c o m e a mythical m e m o r y

developed

A m e r i c a n s o f t h i s l a n d as s a c r e d t e r r i t o r y a n d

many

emblem-

e n t h u s i a s m s f o r t h e r e m o t e , t h e feral, t h e fantastic, a n d

atic o f c h e r i s h e d ideals o f t h e n a t i o n a l identity: p i o n e e r

the " n a t i v e " in n a t u r e a n d in art. A small s e g m e n t o f t h e

spirit, individualism, and

p o p u l a t i o n , c h i e f l y w r i t e r s , artists, a n d o t h e r

e n o r m o u s popularity of the parks for tourist pilgrimages

intellectu-

Christian

redemption.

The

als, b e g a n t o t r a v e l as t o u r i s t s f r o m t h e e a s t t o t h e still

b r o u g h t t h r o n g s o f visitors, eventually t h r e a t e n i n g

"wild

very existence of the animals, lands, a n d natural

Among

west"

them, Theodore

wilderness

Roosevelt, John

experiences. Muir, Walt

W h i t m a n , a n d F r e d e r i c C h u r c h all s p e n t t i m e ing

the

western

regions

of the

United

explor-

States;

their

the

vistas

t h a t h a d m a d e t h e m s o p o p u l a r i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e , as w e l l as p r o m p t i n g a n a t i o n a l d e b a t e o v e r t h e v a l u e a n d u s e s o f p u b l i c lands. In

1948, Ansel A d a m s decried w h a t

e x p e r i e n c e s w o u l d i n f l u e n c e A m e r i c a n politics, philos-

v i e w e d as t h e " r e s o r t i s m " o f t h e n a t i o n a l p a r k s s y s t e m ,

ophy, painting, and literature.

r e f e r r i n g t o Y o s e m i t e in particular w h e n he c o m m e n t e d :

the

late

nineteenth

century,

the

American frontier had been breached and subdued, and

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

" I s it a m a t t e r o f s n o b b e r y t h a t t h e p r i e s t d o e s n o t p e r m i t t h e s a l e o f p e a n u t s i n t h e aisles o f t h e c h u r c h ? Is it

s n o b b e r y that the Metropolitan M u s e u m of Art objects

southwestern

Egyptian

same time, the establishment of a comfortable A m e r i c a n

playing

portable

radio

the

U n i t e d States. I n t e r e s t i n g l y , at a b o u t

the

R o o m ? " A d a m s u n d e r s t o o d that the debate over the use

m i d d l e class, t h e e m e r g e n t c o n c e p t o f l e i s u r e t i m e , a n d

o f national park land a m o u n t e d to a discussion o f values,

t h e r i s i n g p o p u l a r i t y o f t h e a u t o m o b i l e , all c o n t r i b u t e d t o

and he d r e w clear analogies b e t w e e n

h a s t e n t h e d e s i r e f o r easy, c a r e f r e e , n a t u r e t o u r i n g .

the sacredness

wild nature, the sanctity of the church, and the spiritual refuge of the art m u s e u m .

The

blending

the

perception

t o u r i s m as s p i r i t u a l p i l g r i m a g e w i t h t h e v i e w t h a t n a t u r e

T h e o v e r c r o w d i n g of national park lands

c o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d an art f o r m in itself h e l p e d g e n e r a t e

b y t o u r i s t s w a s c a u s e d in p a r t b y t h e p o p u l a r , t h o u g h p e r -

expanded

opportunities

for

nature

consumption

haps unconscious, perception of the A m e r i c a n wilderness

early-twentieth-century America. In

as a s y m b o l i c l a n d s c a p e t o w h i c h u n f e t t e r e d a c c e s s w a s

to the growing national tourist industry and the

the sacred birthright of every A m e r i c a n . T h e

ingly limitless p o p u l a r i t y o f the a u t o m o b i l e ,

American

seem-

construc-

tion began on

ing out, h o w e v e r perversely or destructively, of a p r o -

landscape-architect-designed

foundly

the length of the southern Appalachian Mountains. T h e

craving

for

the

spiritually

Parkway

469-mile, traversing

Blue

t h e i d e a o f n a t u r e as b o t h a s y m b o l i c m o n u m e n t a n d a

n a t i o n a l p a r k system for several reasons. U n l i k e

c o n s u m e r p r o d u c t w o n t h e day, s p u r r i n g t h e

n a t i o n a l p a r k s , it w a s s p e c i f i c a l l y i n t e n d e d t o s e r v e

addition

automobile

sculpted corridor, designed landscape, and historic

fueling the

growing

national

discussion

concerning mid-

twentieth century, proponents for the preservation

what remained of America's true wilderness, such

R o b e r t Marshall, Aldo Leopold, and Sigurd Olsen, c a m paigned for greater public awareness of the existence and value o f u n t a m e d land, particularly in t h e w e s t e r n

(right) Blue Ridge Parkway near Charlottesville,Vaâ&#x20AC;&#x17E; 2000. P h o t o by Mara Adamitz Scrupe ( b e l o w ) Mission in the Blue Ridge Mountains, general view, c. 1910. P h o t o by Rev. H. H.Williams, r e p r o d u c e d by t h e Library of Congress

and

a choreographed

development of elaborate tourist accommodations, such

f u t u r e p u r p o s e s o f u n t a m e d land. In the early to

a unique

as h o t e l s , r e s t a u r a n t s , a n d r o a d s o n p a r k l a n d s , b u t

also

tourist

was

Parkway, a

scenic roadway

psychologically nourishing embrace of nature. However,

attendant

Ridge

response

public's d e m a n d for access to w i l d places suggests t h e act-

embedded

the Blue

1 9 3 5 , in

the most

blending

the of and

many

parks are located

American

within, or surround,

reservations. This

clashes b e t w e e n

predicament

Native

has

caused

native and n o n - n a t i v e A m e r i c a n s

over

t h e i r e s t a b l i s h m e n t , o w n e r s h i p , a n d use, w h i c h in

some

cases c o n t i n u e t o b e f r e q u e n t a n d t h o r n y . C o n v e r s e l y , by the

time

construction

began

the

Blue

Ridge

Parkway, m o s t o b v i o u s vestiges o f t r u e wilderness, a n d Native American populations, had vanished from

the

s o u t h e a s t e r n m o u n t a i n s . As a s c e n i c m o t o r r o a d ,

the

Blue R i d g e Parkway was and remains emblematic "the American

e x p e r i e n c e " i n all its

interpretations:

visual, social, spiritual, a n d psychological.

It o f f e r s v i s i -

tors a place to e n j o y the preserved a n d interpreted n a t u ral a n d c u l t u r a l h i s t o r y o f its e n v i r o n s . C l e a r l y it i s n ' t , n o r was

ever

intended

be,

wilderness

N e v e r t h e l e s s , its e n d u r i n g p o p u l a r i t y t r i g g e r s

park.

specula-

tion r e g a r d i n g t h e p r e s e n c e o f an innate h u m a n desire to be "in

nature." As a b r o a d l y p o p u l a r e x a m p l e

the

m o d e r n " d e s i g n e d l a n d s c a p e , " it u n d e r s c o r e s t h e t h e o r y o f an a n c i e n t h u m a n n e e d to m a k e m e a n i n g f u l art f r o m and about the natural world. All Appalachian Trail, Charlie's Bunion,

human

societies

fashion

physical

a n d s p i r i t u a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h n a t u r e , a n d all c u l t u r e s

Great Smokey Mountain National Park, 2000.

t a k e f r o m n a t u r e a n d r e s h a p e it t o s u p p o r t h u m a n

com-

P h o t o byTamara Sisson

m u n i t i e s a n d activities. M o s t art can b e said t o b e a cultural interpretive park. According to landscape archi-

direct r e f l e c t i o n o f s u c h social a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l

t e c t W i l l R i e l e y , it w a s " c o n c e i v e d as a w a y o f c o n n e c t -

actions. B u t w e m u s t b e a r in m i n d that f o r t h e m a j o r i t y

ing points of natural and cultural interest," and built to

o f h u m a n history, the idea o f the sacred was u n d e r s t o o d

"explore, interpret, a n d take advantage of the features of

to b e t h e w e l l s p r i n g of visual art, a n d t h e celebration

p a r k a m e n i t i e s r a t h e r t h a n as a h i g h w a y t h r o u g h

the sacred was considered the only legitimate

woods."4 T h e Blue R i d g e Parkway perfectly the

desires

post-Depression,

the

addressed

post-World

War

o f a r t - m a k i n g . P e r h a p s , a t b o t t o m , all

inter-

intention

image-making,

f r o m t h e d i s t a n t p a s t t o t h e p r e s e n t , is a n e x p r e s s i o n

A m e r i c a n s t o e x p e r i e n c e in c o m f o r t a n d safety t h e artis-

t h e h u m a n n e e d t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e s a c r e d in life, w h i c h

t i c , s o c i a l , a n d s p i r i t u a l i c o n s o f n a t i o n a l i d e n t i t y , as t h e y

in t u r n m a y b e f o u n d e d o n a p r o f o u n d y e a r n i n g

v i e w e d s c u l p t e d " n a t u r e " f r o m t h e seats o f t h e

for

family

nature. A n d p e r h a p s the art that results f r o m these l o n g -

a u t o m o b i l e . E v e n t o d a y , t h e B l u e R i d g e P a r k w a y is t h e

ings describes a f u n d a m e n t a l n e e d for m o v i n g , r e d e m p -

" m o s t p o p u l a r area o f t h e N a t i o n a l Park System."5 T h e national parks and the Blue Parkway

represent

efforts to

nature in N o r t h A m e r i c a . W i t h untrammeled American

tive, a n d l i f e - a f f i r m i n g e x p e r i e n c e s in t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d ,

Ridge

institutionalize

t h e loss o f t r u e

w i l d e r n e s s in the

parks

environment"

b e c o m e s sacred n a t u r e t h r o u g h art.

and

nineteenth

century, non-native America viewed the national

a transformative process w h e r e b y "the

m a t t e r w h e r e w e l o o k in t h e

his-

t o r y o f o u r species, o r w h i c h trail w e f o l l o w , t h e n e e d f o r m e a n i n g f u l relationships with nature, and the

attendant identities

as s a c r e d i c o n s o f its p i o n e e r h i s t o r y a n d i d e n t i t y .

For

desire to have o u r dreams, visions, and tribal

obviously very different reasons, Native A m e r i c a n s

had

reaffirmed

through

visual

i m a g e r y , is p r o f o u n d

and

l o n g h e l d m o s t , i f n o t all, o f t h e s a m e s i t e s t o b e s a c r e d as

u n d e n i a b l e a n d resides at t h e c o r e o f o u r i d e n t i t y

well, a n d the e m b o d i m e n t o f their visions, dreams, a n d

h u m a n s . . . . [Yet] d e s p i t e o u r s p e c i e s ' o b v i o u s p s y c h o l o g -

visual imagery. Russell D i c k e n s o n o n c e c o m m e n t e d that

ical a n d b i o l o g i c a l n e e d t o live in n a t u r e , h u m a n s

h e did n o t k n o w " o f a single national park or m o n u m e n t

b e e n slowly but inexorably evolving away f r o m such a

t o d a y in t h e w e s t e r n part o f t h e U n i t e d States that d o e s -

r e l a t i o n s h i p f o r at least t h e p a s t five t h o u s a n d y e a r s .

n't have s o m e sort o f Indian sacred area."6 M o s t o f the

Since art and

nature seem

have

deeply

n a t i o n a l p a r k l a n d s in t h e w e s t e r n U n i t e d States r e t a i n

l i n k e d i n t h e h u m a n p s y c h e , it s h o u l d c o m e as n o

symbolic or sacred connotations for b o t h cultures, but

prise that m o d e r n p e o p l e t e n d to regard art a n d

A r t R e v i e w . FALLWINTIR.00

sur-

nature

unconscious, a kind

o f failure in s o m e

fundamental

d i m e n s i o n of h u m a n existence, an irrationality

beyond

mistakenness, a kind of madness."7 A r t is a f o r m i d a b l e f o r c e . T h e p o w e r o f images f r o m t h e distant past to awe, inspire, surprise, a n d t r o u b l e u s s u b s t a n t i a t e s its i n f l u e n c e o n t h e h u m a n

psy-

che. W h e t h e r or n o t c o n t e m p o r a r y people can accept or interpret the elemental messages b u r i e d deep in the art of h u m a n cultures bears significant implications for o u r future. T h e c o n g r u e n c e o f h u m a n society, spirituality, a n d n a t u r e expressed t h r o u g h o u t h i s t o r y in visual l a n g u a g e m a y b e r e g a r d e d as a s e r i e s o f s i g n p o s t s a l o n g t h e h u m a n p a t h w a y telling us w h e r e w e ' v e b e e n a n d w h e r e w e ' r e l i k e l y t o g o . T h i s is p e r h a p s t h e m o s t c r u c i a l f u n c tion

and

intention

of our

ancient

and

modern

art.

C o n t e m p o r a r y h u m a n s o c i e t y finds itself in a c h a l l e n g ing

quandary:

the

intellectual

and

technological

a d v a n c e m e n t s o f o u r societies have fostered the gradual u n b a l a n c i n g o f o u r species in the natural w o r l d , m a k i n g us d a n g e r o u s

t o o u r s e l v e s , a n d t o all o t h e r

animals.

H u m a n society has progressed t o w a r d a " k i n d o f m a d ness," a n d f o r t h e first t i m e in h i s t o r y t h e p e r s i s t e n c e a n d Interpretive Sign, Blue Ridge Parkway, 2000.

acceptance by other world cultures of Western

P h o t o by Mara Adamitz Scrupe

cultural

e t h i c s a n d t r a d i t i o n s is t h r e a t e n i n g t h e s u r v i v a l o f t h e planet. T h e p o w e r f u l f o r c e o f a n c i e n t art c a n h e l p us t o

in m u c h the s a m e way: w e k n o w , intellectually, that w e

t r a c k t h e h u m a n t r a j e c t o r y , b u t it is t h e w o r k o f c o n t e m -

n e e d t h e m , b u t w e b e h a v e as if t h e y ' r e s i m p l y t h e s o u r c e

p o r a r y artists t h a t c a n a n d s h o u l d i d e n t i f y a n d i n t e r p r e t

o f pleasant b u t inessential e n t e r t a i n m e n t or distraction.

n e w , less d e s t r u c t i v e p a t h w a y s f o r t h e a d v a n c e m e n t

T h e b o n d s t h a t h o l d us in p l a c e in t h e n a t u r a l

h u m a n i t y . O u r o n l y h o p e f o r s u r v i v a l lies i n o u r d e s i r e

world

a n d ability t o distinguish a n d seek m o d e l s for r e b a l a n c -

l o s i n g , as i n d i v i d u a l s a n d as s o c i e t i e s , t h e a b i l i t y t o r e c o g -

ing humanity with natureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;perhaps beginning with the

nize, sense, a n d express t h e l e g i t i m a t e l o n g i n g f o r a p r i -

i m a g e s w e l o o k at, a n d t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y art w e m a k e .

have b e c o m e terrifyingly frayed, and w e appear to

mal,

integrated

relationship

with

nature.

Our

c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t l a r g e l y r e f l e c t s t h i s crisis: v i s u a l i m a g e s

Mara Adamitz Scrupe is an environmental sculptor w h o s e site works have

o n c e helped o u r ancient ancestors to identify their place

been exhibited nationally and internationally. She writes about public art, art

i n n a t u r e a n d i n society, b u t o u r art o f t e n m a k e s us feel

and the environment, and related topics.

at b e s t d i s s o c i a t e d ; a t w o r s t , it h a s c e a s e d t o m a k e

any

s e n s e a t all. T h e c o n c e p t u a l a n d s p i r i t u a l d i s s o c i a t i o n o f a r t f r o m t h e m a j o r i t y o f p e o p l e w h o s e c u l t u r e s it is s u p p o s e d t o n u r t u r e s h o u l d b e c o n s t r u e d as a w a r n i n g s i g -

Notes:

organized by the M o n t i c e l l o

1 Jamake Highwater, The Primal

F o u n d a t i o n and the University o f

Mind: Vision ami Reality in Indian

Virginia, J u n e 1 6 , 2 0 0 0 .

nal, f o r t h e strength o r w e a k n e s s o f t h e s e b o n d s play a

America ( N e w York: H a r p e r and

d e t e r m i n i n g role in h u m a n psychological and

R o w 1981), 55.

5 Q u o t e d f r o m Welcome to the Blue

2 R o d e r i c k Nash, Wilderness and the

cial publication of the Blue R i d g e

American Mind ( N e w Haven and

Parkway Association, 1999.

health. Sigmund

Freud, Joseph

Campbell,

physical

and

F r o m m , a m o n g others, have p o n d e r e d the notion of a n e u r o t i c o r s i c k s o c i e t y . I n Nature

and

Madness,

S h e p a r d reflects that, " W e s t e r n civilized cultures largely

abandoned

the

ceremonies...that

affirm

Ridge Parkway, a W e b page and offi-

Eric

Paul

London:Yale University Press)

have

1982), 143.

3 Ibid., chapter 12.

metaphoric, mysterious, and poetic quality of nature, 4 From a lecture entitled " A Tour o f

t o say t h a t s u c h " . . . c h a n g e f s ] h a [ v e ] b e e n e x p l a i n e d i n

the Blue R i d g e Parkway," delivered

and

Michael F.Turek's American

Indians

and National Parks (Tucson: T h e

r e d u c i n g t h e m t o e s t h e t i c s a n d a m e n i t i e s . " H e g o e s 011

m o r e likely, it w a s i r r a t i o n a l ( t h o u g h n o t i l l o g i c a l )

6 Russell D i c k e n s o n is q u o t e d o n page xiv o f R o b e r t H . Keller and

the

t e r m s o f necessity, o r t h e d e c l i n e o f a n c i e n t gods. B u t

as part of the Historic Landscape

University of Arizona Press, 1998).

7 Paul Shepard. Nature and Madness

Institute's seminar " P r e s e r v i n g

(Athens and L o n d o n : T h e

Jefferson's Gardens and Landscapes,"

University o f G e o r g i a Press, 1982).

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

ON THE BEATEN TRACK TOURISM,ARTAND

PLACE

Lucy R . Lippard

Editor's

Note:

$25.00

cloth; $17.95

for this issue of

The

excerpt

below

paper).

is reprinted

It is followed

with

permission

by some thoughts

(New

York: New

Press,

set down by Ms. Lippard

1999;

specifically

PAR.

THE O V E R L O O K E D

The only venue nated

natural

I know

viewpoint

of that is as dedicated on a scenic highway

to avoidance is a topless

of experience

—Charles

H E

VIEW, O R T H E

SCENIC

OVERLOOK,

as a desig-

bar.

IS A R E A D Y - M A D E

PHOTOGRAPH

Bowden

WAITING T O

s n a p p e d . It is r e m o v e d f r o m a c t u a l e x p e r i e n c e , e v e n as it m a y m o v e u s d e e p l y

tor a m o m e n t . W e g o t o a place o n l y to stare o f f i n t o a n o t h e r place w h e r e

c a n ' t o r w o n ' t g o . If w e l i v e i n t h e p l a c e w e a r e l o o k i n g at, if w e h a v e b e e n " t h e r e " m a n y t i m e s , w e h a v e o n e f o o t h e r e a n d a n o t h e r t h e r e . J u s t as t h e p o s t c a r d is a s t i b s t i t u t e f o r f i r s t h a n d p h o t o g r a p h y , t h e s c e n i c o v e r l o o k is a s u b s t i t u t e f o r e x e r t i o n . T h e s c e n e b e c k o n s y o u i n , b u t j u s t s o f a r . T h i s is c o m f o r t i n g . Y o u d o n ' t h a v e t o g o t h e r e ; n o n e e d

c l i m b t h a t m o u n t a i n , s t r u g g l e d o w n t h a t s l o p e , g e t m u d d y s h o e s o n t h a t trail, s t a n d i n the rain for long. T h e average tourist probably spends a few minutes gazing out

into

e a c h p l a c e s / h e w i l l n e v e r really see. AlthoLigh scenic overlooks d o have a practical f u n c t i o n (accidents h a p p e n w h e n p e o p l e are g a w k i n g at t h e l a n d s c a p e o n scenically c t i r v a c e o u s roads), t h e y are a l s o p l a c e s s e l e c t e d b y t h e h i g h w a y b t i r e a u c r a c y f o r u s t o p u l l o v e r a n d l o o k at a v i e w t h a t has b e e n c h o s e n f o r us. T h e y are c o n t r o l l e d v i e w s o f l a n d s c a p e — i t s e l f

already

s o m e t h i n g of a controlled abstraction. T h e scenic overlook represents o u r e n v i r o n m e n t t h e w a y t h e m a s s - m e d i a r e p r e s e n t s u s a n d c u r r e n t e v e n t s . U s u a l l y t h e s e v i e w s a r e f a r less i n t e r e s t i n g t h a n t h o s e w e ' v e j u s t d r i v e n past t o o fast t o t a k e in, so t h e y are always k i n d o f a l e t d o w n — p a r a l l e l i n g t h e w a y h i s t o r y is a l s o h a n d e d d o w n t o u s . P h o t o g r a p h e r R o g e r M i n i c k , w h o s e Sightseer

Scries

(p. 1 3 5 ) w a s m a d e

at N a t i o n a l P a r k s a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y i n 1 9 8 0 - 8 1 , p e r c e i v e s s i g h t s e e i n g i n A m e r i c a as "a kind of national ritual." T h e rite of "visiting the f a m o u s o v e r l o o k " r e m i n d e d

him

o f religious p i l g r i m a g e s a n d " t h e big g a m e h u n t e r o n safari, e x c e p t t h e p r i z e d trophy,

Fallen Monarch, Kings Canyon National Park, Calif. P h o t o f r o m historic p o s t c a r d

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

Ms. Lippard adds: T h e

Mitchell Point Tunnel, Columbia River Highway, c. 191S.

t r a i l , o f c o u r s e , is t h e a n t i t h e s i s o f

t h e o v e r l o o k . I m a g i n e d o r v i r t u a l t r a i l s l e a d o n l y as f a r as

P h o t o c o u r t e s y t h e O r e g o n Historical Society

s o m e o n e else w a n t s y o u t o g o . T h e w o n d e r o f a c t u a l l y e x p l o r e d trails, o r t r a c k s — t h o s e b e a t e n a n d b l a z e d in this case, w a s t h e h o m e m o v i e o r s n a p s h o t o f and

Pop

and

Granny

and

Gramps

and

the

Mom

kids

Inspiration Point."

a r o u n d t h e n e x t c o r n e r . I n this (the the-mountain

The b e c a u s e , in m a n y

t h o s e as y e t u n c h a r t e d — i s t h a t y o u d o n ' t k n o w

scenic

overlook

areas, o r d i n a r y

was

developed

bucolic

and

scenic

r o u t e s are relics o f t h e past. B y a c c i d e n t o r o c c a s i o n a l l y

and

what's

"bear-went-over-

s y n d r o m e " ) , trails are h a n d y

metaphors

f o r art. T h o s e trails a l r e a d y s t a k e d o u t c a n b e f a s c i n a t i n g to f o l l o w b e c a u s e e v e r y o n e e x p e r i e n c e s t h e sights differently and because familiarity breeds attention.Those

not

by design, a f e w b a c k r o a d s have r e m a i n e d relatively free

s t a k e d o u t i n v o l v e a l e v e l o f r i s k t h a t is p a r t o f t h e g a m e .

o f c o m m e r c i a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . T h e first artificial " c o u n t r y

roads" were

a r o u n d the n e x t b e n d share an interest in

originally

conceived

as " p a r k w a y s "

and

" d r i v e s " at a t i m e w h e n a u t o t o u r i s m w a s n e w a n d slow.

who

and

risk

can

never

that

stop

until

characterizes

we've

seen

avant-garde

what

lies

experience at

its

best.

S c e n i c o v e r l o o k s m a d e less a n d less s e n s e as s p e e d l i m i t s

S o m e t i m e s t h e t r a i l is a d e a d - e n d , o r a l o o p ; w e e n d

increased. Stan Abbott, the architect of the Blue

back

Ridge

where

started, but

with

some

new

images

Parkway, was u n a s h a m e d l y d i d a c t i c in his desire t o c r e a t e

s t o r e d in t h e b r a i n . S o m e t i m e s t h e trail, o r t h e art, s e e m s

a m o t o r i s t ' s l a n d s c a p e t h a t d o u b l e d as m o u n t a i n

recla-

forever

and

need

camp

overnight.

m a t i o n a n d an u n f o l d i n g w o r k o f roadside-as-art to the

S o m e t i m e s w e get lost. T h e s e m a y b e t h e best

motorist—"a m u s e u m of managed American

b e c a u s e eyes a n d b r a i n are n e v e r s h a r p e r t h a n w h e n

country-

s i d e , " as h e p u t it. S i x t y y e a r s l a t e r , t h e w o r d p a r k w a y h a s become a euphemism

for highways with

vival d e p e n d s o n

monotonous

v i e w s o f grass a n d trees: a p u r e l y f u n c t i o n a l r o a d

that

times, sur-

them. What

1 like

best

about

trails

the

kinesthetic contact with the place 1 a m and the physical

f u n n e l s us t h r o u g h s p a c e t o o fast t o a p p r e c i a t e p e r f u n c -

effort required

t o r y l a n d s c a p i n g o r t h e o c c a s i o n a l s c e n i c e f f o r t — b i t s of

p r o c e s s , o r t h e trail, affects o r e v e n d e f i n e s t h e

buffalo j u n i p e r perched on c e m e n t dividers and buffer

a r r i v e d a t , w h e t h e r it is f a m i l i a r o r u n f a m i l i a r . W h e n

zones of h o m o g e n o u s vegetation b e t w e e n

d o e s n ' t h a v e its u p s a n d d o w n s , w h e n it is m e r e l y a p a t h

passengers

h u r t l i n g b y i n t h e i r c a r w o m b s a n d t h e " r e a l w o r l d " of

to reach

the place

I'm

heading.

The place it

t o a n e n d , it g e t s b o r i n g .

trailer parks a n d c l e a r - c u t t i n g just b e y o n d t h e " b e a u t y s t r i p . " W h a t w e s e e is n o t w h a t w e ' r e g e t t i n g .

• • •

Lucy R. Lippard's b o o k s include Mixed Blessings, The Lure of the Local, and The Pink Glass Swan. She has b e e n a c o l u m n i s t for t h e Village Voice, In These Times, and Z Magazine.

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . FALL.WINTER.00

APPROACHES TO A PATH

Patricia C. Phillips

N 1 9 6 0 , URUAN P L A N N E R KEVIN LYNCH PUBLISHED HIS N O W CLASSIC, IF ARGUABLY DATED, E X P O S I -

t i o n o n t h e v i s u a l d i m e n s i o n s a n d p e o p l e ' s p e r c e p t i o n s o f c i t i e s . The Image

of the

City

p r e s e n t e d " i m a g e a b i l i t y " as a s t r a t e g y t o s h a p e a n d i n t e r p r e t u r b a n f o r m . I n o r d e r t o m a k e the urban image m o r e vivid and resonant, Lynch organized and analyzed

the

s t r u c t u r e o f c i t i e s Lising f i v e e l e m e n t s : p a t h s , e d g e s , d i s t r i c t s , n o d e s , a n d l a n d m a r k s . W h i l e his i n t e r p r e t a t i v e s y s t e m was n o t hierarchical, p a t h s h a d a pervasive insistence.

w r o t e : " P a t h s are t h e c h a n n e l s a l o n g w h i c h t h e o b s e r v e r customarily, occasionally, o r potentially moves

F o r m a n y p e o p l e , t h e s e are t h e p r e d o m i n a n t e l e m e n t s in

i m a g e . " 1 F u n c t i o n i n g at d i f f e r e n t s c a l e s a n d c i r c u m s t a n c e s , p a t h s c a n s u t u r e

their

together

s c a t t e r e d o r s p l i t c i t i e s . W h e n t h e y fail t o c o n n e c t i n a c o h e r e n t w a y , p e o p l e e x p e r i e n c e disorientation and detachment. L y n c h ' s c o n c e p t o f p a t h s i n c l u d e d w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d r o u t e s , s u c h as s i d e w a l k s , r o a d s , f r e e w a y s , s u b w a y s , r a i l w a y s , a n d c a n a l s , t h a t s e r v e as p r e d o m i n a n t

circuits

and vantage points w h e r e people construct m e m o r a b l e visions and associations of the city. P a t h s a r e t h e c o n f i r m e d c o r r i d o r s o f t r a v e l â&#x20AC;&#x201D; l i n e a m e n t s o f d e p a r t u r e s a n d d e s t i n a t i o n s . I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e i m p r i n t o f p l a n n e d trails a n d p a t h s , " d e s i r e " l i n e s w o r n

over

t i m e i n s c r i b e m o r e i d i o s y n c r a t i c , o f t e n u r g e n t e x p e r i e n c e s o f t h e city. T h e p a t h is a m e t a p h o r f o r t h e c e a s e l e s s c i r c u l a t i o n t h a t s u s t a i n s c i t i e s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s . All o f t h e s e d i f f e r e n t passages are e x p e r i e n c e d in t r a n s i t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; o n

the

m o v e . " P e o p l e o b s e r v e t h e c i t y w h i l e m o v i n g t h r o u g h it, a n d a l o n g t h e s e p a t h s

the

o t h e r e n v i r o n m e n t a l e l e m e n t s are a r r a n g e d a n d related."

V i e w s o f t h e city are r e m a r k -

a b l y fluid a n d c i n e m a t i c . W h e t h e r o n e p a u s e s t o r e f l e c t t h o u g h t f u l l y , o r h a s t i l y a s s e m b l e s i m p r e s s i o n s f r o m r e p e a t e d v i s i t s , t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f p u b l i c s p a c e s a n d n a t u r a l sites is g e n e r a l l y b r i e f a n d t r a n s i t i o n a l . P a r a d o x i c a l l y , s p a c e s e e m s s t a b l e a n d p l a c i d . It h a s a n u n m i s t a k a b l e p h y s i c a l p r e s e n c e t h a t is p e r c e i v e d i n r e s t l e s s d i s t r a c t i o n . F o r t h o s e w h o

seek

s o m e s u s t a i n e d , i f a r g u a b l y t r a n s f o r m i n g , c o n c e p t o f p u b l i c s p a c e , its i m a g e is f o r m e d b y t h e e r r a n t a n d e p h e m e r a l passages o f d i f f e r e n t p e o p l e . Paths suggest a narrative c o n t e n t s u p e r i m p o s e d o n an abstract n e t w o r k o f lines a n d linkages. T h e y can have an o b v i o u s m o m e n t u m o f t e n s h a p e d b y history o r e c o l o g y o r a s p e c i f i c s t o r y o r i d e n t i t y . B o s t o n ' s F r e e d o m T r a i l ; f o r m e r rail trails t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o g r e e n w a y s ; o r p a t h s t h r o u g h tidal m a r s h e s , w e t l a n d s , a n d o t h e r e c o s y s t e m s

are a j u s t a f e w e x a m p l e s . T h e s e didactic o r p o e t i c passages l e n d o t h e r d i m e n s i o n s t o t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f p u b l i c space, a d d i n g richness to m o r e f u n c t i o n a l objectives. T h e physical e x p e r i e n c e of p a t h m a y b e i n t e r r u p t e d a n d circuitous, b u t ( l e f t ) Andy Goldsworthy,

WallThat

g e n e r a l l y t h e r e is a n i d e a t h a t d r i v e s a n d d e t e r m i n e s m o v e m e n t . M o v e m e n t m a y

Went for a Walk (Storm King Wall),

m o t i v a t e d b y a p a r t i c u l a r d e s t i n a t i o n o r o b j e c t i v e , b u t less c a l c u l a t e d w a n d e r i n g s a l s o

S t o r m King A r t Center, 2 0 0 0 .

s h a p e t h e m e a n i n g o f place. P a t h s are also t h e a t r i c a l a n d e p h e m e r a l ; t h e y f o r m p a t t e r n s

P h o t o by j e r r y L . T h o m p s o n ,

b a s e d o n a c o n c e p t , a p r e m i s e , a h u n c h , o r a s t o r y t h a t c o n g e a l s , e v e n if t e m p o r a r i l y .

c o u r t e s y S t o r m King A r t C e n t e r

S o m e p a t h s m a y exist f o r t h e m o s t l i m i t e d p e r i o d o f t i m e ; t h e y are i n s c r i b e d in s o m e corporeal sensation, personal m e m o r y , or public d o c u m e n t a t i o n .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

A l m o s t ten years after Lynch The

Image

published

of the City, V i t o A c c o n c i p e r f o r m e d

Following

Piece ( 1 9 6 9 ) . A c c o n c i w a s i n t e r e s t e d in p e r f o r m a n c e as r e s e a r c h , a n d Following

Piece w a s a n e x p l o r a t i o n o f c i t i e s ,

m o v e m e n t , transactions b e t w e e n citizens and

strangers,

distinctions b e t w e e n public a n d private space, and

the

e x p a n d i n g role o f t h e artist. T h i s p r e s c i e n t a n d r e s o n a n t work

marked

the b e g i n n i n g of Acconci's

thirty-year

e n g a g e m e n t w i t h p u b l i c a r t issues. It u n i n t e n t i o n a l l y , it also a n t i c i p a t e d t h e i n c r e a s i n g volatility a n d

ambiguity

o f personal a n d public space. E a c h day f o r o n e m o n t h , A c c o n c i d o m l y chose an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;often a complete

ran-

stranger

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t o f o l l o w t h r o u g h t h e streets o f N e w York. H e closely t r a c k e d t h e p e r s o n ' s m o v e m e n t s a n d a c t i v i t i e s as s h e o r he

moved

through

the

public

spaces

the

Acconci's benign, yet disquieting, stalking ceased the

person

entered

a private

space. O f t e n ,

city. when

Acconci

r e m a i n e d u n d e t e c t e d t h r o u g h o u t the p e r f o r m a n c e . At o t h e r times, t h e s t r a n g e r d i s c e r n e d his persistent, i n e x plicable, a n d u n d o u b t e d l y u n n e r v i n g presence. In Following

Piece, t h e i d e a o f p a t h

was

( a b o v e ) Vito A c c o n c i , Following Piece, 1969.

unpredictable and fortuitous. While Acconci

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Acconci Studio

each daily event, t h e actual r o u t e was d e t e r m i n e d by t h e

( b e l o w ) Richard Long, A Line in Canada,

1974.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y S p e r o n e W e s t w a t e n N e w York

Public Art R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

decisions inserted

whims

himself

of another

individual.

situation.

common

initiated

Acconci Until

its

tional date l i n e — t h e invisible b o u n d a r y

that

divides

h o u r s a n d days. R i c h a r d L o n g also has t a k e n m a n y l o n g w a l k s in r e m o t e sites. L i k e F u l t o n , h e p r o d u c e s graphs and

t e x t s as w e l l as m a p s o f h i s

photo-

experience.

F u l t o n l e a v e s n o t r a c e o f h i s p a s s a g e t h r o u g h a s i t e . In contrast, L o n g often subtly rearranges rocks or

organic

materials along the way or introduces s o m e other

ele-

m e n t to gauge a shifting terrain. Sometimes, by walking repeatedly, back and forth along a route, he

literally

makes the impression of a path. Grass b e c o m e s

flattened

a n d w o r n , r o c k s a n d soil w o r k t h e i r w a y t o t h e s u r f a c e . For m o r e t h a n thirty years, t h e w o r k has i n v o l v e d " f o u r i m p o r t a n t t h e m e s , all o f w h i c h h a v e b e e n d e v e l o p e d a n d e x t e n d e d t h r o u g h o u t Long's career: m o v e m e n t in space, m a r k i n g t h e earth's surface, laying o u t paths across t h e g r o u n d , a n d his p h o t o g r a p h mentation or text-making."

o f t h e ' d r a w i n g ' as

docu-

T h e conceptual trajectory of walking— o f p a t h as a r t — c o n t i n u e s t o b e e x p l o r e d a n d

amended

b y o t h e r artists. A n d y G o l d s w o r t h y has e m e r g e d

from

this t r a d i t i o n o f w a l k i n g t h e l a n d s c a p e , yet his i n t e n t a n d sensibility d i s t i n g u i s h his w o r k f r o m t h e s e o t h e r artists. Fulton a n d L o n g m a y deliberately select a r o u t e or destination. M o v e m e n t along a planned path, often directed b y a c a l c u l a t e d s y s t e m , is t h e c o n c e p t u a l n u c l e u s o f t h e a r t . T h e p a t h is a r t . G o l d s w o r t h y is m o r e i n t e r e s t e d Richard Long, A Line in the Himalayas,

1975.

possibilities that e m e r g e en r o u t e — o f w h a t

P h o t o c o u r t e s y S p e r o n e W e s t w a t e n N e w York

happens

a l o n g t h e way. T h e w a l k i n g o f a p a t h u n e x p e c t e d l y p r e s to

make

space, the actual r o u t e o f t h e path was insignificant. But

ephemeral projects. These often meticulous but

short-

the process of following the path of a stranger suggested

lived a r r a n g e m e n t s can involve placing brilliant red a n d

t h e c o m p l e x i t y o f a s o c i a l c o n t r a c t . If s o m e t i m e s u n c o n -

y e l l o w a u t u m n leaves i n a line t h r o u g h a m e a d o w , o n a

s c i o u s l y , w e all l e a d a n d f o l l o w t h o s e u n k n o w n . T o

tree

d e n o u e m e n t at t h e t h r e s h o l d b e t w e e n p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e

ents

new

discoveries

rock, or

the

and

opportunities

water; assembling

branches

brought d o w n by a recent storm into a sphere or tower;

p a r t o f t h e p u b l i c is t o a c c e p t o n e ' s r o l e as a s t r a n g e r . passages

or arranging stones by color and shape to p r o d u c e cairns

Piecc o f f e r e d a c o n c e p t u a l m a p .

(Acconci

in t h e landscape. H e p h o t o g r a p h s these projects b e f o r e

s e n t d o c u m e n t a t i o n o f e a c h day's activities t o

members

their inevitable disappearance. For Goldsworthy, the path

T h e m a n y different paths and o f Following

o f t h e art c o m m u n i t y . ) If n o t a b o u t t h e l o o k o r i m a g e o f

leads t o art.

t h e city, t h e s k e i n o f r o u t e s d e s c r i b e d f u n d a m e n t a l f e a t u r e s o f p u b l i c s p a c e a n d p u b l i c life. S p e c u l a t i v e i n s u b s t a n t i a l , Following

and

Piece m a p p e d a n a l t e r n a t i v e p a t h

f o r art.

landscapes, invoke

o t h e r impressions o f path o r passage. At the S t o r m

King

A r t C e n t e r in M o u n t a i n v i l l e , N e w York, t h e artist has With

different

intents

and

circum-

stances, Acconci's c o n t e m p o r a r i e s H a m i s h Fulton Richard

I n a d d i t i o n t o his w a l k s in

Goldsworthy recently completed projects that

L o n g also e m b r a c e a c o n c e p t u a l i n t e r e s t

and in

m a k i n g p a t h s . F o r F u l t o n , t h e p r o c e s s o f w a l k i n g is t h e

built (with Scottish wall-builders) an e n o r m o u s twisting a n d p i v o t i n g wall. O r i g i n a l l y called t h e for a Walk,

t h e Storm

Wall That

Went

King Wall ( 1 9 9 8 - 9 9 ) o r i g i n a t e s a t a n

o l d , s c a t t e r e d f a r m wall t h a t t h e artist f o u n d o n site. T h e

a r t f o r m . T h e p a t h s o f his w a l k s a r e d o c u m e n t e d b y p h o -

Storm

t o g r a p h s t a k e n a l o n g t h e w a y , as w e l l as d e s c r i p t i v e a n d

feet t h r o u g h o p e n forest, across roads, a r o u n d

poetic observations taken f r o m journal entries

trees, i n t o a p o n d , a n d t h e n r e s u m e s o n t h e o t h e r side t o

transit.

Highlands)

Looking

Tomorrow

(Scottish

North

written West

(1974) d o c u m e n t s his w a l k a l o n g t h e i n t e r n a -

King

Wall m e a n d e r s f o r m o r e t h a n t w o

thousand existing

e n d a b r u p t l y at t h e t o p o f a hill a d j a c e n t t o t h e

New

York Thruway.

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

In a d d i t i o n to the historical significance

w h i c h h a v e passed t h r o u g h this area over t h e c e n t u r i e s ,

o f walls in landscapes, G o l d s w o r t h y ' s wall highlights t h e

leaving evidence of their j o u r n e y but neither

i d e a o t p a t h o r p a s s a g e . In a r e c e n t i n t e r v i e w at

coming

the

f r o m n o r staying t h e r e . . . . T h e arch will, w h e r e v e r possi-

S t o r m K i n g A r t C e n t e r , h e said: " A wall f u n c t i o n s o n

b l e , l e a v e b e h i n d it a trail o f r e v i v e d , w o r k i n g f o l d s , a trail

m a n y levels—social, historical, e n v i r o n m e n t a l . A wall

of goodwill."6

c h a n g e s t h e p l a c e i n w h i c h it is b u i l t . . . . T h e r e is a l s o t h e

T h e path can be overt and

explicit—

w a y t h a t a w a l l d r a w s t h e p l a c e t h r o u g h w h i c h it t r a v e l s ,

something

o f t e n b e c o m i n g an expression o f that place, n o t

unlike

e n h a n c e s . B u t artists can i n v e n t a n d i n s c r i b e p a t h s w h e r e

necessarily

n o n e exists o r little r e m a i n s . A t t h e A b i n g t o n A r t C e n t e r

taking the most direct route, but taking the best route."5

in P e n n s y l v a n i a , W i n i f r e d L u t z b e g a n w o r k in 1 9 9 2 o n

old shepherd paths that go u p a h i l l — n o t

T h e p a t h o f t h e Storm

King

that

artist

articulates, interrogates,

Wall m e d i a t e s a f o r m i d a b l e

The

scale, d i r e c t i o n , a n d d e s t i n a t i o n w i t h a sense o f u n h u r -

and

ried, yet expectant w a n d e r i n g .

a c q u i r e d t h e p r o p e r t y f o r a f a m i l y estate. In 1 9 6 9 , h e

In 1 9 9 7 , G o l d s w o r t h y t r a v e l e d a m e a n d e r i n g path t h r o u g h Scotland, C u m b r i a , and Lancashire. T h e multiple-day project began with the

construction

o t a n a r c h f r o m L o c h a r b r i g g s s a n d s t o n e in t h e f o u n d a tions

of an

old

sheepfold

the

Lowthey

Hills

Reclamation arboretum,

Garden. in

O n c e a h u n t i n g g r o u n d , field,

the

1930s

Lessing

Rosenwald

t u r n e d o v e r t h e t h i r t y - f o u r - a c r e site a n d h o m e t o

the

township for a cultural center. The

a r e a f o r The

Reclamation

was neglected, overgrown, and almost

Garden

impenetrable.

Lutz f o u n d h e r w a y i n t o the f o r g o t t e n space, clearing a

S c o t l a n d , w h e r e t h e a r t i s t lives. F o l l o w i n g a w e l l - w o r n

path for others w h o wish to experience the forces of

shepherds' path to the south, Goldsworthy

nature a n d c u l t u r e — t h e cycle of creation and deteriora-

constructed

a n d d i s m a n t l e d t h e s a n d s t o n e arch t w e n t y - t w o t i m e s in

tion that defines the natural world. W i t h the

the ruins or f o r m e r locations of sheepfolds along

the

o f a tall s t o n e t o w e r c r e a t e d b y L u t z as a c o n t e m p l a t i v e

h i s t o r i c t r a i l . A t e a c h site, t h e a r c h e x i s t e d f o r j u s t a b r i e f

space that c o n n e c t s to an old stone gateway designed in

t i m e . It w a s p h o t o g r a p h e d , p u l l e d a p a r t , a n d t h e s t o n e s

t h e 1930s by landscape architect K a l p h E. G r i s w o l d , h e r

were

loaded back

sheepfold Arch /Near

site.

a truck

Completed

Penright

/ Cumbria

destined early

for the

summer,

(1997) "leaves

its

t h e r e , in c o m m o n w i t h t h e p e o p l e , a n i m a l s a n d

A n d y G o l d s w o r t h y , Drove Arch/Near PenrightlCumbria, P h o t o c o u r t e s y t h e artist and Galerie Lelong, N e w York

Public A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

1997.

exception

installations are calculatedly a m b i g u o u s . Largely

Drove

f o u n d m a t e r i a l s — r o c k s , fallen branches,

mark

c o n s t r u c t e d a series of installations that m a r k a path

things

using

leaves—Lutz

t h r o u g h a o n e - a c r e site. It is u n c l e a r w h a t is n a t u r e

( a b o v e ) Winifred Lutz, The Reclamation Garden, l o w e r d o u b l e portal e n t r a n c e t o garden, A b i n g t o n A r t C e n t e r , J e n k i n t o w n , Pa., 1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 6 . ( r i g h t ) Winifred Lutz, The Reclamation Garden, s t o n e t o w e r at end of garden, Abington A r t Center, Jenkintown, Pa., 1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 6 . P h o t o s c o u r t e s y W i n i f r e d Lutz ( b e l o w ) Krzysztof W o d c i z k o , Alien Staff in Rotterdam, c. 1 9 9 3 - 1 9 9 5 . P h o t o c o u r t e s y t h e artist and Galerie Lelong, N e w York

art, w h a t m a y b e t h e c o n s e q u e n c e o f a natural rence

between

artist's i n t e r v e n t i o n . As p e o p l e

occur-

solely to reach this destination. M a n y g o o d paths offer

wander

o p p o r t u n i t i e s to get lost in t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f w a l k i n g

installations, a path subtly materializes. T h e

and observation.

s e n s e o f p a s s a g e is p h y s i c a l , as w e l l as i m a g i n a t i v e . E a c h

J u s t as A c c o n c i ' s p a t h i n Following

Piece

arrangement of materials frames a view of the landscape

was unpredictable and often inexplicable, a path can b e

a n d c o m p e l s p e o p l e to m o v e t h r o u g h t h e space. W h i l e

random

t h e p a t h t e r m i n a t e s at t h e s t o n e t o w e r , it d o e s n o t e x i s t

and

quixotic,

mythical

and

psychological.

Interested in t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f strangers a n d i m m i g r a n t s in t h e U n i t e d States, K r z y s z t o f W o d i c z k o has s p e e c h act e q u i p m e n t f o r i n d i v i d u a l s w h o

created

have

been

alienated, displaced, and s i l e n c e d â&#x20AC;&#x201D; w h o s e e x p e r i e n c e of p u b l i c s p a c e is as t r a n s i e n t s . Alien

Staff

( 1 9 9 2 - 9 7 ) is a

h a n d h e l d d e v i c e f o r t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f self. A t t h e t o p o f a w a l k i n g stick, a small v i d e o

and

loud

speaker show prerecorded conversations of the

monitor

user-

o p e r a t o r . It a l i e n s a n d i m m i g r a n t s a r e o f t e n i g n o r e d

o v e r l o o k e d , t h e v i d e o passages offer a d i m i n u t i v e , yet insistent representation of needs and experiences. T h e s h a f t o f t h e s t a f f is a s t a c k o f t r a n s p a r e n t c o n t a i n e r s e a c h displaying an object or artifact of i m p o r t a n c e to the u s e r . S i m u l t a n e o u s l y , Alien

Staff

deploys the urgency

c o n t e m p o r a r y technology with the timeless mysteries of the reliquary. T h e staff i n v o k e s m a n y associations, b u t f u n d a m e n t a l l y it is a w a l k i n g s t i c k â&#x20AC;&#x201D; b o t h a n i n s t r u m e n t and m e t a p h o r for m o v e m e n t . T h e actual a n d

imagined

m o v e m e n t o f a n i n d i v i d u a l w i t h a p e r s o n a l staff suggests a very different way of c o n s i d e r i n g the path in

art.

W o d i c z k o e x p l o r e s a n i d e a o f p a t h t h a t is u n m i s t a k a b l y

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

t h a t r e c e n t l y has b e c o m e N e w York's latest art district. T a k e n at d i f f e r e n t sites, e a c h p h o t o g r a p h i n s p i r e d a n e w representation o r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n by C a r l s o n . Eight

tour

guides t o o k different groups to s o m e of the seven specific l o c a t i o n s d o c u m e n t e d in t h e p h o t o g r a p h s ,

where

p o s e d d a n c e r s r e - e n a c t e d t h e still p h o t o g r a p h s . T h e s e choreographed involved

historical tableaux of ordinary

nineteenth-century

working

people

class

life

o f f e r e d a s t r i k i n g c o u n t e r p o i n t t o this n e w c e n t e r f o r t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y art w o r l d . T h e path inscribes h u m a n

experiences

o f t i m e a n d m o v e m e n t i n a w o r l d t h a t is n e v e r

appre-

hensible f r o m a single, static p o i n t o f view. O f f e r i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o f o l l o w o r p r o d u c e , i n c i t i e s a n d in l a n d scapes, f r o m solitary reflection o n art a n d n a t u r e to t h e conviviality o f u r b a n w a l k i n g tours, t h e p a t h has served as a f r u i t f u l t r a j e c t o r y f o r m a n y a r t i s t s . W h e t h e r t h e y l e a d o r follow, i n v o k e o r reflect, artists' w o r k s c a n clear paths ( a b o v e ) Christine Hill, Tourguide?, 1999.

t o u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e m u l t i p l e passages that c o n n e c t a n d

P h o t o by Brent Stirton, c o u r t e s y Public A r t Fund

define our world.

( b e l o w ) A n n e Carlson, Night Light, 2000. P h o t o by T o m Brazil, c o u r t e s y Dancing in t h e S t r e e t s

Patricia C. Phillips writes o n public art and c o n t e m p o r a r y art. She is dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at State University of N e w York at

real, b u t u n l i k e L y n c h ' s f o r m a l criteria, h e r e c o g n i z e s a

N e w Paltz.

social p a t t e r n o f activity t h a t restlessly s h a p e s t h e i m a g e

Notes:

o f t h e city. In s u m m e r 1999, Christine Hills

Tour-

1. Kevin L y n c h , The Image of the

King Art Center, Mountainville,

City ( C a m b r i d g e : T h e MIT

N e w York, 2 0 0 0 , 1 - 2 .

Press,1960), 47.

guide?

organized

walking

tours

N e w York

City.

O f f e r i n g a l t e r n a t i v e e x p e r i e n c e s o f t h e city, t o u r g r o u p s

6. A n d y G o l d s w o r t h y and David 2.Ibid.

closed business), a luggage vendor, a M c D o n a l d ' s , the f o r m e r residence o f C o n a n O ' B r i e n , a n d o t h e r places that

4. I a n T r o m p , " F r o m Walk t o Text: O n R i c h a r d L o n g , " Sculpture, M a r c h

7. C h r i s t i n e Hill, Tourguide?

2000,27.

b r o c h u r e , Public A r t F u n d . Inc., in

h a d b e c o m e m e a n i n g f u l t o H i l l as a n e w r e s i d e n t o f t h e city. O p e r a t i n g f r o m a s m a l l h e a d q u a r t e r s n e x t t o D e i t c h Projects on Grand Street and sponsored by the Public Art F u n d , I n c . , Tourguide? tunity

interact

"offers the group time and o p p o r with

one

another

as w e

wander

t h r o u g h o u r area o f investigation: N e w York City. W e use t h e e v e n t o f e x p l o r i n g sites t o i n s t i g a t e c o n v e r s a t i o n a n d measure

exchange

between

the

members

Responsibility for the quality and c o n t e n t of the e x p e r i e n c e is s h a r e d . . . . " 7 M a k i n g a r t a n d l i f e i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e , 18

H i l l i n h a b i t e d h e r j o b as t o u r g u i d e . C l e a r i n g p a t h s t h a t f r a m e d n e w i n s i g h t s o n t h e city, h e r w a l k i n g t o u r s w e r e visceral e n c o u n t e r s w i t h o r d i n a r y places a n d p e o p l e . Hill g u i d e d h e r c o m p a n i o n s

through

u n e x p e c t e d , less l e g e n d a r y , a n d o f t e n p e r s o n a l p a t h s o f t h e l i v i n g city. A n n C a r l s o n ' s Night

Light

(2000) was an

e v e n i n g w a l k i n g t o u r of N e w York's C h e l s e a s p o n s o r e d b y D a n c i n g in t h e Streets w i t h t h e Carlson studied and selected n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y g r a p h s o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l w o r k i n g class

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w .FALL.WINTER. 00

district Kitchen. photo-

neighborhood

C r a i g , Arch ( N e w York: H a r r y N . A b r a m s , Inc., 1999), 5.

v i s i t e d t h e f o r m e r s i t e o f T u n n e l S t a t i o n e r s (a r e c e n t l y

c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h D e i t c h Projects. 5. An I n t e r v i e w w i t h A n d y Goldsworthy (unpublished), Storm

N e w York, 1999.

EARTH SENSITIVE

John

Grande

RTISTS A R E D E V E L O P I N G A N E W H O L I S T I C L A N G U A G E O F E X P R E S S I O N A B O U T N A T U R E T H A T SEEKS

I m \ t o p r e s e r v e b i o d i v e r s i t y . T h e e s s e n t i a l m a t e r i a l a n d i n g r e d i e n t o f t h e p r o c e s s is m. naturp

T h i s d i a l o g u e is i n t e r a c t i v e a n d r o o t e d i n a c t u a l e x p e r i e n c e i n a g i v e n

p l a c e a n d t i m e . A b o v e all, it d i s p l a y s a r e s p e c t f o r o u r i n t e g r a l c o n n e c t e d n e s s t o e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e inflexible stereotypes o f art h i s t o r y — o u t m o d e d

the

notions of avant-

gardism a n d m o d e r n i s t aesthetics in g e n e r a l — a r e the legacy o f an era in w h i c h progress was d e f i n e d p r i m a r i l y in e c o n o m i c t e r m s . T h e i m p e r i a l s t e r e o t y p e s o f an art b a s e d in formal language and on the segregation of h u m a n i t y from nature, and the

platitudes

that a c c o m p a n y t h e art o b j e c t a n d n a t u r e s u b j e c t h a v e b e g u n t o pass i n t o t h e c a t a c o m b s o f o u r m u s e u m s a n d a r t g a l l e r i e s . T h e l a n d is n o l o n g e r j u s t a s u b j e c t w e

represent

t h r o u g h art. T h e e a r t h is a l i v i n g , b r e a t h i n g o r g a n i s m w h o s e

elements—climate,

g e o g r a p h y , g e o l o g y , o t h e r life f o r m s — a r e L i n q u e s t i o n a b l y p a r t o f t h e h u m a n

creative

p r o c e s s . T h e c h a l l e n g e is t o b r e a k o u t o f t h e l i m i t e d c o n c e p t i o n t h a t h u m a n i t y is t h e c e n t e r o f e a r t h - b a s e d activity, t o b r o a d e n o u r p e r s p e c t i v e , t o realize t h a t o t h e r species, organisms, animals, a n d plants are equally e a r t h sensitive, t h e b i o g e n i t o r s o f e c o l o g i c a l diversity. T h e y m a y e v e n p e r c e i v e t h e e a r t h a n d us in ways w e c o u l d n e v e r c o n c e i v e . A n e s s e n t i a l f r e e d o m c o m e s f r o m i d e n t i f y i n g w i t h t h e l i f e p r o c e s s i t s e l f as a r t ; i t is

one

c h a n c e w e have to ensure a viable art of the future. A n earth-sensitive vision, t h r o u g h t h e r e s u r g e n c e o f r i t u a l a n d r e s p e c t f o r t h e cyclical p r o c e s s o f life, r e a f f i r m s t h a t n a t u r e is t h e a r t o f w h i c h w e a r e a p a r t . Within the Metabetchouane Centre for History and Archaeology

t h e s o u t h s h o r e o f L a c S a i n t - J e a n i n n o r t h e r n Q u e b e c is t h e r e p l i c a o f a H u d s o n ' s B a y t r a d i n g p o s t t h a t w a s f o u n d e d o n J u l y 16, 1 6 4 7 , b y t h e J e s u i t J e a n D e q u e n . T h e site h a d b e e n a traditional native m e e t i n g place for centuries before D e q u e n arrived. D u r i n g the s u m m e r o f 1996, M i k e M a c D o n a l d , a s e l f - t a u g h t artist o f m i x e d native a n d

European

descent, realized that a c o m b i n a t i o n o f b o t h i n d i g e n o u s and i n t r o d u c e d species o f plants w e r e g r o w i n g i n t h e s u r r o u n d s o f this h i s t o r i c site. M a c D o n a l d g a t h e r e d

indigenous

species, i n c l u d i n g sweetgrass, n o r t h e r n sage, n a t i v e o n i o n s , I r o q u o i s c e r e m o n i a l t o b a c c o , V i r g i n i a t o b a c c o , e v e n i n g p r i m r o s e , m i l k w e e d , j o e - p y e w e e d , a n d d y e r ' s c h a m o m i l e , all of w h i c h were used by native cultures for their medicinal properties, and them

directly

around

the

museum's

walls

create

butterfly

transplanted

garden.

Mike

M a c D o n a l d ' s t h e s i s is b a s e d o n t h e f a c t t h a t p l a n t s t h a t a t t r a c t b u t t e r f l i e s h a v e t r a d i t i o n a l

m e d i c i n a l uses. Flat s t o n e a s s e m b l a g e s s h a p e d t o f o r m f o o t p r i n t s (an a l l u s i o n t o J e a n D e q u e n s o r i g i n a l " d i s c o v e r y " o f this site) w e r e p l a c e d in t h e g a r d e n t o e n a b l e v i s i t o r s t o m o v e t h r o u g h it w i t h o u t d a m a g i n g t h e p l a n t s . M a c D o n a l d , w h o s e r o l e is as m u c h ethnobotanist

as a r t i s t , a l s o r e v e a l e d

varieties

of viperine, w o o d

strawberry,

and

h a w t h o r n trees i n t r o d u c e d b y E u r o p e a n settlers, plants that h a v e o u t l a s t e d t h e early settlement buildings and continue to

flourish

in the w i l d . S o m e o f these h e m o v e d t o gar-

d e n s as f a r a f i e l d as H a l i f a x a n d V a n c o u v e r . A l l o f M a c D o n a l d ' s g a r d e n s a r e g e n e t i c a l l y linked: plants get m o v e d f r o m established g a r d e n s to start n e w o n e s a n d t o r e p l a c e plants that d o n o t fare well.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

sensitive responses to the e n v i r o n m e n t

that

remains.

A f t e r h e a r i n g the clear s o n g o f a robin rising above the b a c k g r o u n d c a c o p h o n y o f i n d u s t r i a l n o i s e at

twilight

o n e n i g h t in 1 9 9 7 , artists B e t h C a r r u t h e r s a n d

Nelson

G r a y c o n c e i v e d o f V a n c o u v e r ' s SongBird

Project,

now

its t h i r d y e a r . T h r o u g h t h i s p r o j e c t t h e y h o p e t o p r o v i d e p o s i t i v e e n h a n c e m e n t p r o g r a m s t o raise p u b l i c

aware-

ness o f songbirds a n d habitat p r e s e r v a t i o n a n d to

pro-

m o t e a c o m b i n e d vision of c o m m u n i t y , ecology, a n d the arts w i t h i n regions.

the

city

Biologists,

of Vancouver landscape

and

surrounding

architects,

musicians,

artists, p l a n n e r s , sustainability c o n s u l t a n t s , a n d

commu-

n i t y g r o u p s assist w i t h t h e p r o j e c t , as d o e s t h e D o u g l a s College Institute of U r b a n Ecology and the house Community

C e n t r e . C o n c e i v e d as a n

Roundumbrella

f o r v a r i o u s e v e n t s a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n s , t h e SongBird

Project

includes nature walks to e n c o u r a g e an awareness urban bird habitats; the

1998 and

Forums, which

specialists a n d city

brought

1999 Living

City

dwellers

t o g e t h e r t o e x p r e s s e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n c e r n s ; a n d FLAP (Fatal L i g h t A w a r e n e s s P r o g r a m ) , a c a m p a i g n t o

make

citizens aware of the millions of birds killed annually in N o r t h A m e r i c a in collisions w i t h office buildings ( a b o v e ) Mike MacDonald, Butterfly Garden,

and

h o m e s t h a t a r e u n n e c e s s a r i l y lit u p at n i g h t .

Lac Saint-Jean M e t a b e t c h o u a n e , Q u e b e c , 1996.

A core annual

P h o t o by Marie-Josee D e s r o c h e r s

event of the

SongBird

Project is t h e S p r i n g D a w n C h o r u s F e s t i v a l , h e l d i n M a y . ( b e l o w ) Claire Bedat, The Nest, R o u n d h o u s e

T h i s g a t h e r i n g of p e o p l e w h o await the songbird's d a w n

C o m m u n i t y Centre,Vancouver, 1998.

c h o r u s is o n e o f m a n y c e l e b r a t e d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d a f t e r

P h o t o by Beth C a r r u t h e r s

an idea o r i g i n a t i n g in E n g l a n d t h i r t e e n years ago. T h e The

success

of the

Metabetchouane

Round-

C e n t r e ' s b u t t e r f l y g a r d e n h a s r e s u l t e d in s u b s e q u e n t c r e -

h o u s e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e for t h e past three years, aims

a t i o n s at o t h e r sites t h a t a r e a s o u r c e o f i n s p i r a t i o n

to introduce to the public ways of e n c o u r a g i n g

and

healing, and soothingly beautiful. MacDonald's

latest

butterfly

Saint

garden, installed

this s u m m e r

at t h e

N o r b e r t Arts C e n t r e s o u t h o f W i n n i p e g , in

Manitoba,

incorporates living color w i t h i n the ruins of O u r of the

Prairie C h u r c h , a f o r m e r Trappist

MacDonald

p l a n t e d this h e a r t - s h a p e d

Lady

monastery.

g a r d e n in

the

Catholic M a r i a n Garden tradition, with blue and white flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

colors of the Virgin M a r y â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h a t

contain

t h e w o r d s " M a r y " o r " m o t h e r " in t h e i r Latin such 20

B a b y l o n G a r d e n s I n i t i a t i v e , p r e s e n t e d at t h e

wild

chamomile

( H e s p e r i s matronalis),

(Matricaria), s w e e t

names, rocket

a n d M a d o n n a lily. T h e p l a c e

has

b e e n t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o a site f o r c o n t e m p l a t i o n a n d h e a l i n g that b r i n g s past J u d e o - C h r i s t i a n traditions f r o m t h e Old World

into perspective

through

a native

artist's

intervention. A n e m p t y plinth m a r k i n g the spot w h e r e a statue o n c e s t o o d overlooks the garden a n d will b e used for performances. W i t h its p a r t i c u l a r l e g a c y o f h e a v y l o g g i n g a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l d i s r u p t i o n , t h e city o f V a n c o u ver has t h e responsibility o f initiating safer a n d

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w .FALL.WINTER. 00

populations

in t h e

city. C i t i z e n s

are t a u g h t

how

bird to

S â&#x20AC;˘

-V

b u i l d f e e d e r s a n d n e s t i n g b o x e s , a n d i n t r o d u c e ivy, t r e l "

lises, a n d b i r d b a t h s i n t o t h e i r h o m e e n v i r o n m e n t s

order to provide t e m p o r a r y food, habitat, and water supplies f o r b i r d s o n b a l c o n i e s a n d r o o f t o p s , in

window

boxes and gardens. In Project, The

Nest,

collaboration

with

the

SongBird

an i n d e p e n d e n t installation created by

F r e n c h artist a n d l a n d s c a p e a r c h i t e c t u r e s t u d e n t

Claire

B e d a t , was w o v e n o u t o f w i l l o w s a n d d r i e d grasses w i t h assistance f r o m public v o l u n t e e r s . Installed o u t s i d e

the

R o u n d h o u s e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e in t h e fall o f 1 9 9 8 , it celebrated humanity's connection to h o m e , community, a n d s o n g b i r d s . " T h e m a k i n g w a s i n its e s s e n c e a v e r y i n t u i t i v e r e n d e r i n g , " says B e d a t , " a s d e d i c a t e d as a b i r d , I used each part of m y b o d y to shape and build the Nest. A n e s t is s u p p o s e d l y r o u n d , r o u n d l i k e life, r o u n d

t h e b o d y o f a b i r d . U n c o n s c i o u s l y , I w a s p a r t i c i p a t i n g in the making

o f a shelter, a refuge, the

house

b o d y . . . . G r o w t h is o f t e n a s s i m i l a t e d t o c h a n g e , I c h a n g e d d u r i n g t h e m a k i n g o f this p r o j e c t a n d feel e m o t i o n a l l y e m p o w e r e d a n d b o u n d e d to a greater cause: preserving b i o d i v e r s i t y o n E a r t h . " 1 T h r o u g h t h e SongBird

Project,

broader than

has

become world

usual s p e c t r u m

of the public

involved in r e - i m a g i n i n g their place in environmental

spectrum,

and Vancouver

b e c o m e a "songbird friendly" model for other

a t i A v . v .

thus the

Alan Sonfist, Drawing of oasis area, La Quinta, Calif., 1998.

has

P h o t o by Alan Sonfist

North

A m e r i c a n cities.

F o r e i g n plant a n d tree species are l a n d s c a p e d i n t o cities In

the

Mojave

Desert

within

and suburbs because they bring an "exotic

flavor"

to a

Q u i n t a , California, Alan Sonfist, a p i o n e e r of ecosensi-

place. Yet artificial e n v i r o n m e n t s , in this case in a d e s e r t

tive p r o j e c t s in t h e 1960s a n d 1970s, c o m p l e t e d a s e v e n -

region, require heavy w a t e r i n g a n d are an

m i l e n a t u r e trail at B e a r C r e e k P a r k in 1 9 9 8 . In

attempt to introduce plant and tree species that

this

r e g i o n o f C a l i f o r n i a , t h e locals s e e m t o f a v o r u n n a t u r a l

uninformed ulti-

m a t e l y r e d u c e b i o c u l t u r a l diversity.

n o r t h e r n l a n d s c a p i n g w i t h m a p l e trees a n d grass l a w n s .

C a l i t o r n i a b i o h i s t o r y is l i k e

biohistory

a n y w h e r e : it i n v o l v e s a l a y e r i n g o f l i v i n g s p e c i e s i n t h e cyclical t h e a t e r o f n a t u r e i n time. T h e

flow

e l e m e n t s causes n a t u r e t o r e i n v e n t itself i n a m y r i a d

flux

and

w a y s , s u c h as w h e n a n e m p t y r i v e r g u l c h s u d d e n l y

floods

its b a n k s d u r i n g a d e s e r t r a i n f a l l , t h u s r e c o n f i g u r i n g t h e landscape. Sonfist's p r o j e c t involves reassessing each f r a g m e n t o f time, w h i l e realizing that this n a t u r e takes place in a c o n t i n u u m , n o t o n e fixed

layering moment.

S i n c e Sonfist has r e i n t r o d u c e d t h e local i n d i g e n o u s p l a n t species

the

region,

the

initially

negative

public

response has b e e n replaced by e n t h u s i a s m f o r t h e b e a u t y and diversity of these

flowers:

b e e b a l m , b l a z i n g star,

d e s e r t s t a r , c r e a m c u p , w o o l l y daisy, I n d i a n

paintbrush,

y e l l o w c u p , d e s e r t s i e n n a , devil's claw, g h o s t

flower.

Sonfist's n a t t i r e trail has b e c o m e a visual l a b o r a t o r y

e n v i r o n m e n t a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g . A r t w o r k s are to b e i n t r o d u c e d a l o n g t h e trail at a later date. F o r t h e C o a s t Salish S q u a m i s h

nation

o n the west coast of British C o l u m b i a , t h e w o r l d

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

Alan Sonflst, D e s e r t flowers, LaQuinta, Calif., 1998.

ect, N a n c y

P h o t o m o n t a g e by Alan Sonfist

Bleck produced

photograph

portraits

trees, tribal m e m b e r s , a n d witnesses that will b e

exhib-

i t e d l a t e r a t t h e R o u n d h o u s e C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e a n d at c o n c e i v e d as a f o r e s t . T h e c o m m u n i t y o f t r e e s t h a t g r o w

Bishops University Art Gallery, Lennoxville,

i n a f o r e s t is l i k e a c o m m u n i t y o f p e o p l e s w h o s e h e a l t h

F u t u r e w e l c o m e figures are p l a n n e d , in

a n d h i s t o r y are i n e x t r i c a b l y l i n k e d t o g e t h e r . Artist

and

w i t h local t r i b e s , c a r v e r s , a n d p a r t i c i p a n t s , o n site in

Nelson-Moody

Q u e b e c , G e r m a n y , a n d Australia. Local carving traditions

activist N a n c y B l e c k a n d carver A a r o n

have e m b a r k e d o n an i n t r i g u i n g project called People.

T h e first stage o f t h e p r o j e c t involves

Cedar

Quebec.

collaboration

a n d m o t i f s will also b e p a r t o f t h e s e initiatives.

Nelson-

This

summer, Jean-Paul

Ganem

M o o d y ' s c a r v e d r e n d i t i o n o f t h e C o a s t Salish S q u a m i s h ' s

b e e n involved in a large-scale environmental

Society o f W o m e n in Stewardship o f the Land, a "society

n i t y p a r t i c i p a t i o n p r o j e c t t i t l e d Le Jardin

has

commu-

des

Capteurs.

w i t h i n a society," w h o s e m e m b e r s are raised f r o m b i r t h

C r e a t e d in c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h t h e C i r q u e d u Soleil a n d

t o a c t as l e a d e r s w h o l o o k a f t e r t h e l a n d . " T h e r e is n o

J o u r - T e r r e Q u e b e c , Le Jardin

e q u i v a l e n t i n n o n - N a t i v e s o c i e t y , " says

two-and-a-half-hectare

Nelson-Moody.

waste

des Capteurs area

occupies a

adjacent

the

" T h e w o m e n w e r e as m u c h m e d i c i n a l d o c t o r s as t h e y

C i r q u e d u Soleil's p e r m a n e n t h e a d q u a r t e r s in t h e n o r t h

w e r e e n v i r o n m e n t a l l a w y e r s , as m u c h l i b r a r i e s

o f M o n t r e a l . T h e site, r e f e r r e d t o as t h e M i r o n

Quarry,

contains h u m a n waste e x c r e m e n t up to o n e

hundred

[people

w h o c a r r i e d t h e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e l a n d ] as t h e y

were

land managers."2

f e e t d e e p . G a s e m i s s i o n p i p e s ( s o m e r e a c h i n g as f a r as

C e d a r t r e e s a r e t h o u g h t o f as r e l a t i v e s

f o u r h u n d r e d feet b e l o w g r o u n d ) sporadically d o t

the

by these native peoples; before the carving began, a tra-

surface o f t h e land like p e r i s c o p e s . O p e r a t e d by

the

d i t i o n a l c e r e m o n y w a s h e l d t o bless t h e l o g

G a z m o n t P l a n t n e a r b y , t h e gas p i p e e m i s s i o n s

Nelson-

provide

M o o d y h a d c h o s e n . G u e s t s t h e n w i t n e s s e d t h e first stage

n a t u r a l gas a n d m e t h a n e p o w e r f o r t e n t h o u s a n d h o m e s .

o f t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f this cedar w o o d i n t o a t w e l v e -

Ganem's

by-three-foot

Michel

Moody

Slyn'i

carved

(Cedar

Woman),

using traditional

which

Nelson-

native tools. She

art

project

region

Montreal's

Botanical

involves Montreal

youth and

Gardens. An

from

the

Saint

volunteers

from

end-of-the-world

out-

wasteland b e c o m e s a beautiful rendition of the circus big

s t r e t c h e d , w h o s e s p e c i f i c m e a n i n g a n d p u r p o s e is t o

top with colorful, wedgelike landmarks and overlapping

w e l c o m e p e o p l e t o a s i t e . T h e first o f m a n y p l a n n e d w e l -

c i r c u l a r m o t i f s i n v a r y i n g d i m e n s i o n s . All t h i s is m a d e

c o m e f i g u r e c a r v i n g s , Slyn'i's

f r o m living plant and

d e p i c t e d as a t r a d i t i o n a l n a t i v e f i g u r e w i t h h a n d s

i n s t a l l a t i o n i n a s a c r e d site

red

species: red and yellow cos-

in t h e u p p e r S q u a m i s h w i l d e r n e s s r e g i o n w a s w i t n e s s e d b y t h e C o a s t Salish S q u a m i s h p e o p l e a n d n o n - n a t i v e s o n

heliotrope, and buckwheat. T h e colorful land

S e p t e m b e r 2, 2 0 0 0 . T h e a n c i e n t t r a d i t i o n a l s o c i e t y

and motifs overlap with varying circular

and

flower

mos, pink

petunias, colza, bear

grass,

wild

markings

dimensions

w o m e n t h i s w o r k is d e d i c a t e d t o a r e l i k e w i s e c o n s i d e r e d

a n d s h a p e s . A n u n d u l a t i n g p a t h m a k e s its w a y

witnesses w h o have participated through the

ceremony

the plantings. Directional markers point to the m o r e for-

as k e e p e r s o f h i s t o r y . T h r o u g h o u t t h i s p h a s e o f t h e p r o j -

m i d a b l e areas o f t h e M i r o n Q u a r r y that will, o v e r t h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER.00

through

( a b o v e a n d l e f t ) N a n c y Bleck and A a r o n N e l s o n - M o o d y , Cedar People, w o o d carving, British Columbia, Canada, 2 0 0 0 . P h o t o s by N a n c y Bleck ÂŠ ( b e l o w ) Jean-Paul G a n e m , Le Jardin des Capteurs, Montreal, Canada, 2 0 0 0 . P h o t o by Jean-Paul G a n e m

could not measure a work, one does not k n o w

what

c o m p r i s e s t h e last g r a i n o f p i g m e n t , w h e r e it w i l l g o . " 3 German

artist

Mario

Reis

makes

"nature watercolors" by placing cloth f r a m e d by in

flowing

water and allowing the mineral and

wood vegetal

c o m i n g years, be landscaped a n d t r a n s f o r m e d into a

s e d i m e n t t r a n s p o r t e d i n t h e w a t e r t o a c c u m u l a t e o n its

m o r e s u b s t a n t i a l c i t y p a r k w i t h a hill a t its c e n t e r . N e x t

s u r f a c e . W a t e r is t h e p a i n t b r u s h t h a t m o v e s a n d d i s p l a c e s

year perennials will replace t h e present plantings. T h u s

t h e s e d i m e n t a n d color o n these square canvases. R e i s

b e a u t i f i e d , G a n e m ' s site i n t e r v e n t i o n

d r a w s t h e s e c o n f i g u r a t i o n s o f silt, s a n d , a n d

changes

public

perception of garbage and waste dumps, not only for the

sediment

f r o m r i v e r s all o v e r N o r t h A m e r i c a , i n p l a c e s as v a r i e d

v o l u n t e e r s , b u t a l s o f o r v i s i t o r s a n d v i e w e r s f r o m t h e air.

as t h e Y u k o n , B r i t i s h

Le Jardin

H a m p s h i r e , N e v a d a , M i c h i g a n , Alaska, W y o m i n g ,

des Capteurs

i n t r o d u c e s t h e n o t i o n t h a t sites f o r

Columbia,

Idaho, Ohio,

New and

h u m a n waste, the detritus of o u r u r b a n c o n s u m e r soci-

Kansas. R e i s also e n a c t s s u c h w o r k s in M e x i c o , E u r o p e ,

ety, c a n b e r e c y c l e d a n d b e a u t i f i e d as sites.

Africa, and Japan. H e

A p p r o a c h i n g such initiatives f r o m aesthetic

and

design perspective, Belgian

artist

the Bob

V e r s c h u e r e n specializes in m a k i n g vegetal art o u t organic matter. His m o s t impressive w o r k s include

of the

Wind

Paintings,

w h i c h a r e n o t h i n g less t h a n s p e c t a c u l a r .

Wind

Paintings

c o m p r i s e lines o f n a t u r a l p i g m e n t that are

d i s p e r s e d b y w i n d a c t i o n . V e r s c h u e r e n lays v a r i o u s l y c o l o r e d p i g m e n t s in l i n e s a l o n g s t r e t c h e s o f s a n d . W i n d , a n i m a l s , r a i n , a n d s u n d o t h e r e s t . It w a s t h e u n p r e d i c t a b i l i t y o f t h e result that initially a t t r a c t e d V e r s c h u e r e n to this kind of art-making. T h e e x p e r i e n c e c a m e about after he quit traditional painting and f o u n d himself " n o

longer

c o n f r o n t e d by t h e limits o f this h o r r i b l e rectangle. T h e subject extended b e y o n d any traditional aesthetic f r a m e w o r k . A b a t t l e l o s t b e f o r e y o u s t a r t , o n e c o u l d say! O n e

finds each

one

t o b e as

con-

f o u n d i n g i n its v a r i e t y o f h u e s , s h a d e s , a n d t e x t u r e s as any old-fashioned artwork and m u c h

challeng-

m e n t is t h e c a n v a s . A r t i s t s a r e t h e c a t a l y s t s . T h e r e is n o subject

object. This

earth-sensitive

language

e x p r e s s i o n is t a c t i l e a n d p h y s i c a l a n d p l a y s v i s u a l l y w i t h v a r i o u s o r g a n i c a n d i n o r g a n i c e l e m e n t s i n a g i v e n site. The

e x p e r i e n c e is i n t e r a c t i v e a n d s t i m u l a t e s

creative

g r o w t h . As w e e n h a n c e o u r k n o w l e d g e o f nature's place i n o u r society, o u r c i v i l i z a t i o n , a n d o u r p e r s o n a l lives, w e b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d that o u r f u t u r e will inevitably on

our

ability

comprehend

and

depend

respect

nature's

p r o c e s s e s . R e c o g n i z i n g n a t u r e ' s e n d e m i c r o l e as s o u r c e and provider and concentrating community,

regional,

and global energies toward achieving a greater

harmony

w i t h n a t u r e is o n e w a y w e c a n a s s u r e s u s t a i n a b i l i t y f o r all ing. In C o l o r a d o , sluice m i n e

tailings c a r r i e d a l o n g a

mountain

creek give the canvas a rusty i r o n - o r e

hue,

while

clay basin in O k l a h o m a ' s

pro-

the

Red

River

d u c e s a r e d d i s h - t a n color. T o g e t h e r t h e y are a p o w e r f u l r e f l e c t i o n o n natural diversity.

W r i t e r and art critic John Grande is t h e author of Balance:Art and Nature ( 1 9 9 4 ) and Intertwining: Landscape,Technology, Issues,Artists (1998). H e is currently working o n a b o o k of interviews with environmental artists.

T h e g r o w t h o f an interactive

approach

to w o r k i n g with the e n v i r o n m e n t implies an acceptance o f o u r s e l v e s as m u c h

f o r m s o f life o n t h e e a r t h in t h e f u t u r e .

as n a t u r e . T h e s e

artists'

actions

carry a narrative on h u m a n history within their b u t t h e y c i r c u m v e n t artistic c o n v e n t i o n s ot

work,

reproduc-

Notes: 1. Valentin S c h a e f e r a n d L e a n n e

2. A a r o n N e l s o n - M o o d y , artist's

Paris, Songbirds in the

statement,Vancouver, 2000.

City:

A Celebration ( V a n c o u v e r : D o u g l a s College Centre for Environmental

3. B o b V e r s c h u e r e n i n t e r v i e w e d by

t i o n , c o n t a i n m e n t , a n d m i m e s i s . N a t u r e a n d a r t a r e less

Studies and U r b a n Ecology,

J o h n G r a n d e , Brussels, B e l g i u m ,

critically s e g r e g a t e d , life takes p r e c e d e n c e o v e r t h e art.

1999), 3 8 - 3 9 .

April 2 0 0 0 .

Links are established b e t w e e n

human

culture o f nature. W i t h each successive

culture and

the

experimentation

this n e w l a n g u a g e o f expression that involves r e s p e c t i n g our

place

nature

becomes

better

understood.

E l e m e n t s f r o m n a t u r e are the m e d i a a n d the

environ-

( a b o v e ) Mario Reis, nature watercolor,Yukon River,Alaska, 1994. ( b e l o w ) Bob Verschueren, Wind Painting, N i e u w p o o r t , Belgium, 1983. P h o t o s c o u r t e s y John G r a n d e

ON THE NATURE OF TRAILS A

MEANDER

Cathey Billian

open space to move in, with the whole

body, the whole

mind. —Gary

Snyder

I. D E P A R T U R E J K R T P R O J E C T S C R E A T E D F O R PATHS A N D TRAILS A R E CAPABLE O F T R I G G E R I N G O U R

IMAGINATION,

e v e n o f j o g g i n g o u r m e m o r i e s . A r i c h e r e x p e r i e n c e o f a p l a c e is o p e n e d u p f o r JL

J L us, a n d w e d i s c o v e r a c a p a c i t y f o r g r e a t e r s e n s o r y a w a r e n e s s w h e n w e

physi-

cally e x p e r i e n c e a trail t h a t artists h a v e m a d e t h e i r m a r k u p o n . W e m a y e v e n g a i n s o m e n e w p e r s p e c t i v e a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f a p l a c e , s i n c e h i s t o r y o f t e n s e r v e s as a f o u n d a t i o n f o r trail a r t . W e b e g i n t o v i e w e a c h w a l k as a u n i q u e t i m e - s p a c e p e r c e p t u a l e v e n t . A d i s t i n g u i s h i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e s e p r o j e c t s f o r p a t h s a n d trails is that they take advantage of a sequential, linear progression t h r o u g h a d y n a m i c

space

w h i l e e n c o u r a g i n g us t o l o o k b e y o n d t h e m a r g i n s o f w h a t w e already k n o w a n d take f o r g r a n t e d . T h e arts c a n e n c o u r a g e an ear f o r visual events, a w a t c h f u l eye o n a c o u s t i c sequences, or the t o u c h of a literary insight, translating and t r a n s f o r m i n g o u r

experi-

e n c e o f p l a c e . A r t i s t s a n d d e s i g n t e a m s a d d r e s s i n g t h e s e c h a l l e n g i n g sites f i n d t h e m s e l v e s at t h e i n t e r s e c t i o n o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n a n d a b r o a d r a n g e o f a e s t h e t i c c o n c e r n s . T r a i l a r t projects are o f t e n f u n c t i o n a l a m e n i t i e s b u t t h e y can, nevertheless, b e provocative, s o m e times ambiguotis, creative expressions. Ideas s p o k e n t h r o u g h i m a g e a n d s o u n d can c r e ate a perceptual lens that c o n n e c t s the public to a place, e x p a n d i n g their

initial

e n g a g e m e n t w i t h its g e o g r a p h i c q u a l i t i e s .

Artists

can bring the solitary

ticular ability—the

impulse

tion into a place. Those their subjects, uttering vocabularies, their own working few

the grammar

settings

principles.

You might

call it

together

and skill to share personal

trails. It is central

important

larger...

experience

who choose to work in nature

and the [artistic]

in natural

and communal

to creating at this fragile

One

experiences—changes often speak

of leaves, light, and natural

translators

of them,

in nature. Their

for our future

time have decided surely,

is that

they

situa-

in the language

rhythms.

that allow us to understand maps

par-

We need

these

Iww artists

mark

on this planet. to stake are part

Artists

their lives on a of

something

humility.

— S a r a l y n R e e c e Hardy, director. M u s e u m s a n d V i s u a l Arts, National E n d o w m e n t for the Arts, July 2 0 0 0 William Kentridge, Procession, t w e n t y - s i x figures cast in b r o n z e , 1999-2000. P h o t o by Jon A b b o t t , C o u r t e s y Marian G o o d m a n Gallery, N e w York

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

II. T H E R O A D W A Y

Todd

Bressi, e x e c u t i v e

editor

the

q u a r t e r l y j o u r n a l Places, s p e n t a y e a r i n A r i z o n a , e x p a n d i n g his t h i n k i n g a b o u t l i n e a r sites. I n " F r a m e w o r k Thinking

about

Scottsdale

Road"

lays

out

d i m e n s i o n s o f a l i n e a r site, a u s e f u l c o n s t r u c t w h e n

for the con-

s i d e r i n g t h e trail e x p e r i e n c e :

•

Longitudinal: shortest

The

distance

linear

experience,

the

between

beginning

and

end.

•

Lateral:

T h e zones that run outward

the center. These

from

i n c l u d e art, design,

directional e l e m e n t s in relation to t h e

and edge

C o n s t a n c e D e Jong, Speaking of the River, c o m m i s s i o n e d by Public Art D e v e l o p m e n t Trust (PADT), London, as part of t h e T h a m e s and H u d s o n Rivers Project, a collaboration b e t w e e n PADT and Minetta Brook,

of the road; the adjacent regional landscape;

N e w York City

m i n o r a n d m a j o r cross p a t h s a n d

P h o t o c o u r t e s y PADT, L o n d o n

rights-of-

way.

•

Vertical: defined regional

The by

path

moves

through

signage, design

and

elements,

landscape's enclosures and

is the

views

III. SIGNALS: Y I E L D

There

is more to life than increasing

( i n c l u d i n g t h e c l o s e d e t a i l s ) , a n d t h e sky.

•

Time:

its

—Mahatma

speed. Gandhi

" N o b o d y e x p e r i e n c e s t h e t r a i l all at

o n c e , " Bressi

explains. "It's

unfolding

sequence of experiences with properties

S u g g e s t e d i n t h e trail e x p e r i e n c e is t h e

p o s s i b i l i t y o f s t o p p i n g , a l t e r i n g , o r m a g n i f y i n g t i m e as

c o n t i n u i t i e s s e t a g a i n s t d i s t i n c t c o n t r a s t s . It

w e n o r m a l l y e x p e r i e n c e it. I n o u r e l e c t r o n i c , c o n s t i m e r -

has a visual c h a r a c t e r a n d spatial

quality:

d r i v e n e n v i r o n m e n t s , o u r f i x a t i o n 011 e f f i c i e n c y r e s u l t s i n

v i e w s evolve, first a p p e a r i n g in t h e d i r e c t i o n

d i m i n i s h e d s e n s o r y s t i m u l a t i o n . O u r inability t o set aside

w e are m o v i n g , t h e n r o t a t i n g a r o u n d

and

life's d a i l y p r e s s u r e s h a s c o s t u s u n i t y w i t h o t h e r l i v i n g

b e h i n d us, a n d , o f c o u r s e , o u r r a t e o f m o v e -

t h i n g s . Yet, f o r s o m e artists, t e c h n o l o g y can also o f f e r a

m e n t is s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e s . T h e r e is a l s o a

path b a c k inside.

l a r g e r scale o f t i m e to c o n s i d e r . D a i l y cycles:

Constance

Jong's

audio

work

as t h e s u n p a s s e s o v e r h e a d , q u a l i t i e s o f l i g h t

Speaking

a n d s h a d o w s h i f t . A n n u a l c y c l e s : as t h e y e a r

a l o n g t h e r i v e r s i d e w a l k w a y s at C a n a r y W h a r f o n

p a s s e s by, t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e l a n d s c a p e

R i v e r T h a m e s , L o n d o n , a n d at B a t t e r y P a r k C i t y o n t h e

change."

H u d s o n R i v e r in N e w York City. P r o x i m i t y sensors acti-

Finally, Bressi

suggests

look

at t h e

relationships

a m o n g t h i n g s , n o t j u s t at o n e p a r t i c u l a r e l e m e n t , a n d c o n s i d e r our incremental

sense of

wholeness.

of the River

is d e s i g n e d t o b e h e a r d o n b e n c h e s

vate t h e installation a n d offer t h e b e n c h sitter an u n e x pected encounter with memories, sounds, and

human

s t o r i e s . T h e i n s t a l l a t i o n is a l s o i n f l u e n c e d b y i n a d v e r t e n t w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s a n d activities in the

Jacques D ' A m b r o i s e , Appalachian Trail Dance.

the

surroundings.

T h e s e f a c t o r s all c o n t r i b u t e i n m a k i n g e a c h of

experience

teaching children from Harpers Ferry,W.Va., 1999.

of the work unique, a combination

ever-changing

P h o t o by Judy J e n n e r Appalachian Trail C o n f e r e n c e

outside elements and the chance encounter with particu l a r soLinds o f t h e a r t w o r k . 1

26 IV. B R I D G E S

T h e scientific and environmental

com-

m u n i t i e s r e c o g n i z e a u n i f i e d m o d e l o f n a t u r e : all e l e ments and inanimate matter vibrate, and every vibrating b o d y e m i t s a s o L i n d . T h e stLidy o f s o u n d , as t h e a n c i e n t s correctly intuited, provides a key to understanding

the

universe. Violin soloist a n d c o n d t i c t o r Anatole W i e c k notes, " C o m p o s e d s o u n d s that are selectively c o n d e n s e d c o n v e y a sense o f u n i t y t h a t also c o n v e y s e m o t i o n a l c o n -

tinuity f o r h u m a n s . T h e s e are in c o n t r a s t to

composi-

tions of intentionally c o m p e t i n g sounds, or s o m e

nature's r a n d o m sounds." Alaskan Amicus the

Journal/'

visual

poet John

Haines

writes

Art, poetry, m u s i c — t h e s o n g , t h e story,

attention

that

is f o c u s e d

and

clarified...

| t h r o u g h a r t ] c a n b e said t o c o n s t i t u t e a l a n g u a g e , a p a r t f r o m o r i n a d d i t i o n t o l a n g u a g e as w e n o r m a l l y t h i n k o f it.... I recalled s o m e t h i n g w r i t t e n by Wallace Stevens: i n the m o v e m e n t

of trees, I find m y o w n

agitation'

S o m e of our most c o m m o n expressions,.. .the 'roots' of words,.. . a ' f i e l d ' o f w o r k or t h o u g h t [points to] h o w o u r intelligence continues to be linked to...nature, and h o w i m p o r t a n t it is t h a t w e r e t u r n t o it w h e n p o s s i b l e , o r w h e n a c e r t a i n u r g e n c y is i n u s , i f o n l y t o a p a r k , a favorite tree, p o n d , or g a r d e n . " Margy O'Brien, Teach the Mind & Touch the Spirit, V. M A P P I N G

PLACE

interpretive panels, C o t t o n w o o d Springs Trail,

Artists can inspire passionate responses;

Elana Gallegos O p e n Space, Albuquerque, N. M. P h o t o c o u r t e s y Public A r t P r o g r a m , City of A l b u q u e r q u e

professional environmental interpreters, on the

other

h a n d , aim to e n h a n c e the visitor e x p e r i e n c e w h i l e p r o t e c t i n g o u r public lands.

the job,

interact Is it possible Certainly,

to point

trail can make

places. The

past a waterfall

can frame favorite

leading

peoof the

views.

Trails

direct

in the forest

where the mist bathes can brush

the hiker. legs,

can lead people

of "prospect/refuge"

hiker is safe and hidden, the

Maybe.

exact placement

a huge boulder

managed, ferns

situation

art?

all the difference. A trail can

to encounter

sensitively

with

trails can do this by literally

ple to beautiful

people

to nature

that the

yet can see over and

with

standing

experiences.

help.

Messages

gained

daily

effectively

Service

to enhance

and providing

and

interpreters their

resources, encouraging

in infinite

artist's

for

meaningful

eye and

experiences

ways.

Doing

requires our combined

undercare for

talents

can

are given

and

so properly

and

best

efforts.

— P a u l Haertel, superintendant of Acadia National Park, Maine, August 2000.

about

landscape.

visitors

Park

of the park's

these special places visitor

branches

where

National

Studies s h o w that successful interpretat i o n o f l a n d s set aside f o r p u b l i c r e c r e a t i o n d e p e n d s

— J u l i e Isbill, N a t i o n a l P a r k S e r v i c e R i v e r s

e s t a b l i s h i n g a r e l a t i o n s h i p f o r p e o p l e b e t w e e n w h a t is

a n d T r a i l s D i v i s i o n ,1 M a i n e , ' A u gou s t 2 0 0 0

f a m i l i a r a n d w h a t is n e w a n d u n i q u e . T h e r e a r e r e c i p r o cal a s p e c t s t o t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p . F a m i l i a r o b j e c t s n e e d seem n e w e n o u g h to spark interest, but n e w

Sylvia Benitez, Beneath the Bark, Under Leaf and Log. W a v e Hall, Bronx, N.Y., 2 0 0 0 . ( S e e page 4 7 for m o r e information) P h o t o c o u r t e s y W a v e Hill

must be familiar e n o u g h to allow a context for u n d e r s t a n d i n g . T h e arts c a n p r o v i d e fresh a n d

objects their

valuable

vantage points by creating interpretive vehicles that fulfill t h e s e g o a l s . A s a n a t u r a l s o u r c e o f i n s p i r a t i o n , t h e y awaken n e w perceptions.2

Artists

reveal

about nature stuff

I didn't

What humor,

they

mysteries.

They've

taught

than any science book, know make

was out

or be touching,

to an unsuspecting

communicating

there

you see is a gift

or personality,

when played

to be that

learned. will

and it's

have best

audience.

—Julie Courtney, independent

curator,

Philadelphia, J u n e 2000.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

( a b o v e ) Trail ammenities.Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Tucson, Ariz., 1993. Photos by Steve Elkinton, National Park Service

this p r o j e c t a t o o l i n s e r v i c e t o t h e c o m m u n i t y . T h e first s t e p is t o l o o k a t h o w t h i s p r o g r a m c a n b e a r e s o u r c e f o r t h e c o m m u n i t y , h o w it c a n b e u s e d t o t e a c h its c h i l d r e n

VI. N E W T E R R I T O R I E S

The White

House's

National

Millen-

n i u m Trails initiative seeks to r e c o g n i z e physical

"By

trails

providing

modest

economic

a n d t h e m a t i c a l l y l i n k e d sites t h a t i n t e r p r e t history, p r e -

i n v e s t m e n t f o r e a c h m i l l e n n i u m l e g a c y t r a i l , t h e NASAA,

serve o p e n spaces, a n d e n h a n c e recreation a n d

t h e NEA, t h e t r a i l c o m m u n i t i e s , a n d a r t a g e n c i e s

tourism.

can

B y f o c u s i n g o n t h e c u l t u r a l a n d h i s t o r i c a l v a l u e s o f trails,

w o r k t o g e t h e r t o create a vision f o r this p u b l i c space that

t h i s i n i t i a t i v e reinterprets

is e x p r e s s e d i n w o r k s

the nature

of trails.

Arts

Projects

of art a n d acts o f

community.

commu-

T h e s e test b e d s f o r ideas a n d p a r t n e r s h i p s in t h e arts a n d

n i t y - c e n t e r e d a r t as a n e s s e n t i a l c o m p o n e n t o f t h e s e d e s -

trails c a n b e e x p r e s s e d i n m a n y w a y s : f r o m e d u c a t i n g t h e

ignated state m i l l e n n i u m

partnering

p u b l i c a b o u t trail safety a n d usage, t o r e c y c l i n g b i l l b o a r d s

National

as i n t e r p r e t i v e o r v i s u a l a r t p i e c e s , o r p r o v i d i n g i n n o v a -

o n M i l l e n n i u m Trails s u p p o r t s t h e c r e a t i o n o f

l e g a c y trails. T h e

agencies of the p r o g r a m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e

NEA a n d t h e

A s s e m b l y of State Arts A g e n c i e s (NASAA)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;state that t h e

tive i n t e r p r e t a t i v e p r o g r a m s . In t h e e n d , such

i n t e n t i o n is t o " t o c r e a t e a h i g h q u a l i t y a r t s p r o j e c t f o r

will m a k e visible w h a t these places m e a n to their

com-

e a c h s t a t e m i l l e n n i u m l e g a c y t r a i l t h a t is s e n s i t i v e t o t h e

m u n i t i e s , a n d t h e y w i l l tell s t o r i e s o f w h o

gone

physical e n v i r o n m e n t a n d reflects t h e local culture, his-

b e f o r e a n d w h o lives t h e r e n o w . "

tory, and 28

a n d m a k e it a b e t t e r p l a c e t o l i v e .

unique

other

characteristics

that

define

the

There

trail's

are

diverse

projects

has

opportunities

for

artists' e x p r e s s i o n s o n trails. T h e J u a n B a u t i s t a d e A n z a

identity." According to K i m b e r Craine,

commu-

n i c a t i o n s m a n a g e r o f t h e NASAA, t h e t r u e n a t u r e o f t h e

National

H i s t o r i c T r a i l is a N a t i o n a l

M i l l e n n i u m Trail

w i t h significant art projects in T u c s o n a n d Los Angeles.

M i l l e n n i u m T r a i l s p r o j e c t s is " d e f i n e d n o t b y t h e i r p h y s -

O t h e r projects range f r o m interpretations of an

ical c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a l o n e , b u t b y t h e i r e x p r e s s i o n o f a

industrial landscape in the R i v e r s of Steel H e r i t a g e Area

c o m m u n i t y ' s sense of p l a c e , . . . e m b r a c i n g b o t h

in southwestern Pennsylvania, to a restoration of a rural

program

objectives and quality p r o d u c t goals that evolve

from

landscape

at t h e

t h e m . T h i s is t h e v i s i o n , b u t t h e r e a l i t y is t h a t t h e m i l l e n -

Oregon. One

n i u m trails a n d t h e c u l t u r a l c o m m u n i t y together to discover their c o m m o n

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

Historic

Columbia

River

catalyst for Arts Projects o n

urban

Gorge

Millennium

have to

come

Trails has b e e n G r e a t Britain's o n g o i n g SUSTRANS p r o j -

ground and

make

ect, a five-thousand-mile, n a t i o n w i d e bicycle

network

w i t h public art i n t e n d e d to b e w o v e n into the fabric o f

( a b o v e ) View f r o m R o w e n a C r e s t , C o l u m b i a River Highway,

e v e r y m i l e . M u c h o f t h i s n e t w o r k is c o m p r i s e d o f r a i l -

Historic C o l u m b i a River G o r g e , O r e g o n , c. 1910.

road beds and

canal towpaths

now

in disuse in

the

postindustrial U n i t e d K i n g d o m . Art projects range trom

P h o t o c o u r t e s y O r e g o n D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , ÂŠ by G r o s s / D i m m i t t ( b e l o w ) G o r d o n Young, Gaius Sentius Drinking Fountain, Bristol t o Bath

folk art created o u t o f recycled industrial materials, to

Railway Path, R o u t e 4 0 3 of t h e SUSTRANS National C y c l e N e t w o r k , U.K.

earthworks by A n d y Goldsworthy, to d r i n k i n g fountains

P h o t o by Julia Bayne

and

other

amenities

that

which people may meet.

create

focal points

around

Jill M a n t o n , d i r e c t o r o f t h e S a n cisco Arts C o m m i s s i o n , describes the evocative

Fran-

Embar-

cadero Historic and Interpretive Signage Project, w h i c h " c a t a l y z e s , at least f o r s o m e v i e w e r s , v i v i d i m a g e s

and

t h o u g h t s o f e v e n t s a n d eras l o n g p a s t . . . . T h e K i n g S t r e e t segment of the project includes candid and

disturbing

stories about the interface of San Francisco's

Native

American population with the Spanish missionaries the

latter

part

enamel pylons

of the

eighteenth

century.

are covered w i t h poetry,

photographs,

drawings, and these testimonies, while bronze illustrate

the substantial variety

Porcelain

of plant

and

plaques animal

wildlife that o n c e proliferated in this a r e a . T o g e t h e r , t h e y deepen

the

Commissioned

links

between

concurrently

past with

and

the

present.

Embarcadero

Historic and Interpretive Signage Project, the

Embar-

c a d e r o P r o m e n a d e R i b b o n P r o j e c t is a f i v e - f o o t b a n d o f light w h i c h spans t w o miles of t h e bayside

promenade.

A t n i g h t , t h e i l l u m i n a t e d glass b l o c k s p r o v i d e a n a l l u r i n g p a t h at t h e w a t e r ' s e d g e . " " W h i l e m a n y artists h a v e a c c e p t e d c h a l l e n g e o f i n t e g r a t i n g t h e arts i n t o t h e e x p e r i e n c e

the of

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

VII. NODES

Permanent necessarily

Ephemeral

events with

appropriate

fitting. J i m

Anderson

public to

all

paths

a set d u r a t i o n

Baker,

Ranch

projects

Art

executive

Center

may and

are

not trails.

sometimes

director

Snowmass

the

Village,

Colorado, near Aspen, describes such w o r k there: " S o m e artist-faculty m e m b e r s

have offered what

I might

call

p e r f o r m a n c e in the landscape rather t h a n w h a t w e think o f as p u b l i c a r t . T h e

work

c r e a t e d is n a r r a t i v e

rather

t h a n o b j e c t s . T h e d i s c o u r s e g o i n g o n b e t w e e n artists a n d n a t u r e [at t h e r a n c h ] t a k e s m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l a n d

nontra-

d i t i o n a l f o r m s . M o r e i m p o r t a n t l y , s o m e o f it is q u i t e p r i vate [personal] and n o t m e a n t for public

consumption,

even w h e n d o n e in p u b l i c spaces." F o r a r t i s t s , it is i m p o r t a n t and

reconsider

and

uncover

this

new

controversies

public

consider

versris

private

w a y s t o a d d r e s s it w i t h o u t

that

realm. Artistic

notion

continually

metaphors

for

erupt

integration

creating

the

public

have

scien-

tific parallels a n d f o r m p o w e r f u l tools f o r i n s p i r i n g enhanced,

passionate

ment—and

separation

with

human

ethic

for

unity

Michael Manwaring and N a n c y Leigh O l m s t e d ,

and

Embarcadero Historic and Interpretive Signage Project, detail

acoustic, a n d tactile

its

with

the

environ-

preservation.

Replacing

dissolving

boundaries

means

creating a re-union

San Francisco, Calif., 1996.

bond

of the w h o l e

through

visual,

means.

Artists

have

the

opportunity

help

P h o t o c o u r t e s y San Francisco A r t s C o m m i s s i o n

restore

and

deepen

our

sense

of balance, perhaps

conveying their process of discovery n a t u r a l a n d h i s t o r i c resorirces a l o n g a trail, federal ernment together

agencies to add

have

only

occasionally

artistic vision

to the

experience

n a t u r e , " says A n t h o n y T i g h e , i n t e r g o v e r n m e n t a l specialist

with

NEA

had

has

the

Federal Partnerships

partnerships

with

A g r i c u l t u r e ' s Soil C o n s e r v a t i o n Service,

and

with

the

Conservation

affairs

Office. " T h e

Department

Service and the

Interior's

Mining and the National and

the

gov-

worked

Office

Forest

awe

realm, f r o m

the

trail

teacher may

for the micro

that

has

form

intervals, art a n d

the

been

allow m a n y

tion. T h r o u g h

path to the

morphologies to

interpreted

materials,

can

natural

take

to locate u n t a p p e d

and

nature

of the

macro: to

walk artist-

imagina-

atmosphere

help us f o r g e a

their

and

resonant

spirit.

Surface

Park Service's R i v e r s , Trails

Assistance

continLious

along with

Branch. These

projects

Cathey Billian is an artist, professor, and director of Wild America, a college and professional program of arts, trails, and national park projects.

i n c l u d e p u b l i c a r t o n trails, e d u c a t i o n p r o j e c t s u s i n g t h e

She is also artistic director of Knowing Limits. Her s o l o exhibition,

arts

Habits: Of Limbs and Light, will be in N e w York's Central Park in April 2001.

along

trails

and

schools, and

many

natural-

r e s o u r c e - b a s e d arts p r o j e c t s . W e ' v e e v e n f u n d e d a

new

play a b o u t p u b l i c l a n d use issues in t h e W e s t , a n d , w i t h the Land

endorsement

and

Management's

cooperation

of the

Btireau

National Wild

Horse

and

Program, a photographic

exhibition

about

the

Burro raus-

Notes: 1. A CD-ROM o f this p r o j e c t is

C a t h e y Billian and U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e

available f o r £ 1 0 o r $ 1 5 f r o m t h e

Arts, Philadelphia, 1995.

Public Art D e v e l o p m e n t Trust

t a n g s . " Y e t T i g h e still b e l i e v e s , " F e d e r a l a g e n c i e s n e e d t o

( w w w . p a d t . o r g . u k ) or Minetta

3. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n these

d o m o r e t o b r i n g t h e artist's eyes t o n a t u r e , a n d

Brook (www.minettabrook.org).

projects, visit w w w . m i l l e n n i u m -

t h e arts t o t h e tens o f t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

overlook."

trails, org, w w w . n p s . g o v / j u b a / ,

who—every

s i n g l e d a y — w a l k , r u n , a n d c l i m b a l o n g trails o r j u s t p a u s e f o r a m o m e n t at a n

bring

even

2. E x c e r p t , " B e y o n d

www.riversofsteel.com/ros.html,

M a r g i n s / P r o c e s s and J o u r n e y —

vvww2.cr.nps.gov/hli/currents/

I n t e r p r e t a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e Arts,"

Columbia, a n d s u s t r a n s . o r g . u k .

PROJECT

FLYING BUTTRESSES AND STAIRWAYS TO THE SKY S U R R E A L I S M IN THE M E X I C A N JUNGLE

( b e l o w l e f t ) Location of Xilitla

R e v i e w e d by V i c t o r i a M a t t h e w

( b e l o w r i g h t ) The House With Three Stories That Might be Five.

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

P h o t o by Victoria M a t t h e w

borrow

H i g h i n M e x i c o ' s S i e r r a M a d r e M o u n t a i n s lies X i l i t l a ,

his

car; J a m e s

gave

him

and

bought

t h e q u i e t hill t o w n i n S a n L u i s P o t o s i t h a t w a s f o r m a n y

a n o t h e r . ) B y t h e s a m e t o k e n , his n a i v e g e n e r o s i t y

pro-

years the h o m e o f British e c c e n t r i c E d w a r d James, a n d

pelled h i m into a world of paranoid distrust. H e

gar-

h o s t t o Las P o z a s , h i s s u r r e a l c o n c r e t e c a s t l e .

n e r e d a g r a n d a n d n o t u n j u s t i f i e d r e p e r t o i r e o f tales o f b e i n g c h e a t e d a n d ill u s e d . A F r e n c h c o m p o s e r ' s

L o c a t e d in t h e g e o g r a p h i c c e n t e r o f M e x i c o , San P o t o s i is a n i n d u s t r i a l s t a t e , a m i n i n g a n d

Luis

o n c e n o t e d in h e r d i a r y , " E d w a r d J a m e s h a s a r r i v e d w i t h

agricultural

his R o l l s - R o y c e , his D u e s e n b e r g a n d let us h o p e , his

d i s t r i b u t i o n center. F r o m C u e r n a v a c a , San Luis Potosi, E d w a r d J a m e s , p o e t , arts p a t r o n , a n d architect,

first

wife

checkbook."

set

o u t in search o f a beautiful a n d secluded locale to culti-

H i s a t t e m p t s t o e s t a b l i s h h i m s e l f as a p o e t w e r e s i m i l a r l y

vate his b e l o v e d o r c h i d s .

b a r r e d b y h i s w e a l t h . H i s first t w o b o o k s w e r e s e l f - p u b l i s h e d t o m i x e d r e v i e w s , b u t h i s t h i r d , The

In 1 9 4 7 , J a m e s r e c r u i t e d t h e y o u n g P l u t a r c o

Gastelum,

Hand,

d e p u t y m a n a g e r o f t h e t e l e g r a p h s e r v i c e at C u e r n a v a c a , as h i s t r a v e l i n g c o m p a n i o n , a n d d a i l y G a s t e l u m

accom-

p a n i e d J a m e s o n his q u e s t . O n e day J a m e s traveled a l o n e and spent the night in the j u n g l e outside Xilitla.

scathing

review

Stephen

Spender

the

Statesman:

" M r . E d w a r d J a m e s o w n s great w e a l t h , several

houses, a Rolls Royce, a yacht. H e seems to think

New that

h e c a n a l s o b u y h i m s e l f r e p u t a t i o n as a p o e t . " J a m e s d i d

w o k e in t h e m o r n i n g t o w h a t s o u n d e d like local w o m e n w a s h i n g t h e i r h a i r in t h e n e a r b y river. H e o p e n e d

Bones

p u b l i s h e d b y O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y Press, r e c e i v e d a

n o t publish again.

his

eyes to discover n o t w o m e n , b u t parrots that h a d l e a r n e d

S i n c e his a t t e m p t s to e n t e r t h e creative s p h e r e b y

to emulate

traditional r o u t e had failed, J a m e s t o o k solace in surreal-

enchanted

women's and

voices. James

decided

was

purchase

immediately

two

the

thousand V\

h e c t a r e s o f this s t e e p j u n g l e l a n d . S i n c e a l a w at t h a t t i m e p r e v e n t e d f o r e i g n e r s f r o m o w n i n g l a n d in M e x i c o , J a m e s had Gastelum

purchase the land on

his behalf;

he'd

k n o w n G a s t e l u m f o r less t h a n a y e a r . S u c h g e n e r o u s a n d trusting b e h a v i o r was far t r o m atypical f o r J a m e s . B o r n i n

1907, in C h i c h e s t e r ,

England,

James was a descendent of the m i n i n g wealth of the Phelps D o d g e family a n d a close relation o f Britain's E d w a r d II. H i s w a s a l u x u r i o u s a n d p r i v i l e g e d

upbring-

i n g , o n e t h a t a f f o r d e d h i m t i m e t o i n d u l g e his i n t e r e s t s in a r t , l i t e r a t u r e , a n d p o e t r y , a n d b e s t o w g e n e r o u s g i f t s

:'.'

Jt '

o n his a c q u a i n t a n c e s . (A f r i e n d at O x f o r d o n c e a s k e d t o

CDDTL

I-\IC$NTWN

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

( b e l o w ) Entrance t o Los Pozas. P h o t o by Peter Muller

ism, a school that d e c r i e d rationalism a n d logic in favor

t o r e b u i l d his f l o w e r s i n i m p e r i s h a b l e

o f fantasy, superstition, a n d the u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d . A

r e s u l t w a s Las P o z a s , a t a b l e a u

l e a d i n g p a t r o n o f t h e surrealists in t h e 1930s, J a m e s also

constructions.

concrete. T h e

of thirty-six

concrete

a p p r o a c h e d s u r r e a l i s m as a n a r t i s t . It w a s a n a t u r a l p r o gression f o r J a m e s , w h o ' d b e e n f o r c e d t o s p e n d so m u c h o f h i s s i c k l y c h i l d h o o d i n b e d t h a t , as h e t o l d o n e i n t e r viewer, h e " . . . w a s c o m p e l l e d to invent fantasies just to

A dusty f o u r - k i l o m e t e r h i k e f r o m Xilitla leads t h e c u r i o u s t o t h e e n t r a n c e o f Las P o z a s . T h e r e , J a m e s s t a t i o n e d twenty-foot cobalt serpents and thirty-foot

concrete

t o a d s t o o l s t o w e l c o m e visitors t o his s u r r e a l w o r l d . A

avoid going mad."

c o b b l e d p a t h past these strange sentries a n d H e c o n v e r t e d his f a m i l y h o m e in West D e a n , E n g l a n d ,

rustling p a l m f r o n d s leads to t h e series o f n i n e

into the

pozas

first

surrealist a b o d e , c o m p l e t e w i t h a pair

sofas in t h e s h a p e o f M a e West's lips ( S a l v a d o r

through shaded

(pools) that are t h e n a m e s a k e o f James's paradise.

Dali's

design) a n d a Paul T c h e l i t c h e w - i n f l u e n c e d blue and yel-

Built o n a river, each p o o l

l o w study. H o w e v e r , even t h e m a n t l e o f surrealism c o u l d

n e x t , a n d t h e w a t e r flows refreshingly clean against t h e

musically pours into

the

n o t s h e l t e r J a m e s f r o m p r y i n g , critical eyes a n d o b j e c t i n g

n o w m o s s y sides. D u r i n g t h e 1 9 7 0 s a n d 1980s t h e p o o l s

builders and architects.

w e r e a f a v o r i t e g a t h e r i n g p l a c e f o r l o c a l s ; i n d e e d it w a s local f e r v o r t h a t led t o t h e Las P o z a s n a m e . T o d a y

Xilitla, M e x i c o , was t h e perfect antidote. B o u n d e d the

Sierra

Madres

and

situated

approximately

three

pools c o n t i n u e to provide a cooling dip for the

the

warm

and weary.

t h o u s a n d f e e t a b o v e sea l e v e l , X i l i t l a o f f e r e d J a m e s b o t h the privacy he craved and the perfect climate for prop-

W i l d birds of paradise and bougainvillea s u r r o u n d

agating the orchids in w h i c h h e h a d d e v e l o p e d a k e e n

m a n y pens and cages that animal lover James built for

interest. In 1962, w h e n a freak frost killed t h o u s a n d s o f

flamingo,

t h e o r c h i d s J a m e s h a d so vigilantly cultivated, h e v o w e d

with oversized

ocelot, and deer. Crossing a bridge fleurs-de-lis,

the

adorned

o n e enters a plaza w h e r e a

O n e of Las Pozas's nine pools. P h o t o by Peter Muller

m u l t i c o l o r e d , s i x - f o o t lotus a s s u m e s c e n t e r stage. F r o m there

steps

lead

House

With

Three

into

Stories

the

That

spatial Might

illusion

f o o t c l i m b t o its r o o f p r o v i d e s a v i e w

Five.

of A

the

sixty-

o f this

grand,

T h e r e ' s a t a n k s h a p e d like an eye, a n d a h o u s e

roofed

concrete

quite

montage.

incongruously

pillars t o p p e d precariously

with thin

with

a concrete

bulbous

curtains

whale.

Majestic

flowers stand

constructed

alongside

individual

p i e c e s o f c o n c r e t e b a m b o o . E s c h e r - l i k e staircases c r e e p upwards and outwards: s o m e lead to the jungle's g r e e n and others h a n g in midair, gravity.

Grand

buttresses

flouting

support

whilst their neighbors seem

dense

the effects of

weathered

walls,

t o fly, a m b i t i o u s l y

reach-

ing for the firmament. M u c h o f Las P o z a s a p p e a r s v e n e r a b l y o l d , r i s i n g t o t h e sky

its c r u m b l i n g ,

unadorned

gray. O t h e r

areas,

f o r m e d in colors reminiscent of Joan M i r o , intersperse t h e gray, like t h e b i r d s o f p a r a d i s e a n d t h e t r o p i c a l b u t terflies that circle t h e m , s p e c k l i n g t h e foliage. T h e

exposed

intense

reinforcing rods and

store packed w i t h w o o d e n molds c o m p l e t e the a

rambling

inspired With in

concrete

castle

awaiting

green

the

form image:

James's

addition.

G a s t e l u m as f o r e m a n , J a m e s b e g a n

the

1960s. H e

Xilitla, w h e r e

made

daily trips to

h e lived w i t h

the

construction t h e site

Gastelum

family

the h o m e he purchased for t h e m . Always the he periodically

disappeared

to E u r o p e

from

and

traveler, America,

o n l y to r e t u r n refreshed a n d b u r s t i n g w i t h ideas scribbled o n scrap paper. O v e r t h e years h e e m p l o y e d to

forty

sketches

local

workers, w h o

into the w o o d e n

tasies i n t o d r e a m l i k e The

deftly

translated

molds, converting

these

his

fan-

w o r k i n g to establish a t a x - e x e m p t f o u n d a t i o n for t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f Las Pozas.

realities.

1 9 8 0 s r o l l e d a r o u n d , a n d J a m e s g r e w t i r e d o f Las

P o z a s , as h e ' d g r o w n t i r e d o f l i f e i n E n g l a n d i n t h e 1 9 3 0 s a n d C a l i f o r n i a in t h e 1 9 6 0 s . Las P o z a s w a s i n c o m p l e t e ; James never lived there. H e

p u b l i c a t t e n t i o n . N o w a c t i n g as K a c o ' s a g e n t , D a n z i g e r is

abandoned returned

E u r o p e a n d in 1984 died f o l l o w i n g a serious stroke; h e was 77. Gastelum automatically inherited the property,

M e a n w h i l e the c o n c r e t e crumbles, the seasonal

e n s h r o u d s . A n d y e t i n its a b a n d o n m e n t t h e r e is a n h o n est b e a u t y t h a t c o m m u n i c a t e s s o m e t h i n g o f t h e e s s e n c e o f J a m e s as b e d r i d d e n , f a n t a s y - s w a t h e d c h i l d , a s e n d -

1 9 9 2 , Las P o z a s w e n t t o his e l d e s t s o n , K a c o .

after the storm monument,

b u t h i d d e n h i g h i n t h e S i e r r a M a d r e s it h a s f a i l e d t o g e t t h e r e c o g n i t i o n it n e e d s a n d d e s e r v e s . A v e r y D a n z i g e r , a n

from

house grows

like a chambered

opens a larger

my intenser

childhood's

nautilus;

room sleeping

where curled, my head to chest, I felt

place the grace

of the first need to grow.

A m e r i c a n c i n e m a t o g r a p h e r , has g o n e s o m e way to p r o -

Victoria Matthew has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle

v i d i n g t h e s o l u t i o n . H i s d o c u m e n t a r y , Edward

East, Australia, India, and Central America. She's a freelance writer, radio

Builder

of Dreams

James:

(1995), brings James's private vision to

m e n t e c h o e d in James's p o e m , " T h e S h e l l " :

b u t n o t t h e f u n d s t o p r e s e r v e it. W h e n G a s t e l u m d i e d i n

Las P o z a s o u g h t t o b e a M e x i c a n n a t i o n a l

rains

rust t h e e x p o s e d r e i n f o r c i n g rods, a n d t h e hardy j u n g l e

personality, and W e b designer.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

THE FANTASTIC JOURNEY R e v i e w e d by N a n c y Silverman •

•

( b e l o w ) Sisyphus pushing diagrams,

•

47th Street crosspassage, 1999. P h o t o courtesy Ellen Driscoll

D u e to t h e r e n o v a t i o n of N e w York City's G r a n d C e n t r a l

f r o m five c o n t i n e n t s a n d m a n y c u l t u r e s . In m o s t o f t h e s e ,

T e r m i n a l , c o m m u t e r s n o w have m u c h a w a i t e d street access to

D r i s c o l l c o m b i n e s a b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e digitized p h o t o g r a p h o f

t h e tracks a n d m a i n t e r m i n a l o n G r a n d C e n t r a l ' s n o r t h e d g e .

a c o n t e m p o r a r y representative o f t h e c u l t u r e w i t h a b o r d e r o f

O n e travels d o w n a f l i g h t o f stairs t o r e a c h G r a n d C e n t r a l

c o l o r e d tiles, b r o n z e relief, o r glass blocks. T h e p h o t o g r a p h s

T e r m i n a l N o r t h , a series o f linkages t o t h e m a i n t e r m i n a l a n d

d e p i c t arrested m o t i o n , a n i n d e x , a trace to t h e real. T h e lay-

t h e n o r t h e r n e n d o f M e t r o - N o r t h t r a i n tracks. T h e floors are

o u t , t h e colors, and t h e i m a g e c o m e t o g e t h e r t o f o r m a r e p r e -

p o l i s h e d , t h e ceilings are low, a n d t h e hallways are l o n g . T h e s e

s e n t a t i o n o f a narrative.

are t u n n e l s , passageways. T h e y serve t h e m o s t i n s t r u m e n t a l o f p u r p o s e s : p r o v i d i n g an effective m e a n s o f g e t t i n g p e o p l e b a c k a n d f o r t h b e t w e e n N e w York C i t y a n d t h e s u b u r b s . A n d yet a l o n g t h e walls o f t h r e e o f t h e s e passageways ( F o r t y - F i f t h , F o r t y - S e v e n t h , a n d F o r t y - E i g h t h Streets) a n d o n e escalator wall (in t h e F o r t y - S e v e n t h Street passage) awaits an e x p e r i ence beyond the merely instrumental.

A n u m b e r o f didactics f o r t h e w o r k are p r o v i d e d . D r i s c o l l , w i t h h e l p f r o m t h e n R h o d e Island S c h o o l o f D e s i g n s t u d e n t Susan H o l l a n d , did extensive research w h i l e w r i t i n g t h e m that i n c l u d e d e n g a g i n g e x p e r t s f r o m v a r i o u s cultural institutions, such as t h e M u s e u m o f A f r i c a n A r t in N e w York, to c o l l a b o rate in a n s w e r i n g w h a t Driscoll calls "live cultural q u e s t i o n s . " For e x a m p l e , Driscoll w a n t e d to u n d e r s t a n d t h e m e a n i n g s o f

" I t h u m a n i z e s t h e p l a c e , " said a c o m m u t e r in r e f e r e n c e t o

images to a standing culture, to m a k e sure that w h a t she

E l l e n DriscolTs As Above,

So Below ( 1 9 9 3 - 1 9 9 9 ) . T h i s nearly

d e p i c t e d was n o t sacred. T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t d i d a c t i c is an

seven-year, $ 5 5 0 , 0 0 0 , M e t r o p o l i t a n T r a n s p o r t a t i o n A u t h o r i t y

i n n o v a t i v e wall t e x t b e s i d e each mosaic. A c c o m p a n y i n g each

(MTA), Arts f o r Transit p r o j e c t consists o f t h i r t e e n m o s a i c p a n -

m o s a i c is a r o u n d b r o n z e relief, t h e size o f a ship's p o r t h o l e ,

els a n d affiliated glass b l o c k s that d e p i c t stories a b o u t t h e n i g h t

n a m i n g t h e c u l t u r e , m a p p i n g t h e l o c a t i o n , and n a r r a t i n g t h e

sky f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . T h e a r t w o r k t r a n s p o r t s t h e t r a v -

illustration. In a d d i t i o n , an e x c e l l e n t f u l l - c o l o r b r o c h u r e o f t h e

eler f r o m t h e m o s t m u n d a n e o f e x c u r s i o n s , t h e c o m m u t e , t o a

w o r k is available in i n f o r m a t i o n c e n t e r s a n d station masters'

fantastic j o u r n e y t h r o u g h c o s m o l o g i c a l narratives o f p e o p l e s

offices t h r o u g h o u t G r a n d C e n t r a l T e r m i n a l . Driscoll a n d h e r

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

( b e l o w ) Celtic sunwheel,

( b e l o w ) Egyptian goddness N o u t ,

47th Street crosspassage, 1999.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Ellen Driscoll

g r o u n d level t e r m i n a l , "as a b o v e , " w h i l e D r i s c o l l ' s m o s a i c s a d h e r e t o t h e walls o f passageways o n e a n d t w o levels b e l o w g r o u n d , " s o b e l o w . " F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e title a n d t h e a r t w o r k itself explicates t h e c o n c e p t t h a t all c u l t u r e s link c o s m o l o g y a n d e v e r y d a y life. M a n y o f t h e mosaics relate to o t h e r s t h r o u g h b o t h c o n c e p t u a l a n d visual r e p e t i t i o n . F o r e x a m p l e , in t h e F o r t y - S e v e n t h S t r e e t crosspassage o f t h e

N o r t h Terminal, Driscoll

depicts

a n c i e n t C e l t i c c o s m o l o g i c a l t h e o r y : t h e solar g o d m a n i p u l a t e s a s p o k e d w h e e l that carries t h e sun across t h e sky f r o m day t o n i g h t . T h e i m a g e across t h e o v e r h e a d space is o f a g i a n t c h a r i o t w h e e l w i t h b l a z i n g spokes. Barely n o t i c e a b l e b e h i n d is a m a n h o l d i n g t h e w h e e l at w h a t w o u l d b e s t b e called n i n e o ' c l o c k . J u s t b e l o w this b r i l l i a n t w h e e l , i n t e r s e c t i n g at t h e l o w e s t r i m , is a b l u r r e d t r a i n o n a c i r c u l a r p a t h (an i m a g e r e p r o d u c e d o n several o f t h e mosaics). I n t e r s p e r s e d are stars o f v a r i o u s sizes. T h e m o s a i c is b o r d e r e d o n its vertical sides b y s w i r l i n g designs set in b r o n z e . A n o t h e r o f t h e m o s a i c s relays an E g y p t i a n narrative. It s h o w s t w o identical w o m e n s t a n d i n g b a c k t o b a c k , w i t h t h e b l u r r e d m o t i o n o f balls o f light passing b e t w e e n t h e m as in a g a m e o f c a t c h . T h e s e balls o f light r e s e m b l e t h e c h a r i o t w h e e l o f t h e Celtic mosaic; b o t h stories are told t h r o u g h t h e i m a g e of rotating, glowing

orbs. T h e

cosmological

theory

the

E g y p t i a n s , a c c o r d i n g t o D r i s c o l l , is based o n an a n t h r o p o m o r p h i c v e r s i o n o f t h e n i g h t sky: t h e n i g h t sky is t h e g o d d e s s N o u t , w h o t h r o u g h h e r o w n b o d y a n d t h e act o f e a t i n g a n d e x c r e t i n g t h e s u n , p r o d u c e s t h e c y c l e o f n i g h t a n d day. T h e central p h o t o g r a p h is b o r d e r e d o n its vertical sides by a r e d e d g e that acts as a c o l o r r e f e r e n c e t o a n o t h e r m o s a i c n a r r a t i v e that

includes

the

act o t e a t i n g : t h e

Greek

narrative

P e r s e p h o n e a n d t h e p o m e g r a n a t e . O t h e r mosaics r e c o u n t c o s h u s b a n d , p o e t T o m Sleigh, p r o v i d e d t h e b o i l e r p l a t e f o r t h e b r o c h u r e ; MTA e d i t o r J o e S c h i c k w r o t e t h e actual t e x t (based o n Driscoll's extensive research) for b o t h didactics. A n d e a c h , w r i t t e n w i t h r e m a r k a b l e pithiness, p r o v i d e s t h e t e x t u a l f o r m o f t h e narrative. T h e title o f t h e w o r k , As Above,

So Below, a n d t h e a r t w o r k

itself p r o v i d e a link b e t w e e n a n d a c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e s p l e n d i d n i g h t sky r e p r e s e n t e d 011 t h e M a i n T e r m i n a l ' s c e i l i n g . Early in t h e process, D r i s c o l l was asked to s u b m i t a c o n c e p t u a l a p p r o a c h to t h e p r o j e c t . S h e says she " s a w t h e ceiling o f t h e M a i n T e r m i n a l as t h e E u r o p e a n v i e w o f t h e n i g h t sky." F o r t h e N o r t h Terminal, Driscoll wanted to "take a trip a r o u n d the w o r l d t h r o u g h o t h e r narratives." T h e c o s m o s p r e c e d e s social e x i s t e n c e , b u t social e x i s t e n c e creates c o s m o l o g y ; it is t h e s e v a r i o u s stories t h a t D r i s c o l l w a n t s t o convey. T h e MTA s u g gested m o s a i c , a m e d i u m in w h i c h D r i s c o l l h a d n e v e r b e f o r e worked. T h e mural of the Main Terminal hovers above the

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

PROJECT

Persephone running,

( b e l o w ) Albert Einstein as boy,

47th Street crosspassage, 1999.

47th Street escalator, 1999.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y Ellen Driscoll

P h o t o courtesy Ellen Driscoll

g r a n d n a r r a t i v e o f t h e m o s a i c o f A m e r i c a , egalitarian pluralism is a m y t h . E a c h c u l t u r e , e a c h n a r r a t i v e is n o t

considered

equally as l e g i t i m a t e in A m e r i c a , a l t h o u g h Driscoll goes far in m a k i n g t h e case o t h e r w i s e . A n a r r a t i v e o f a scientific c o s m o l ogy is r e p r e s e n t e d in As Above, So Below. A l b e r t E i n s t e i n , p h o tographed

as a boy, sits

with

the

arms

of a

compass

superimposed u p o n him. T h e y o u n g Einstein, w h o

would

b e c o m e , u n a r g u a b l y , o n e of t h e greatest n a m e s in m o d e r n scie n c e , l o o m s large over t h e a n c i e n t narratives o f c o s m o l o g y . Driscoll says that she i n c l u d e d E i n s t e i n as " a n i c o n o f t h e t h e o r y o f relativity." S h e says it poses t h e q u e s t i o n , " T w o h u n d r e d years f r o m n o w will w e call relativity a m y t h ? " It s h o u l d b e n o t e d t h a t D r i s c o l l finds t h e t e r m m y t h t o b e p r o b l e m a t i c : " M y t h is o n e r o u s . It lacks t h e respect that such t e r m s as ' n a r rative,' o r 'story,' o r ' t h e o r y ' a c c o r d . " B y p r e s e n t i n g t h e t h e o r y o f relativity as j u s t a n o t h e r idea o f t h e w a y t h e w o r l d is c o n s t r u c t e d , Driscoll challenges o u r c o m m o n b e l i e f that science t r u m p s all. m o l o g i c a l narratives ot N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s , A b o r i g i n e s , S o u t h Asians, C e n t r a l A f r i c a n s , a n d t h e C h i n e s e . W h i l e each i n d i v i d -

Ellen Driscoll was certainly n o t w i t h o u t limits a n d challenges

ual m o s a i c illustrates a p a r t i c u l a r n a r r a t i v e , m o s t are l i n k e d

in t h e p r o j e c t . It is q u i t e s o m e t h i n g to realize that in this p r o j -

t h r o u g h several visual devices: t h e train s p e e d i n g o n a circular

ect, D r i s c o l l w o r k e d in a b u i l d i n g that was b e i n g c o n s t r u c t e d

p a t h , t h e c o l o r in o n e m o s a i c p i c k e d u p i n a n o t h e r , t h e

p r a c t i c a l l y a r o u n d h e r , w i t h a m e d i u m s h e was u n f a m i l i a r

a r r e s t e d m o t i o n o f all o f t h e central p h o t o g r a p h s , as well as t h e

w i t h , a n d all t h e w h i l e d e a l i n g w i t h t h e officiousness o f t h e

overall c o n c e p t u a l f r a m e . T h e s e are c o m p l e x w o r k s w i t h v a r i -

Arts in Transit bureaucracy. A n d she has p r o d u c e d w h a t m a y

o u s levels o f m e a n i n g . M o s t viewers, I suspect, e n g a g e o n t h e

o r m a y n o t yet be, as she has said, h e r m a g n u m o p u s . T h e w o r k

level o f t h e glance. B u t f o r many, it is a f r e q u e n t g l a n c e as t h e y

is g r a n d and As Above, So Below is heavenly.

m a k e t h e i r w a y to a n d f r o m t h e i r trains. R e f e r r i n g to o n e o f t h e mosaics, a c o m m u t e r said, "it's m y l a n d m a r k . "

Nancy Silverman is a Ph.D. candidate at N e w York University.

T h i s is likeable p u b l i c art. As Above, So Below is b o t h c h a l l e n g i n g a n d easily t a k e n in. It d e c o r a t e s , h u m a n i z e s , a n d c o m m u nicates. A n d it is q u i t e b e a u t i f u l . Ellen D r i s c o l l says that o n e o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t d i s t i n g u i s h e s this p r o j e c t f r o m m a n y o t h e r p u b l i c art m o s a i c s is " t h e f i n e h a n d w o r k a n d level o f detail, t h e details stand o u t . " F r a n z M a y e r o f M u n i c h , Inc., e x e c u t e d a n d installed t h e mosaics; J u l i e N a t h a n s o n did t h e glasswork. D r i s c o l l is m a i n l y a sculptor. F o r her, c o m m u t e r s a n d r a n d o m travelers i n t h e N o r t h T e r m i n a l p r o v i d e a s c u l p t u r a l e l e m e n t to t h e w o r k as t h e y m o v e t h r o u g h t h e space. Driscoll's c o n 36

c e r n w i t h t h e p u b l i c a n d its m u l t i p l e t r a n s a c t i o n s as b o t h v i e w e r a n d sculptural c o l l a b o r a t o r , m a k e s As Above, So

Below

exemplary. D r i s c o l l p r e s e n t s e a c h n a r r a t i v e as e q u a l l y l e g i t i m a t e . S h e offers, in this p r o j e c t , a t y p e o f egalitarian pluralism that w e A m e r i c a n s like t o i m a g i n e exists. I n d e e d , as t h e e x p r e s s i o n " m e l t i n g p o t " has g o n e o u t o f f a s h i o n , " m o s a i c " has c o m e i n t o play to d e s c r i b e A m e r i c a : a n a t i o n o f p r o u d c u l t u r e s e x i s t i n g t o g e t h e r t o c r e a t e a w h o l e . Like i n n u m e r a b l e small tiles, w e are collectively f a s h i o n e d i n t o a c o m p l e t e p i c t u r e . Yet, like t h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

HAYING A SWINE TIME

Jiirg B a c h t o l d . A p p e n z e l l c o s t u m e d

A N I M A L S ON P A R A D E

c o w s , Zurich, 1998.

By M o i r a F. H a r r i s • • •

( b e l o w l e f t ) T o n i Kreutzer, Blues Brothers, Saarbrucken, 1999. P h o t o s by Beat S e e b e r g e r

S i n c e t h e s u m m e r o f 1998, h e r d s o f fiberglass, p o l y m e r , a n d p o l y u r e t h a n e creatures have b e e n a p p e a r i n g o n t h e sidewalks o f N o r t h A m e r i c a n a n d E u r o p e a n cities. C o w s , lions, horses, h e d g e h o g s , m e r m a i d s , m o o s e , pigs, a n d S n o o p y d o g s h a v e seemingly stepped off some carousel of creativity—to d e l i g h t o f m o s t residents a n d tourists. In t h e w o r d s o f a

the

NewYork

Times c o l u m n i s t , " A n i m a l statues are t h e n e w u r b a n rage." 1 W h i l e t e m p o r a r y e x h i b i t i o n s o f p u b l i c art are c e r t a i n l y n o t n e w , a n i m a l statues o n p a r a d e are. S p o n s o r e d by cities a n d local businesses, o f t e n c r i t i c i z e d by t h e art w o r l d as " t o o c o m mercial," t h e i r t r u e o r i g i n s lie in t h e realms o f carnival a n d d e p a r t m e n t store display. R a t h e r t h a n r i d i n g o n h o l i d a y p r o cession

floats—for

M a r d i Gras o r C h r i s t m a s , f o r e x a m p l e —

animal statues land o n sidewalks f o r s u m m e r duty, a t t r a c t i n g v i s i t o r s t o u r b a n d o w n t o w n areas. T w o f e a t u r e s h a v e b e e n a d d e d t o these t e m p o r a r y " p a r a d e " events: t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f a w i d e r a n g e o f artists (children, adults, a m a t e u r s , a n d p r o f e s sionals) w h o d e c o r a t e t h e basic f o r m s , a n d e v e n t - c o n c l u d i n g a u c t i o n s w h o s e p r o c e e d s g o to local n o n p r o f i t g r o u p s .

E i g h t h u n d r e d f i f t e e n fiberglass c o w s in t h r e e p o s e s — s e a t e d , s t a n d i n g , a n d g r a z i n g — w e r e e v e n t u a l l y p r e p a r e d . T h e s e basic c o w s w e r e sold t o businesses w h i c h e i t h e r a r r a n g e d f o r t h e i r o w n artists t o d e c o r a t e t h e m o r h i r e d artists f r o m a list o f

It all b e g a n in Z u r i c h , S w i t z e r l a n d , w h e n t h a t city's R e t a i l

t h o s e w h o had f u r n i s h e d designs t o EBSQU. F r o m M a y 2 8

T r a d e Association held a c o n t e s t in 1998 f o r a s u m m e r p u b l i c

u n t i l S e p t e m b e r 10, 1998, t h e d e c o r a t e d c o w s s t o o d o r sat

art idea. T h e w i n n i n g c o n c e p t was a p a r a d e o f Swiss b r o w n

in f r o n t o f t h e s p o n s o r s ' b u s i n e s s e s , m a n y a l o n g

c o w figures, g a r l a n d e d w i t h f l o w e r s as t h e y are w h e n t h e y

e l e g a n t B a h n h o f s t r a s s e l e a d i n g f r o m t h e railroad station

Zurich's to

r e t u r n in t h e a u t u m n f r o m t h e i r s u m m e r stay in t h e m o u n -

Lake Z u r i c h . O t h e r s w e l c o m e d travelers inside t h e railroad

tains. E r n a a n d B e a t S e e b e r g e r Q u i n o f EBSQU K r e a t i v e -

station itself o r at t h e a i r p o r t . P e o p l e loved t h e c o w s , a n d

K o n z e p t e w e r e asked to facilitate t h e idea a n d t h e p a r a d e o f

the tourists Z u r i c h

cows, called Land in Sicht (Land in Sight) was b o r n .

express p u r p o s e

hoped

was to

would

promote

come, did. T h e

cows'

the

direct

city, h e n c e

a d v e r t i s i n g was f o r b i d d e n . T h i s p r o h i b i t i o n was n o t always strictly o b e y e d , despite t h e feeling that potential w o u l d n o t b e i n t e r e s t e d in a n i m a l s that clearly

buyers

advertised

i n d i v i d u a l businesses. In fact, it has b e c o m e a h a r d - t o - r e a l i z e goal in virtually all t h e a n i m a l parades. At t h e e n d o f t h e e v e n t , s p o n s o r s c o u l d e i t h e r k e e p t h e i r c o w s o r d o n a t e t h e m t o b e a u c t i o n e d . Part o f t h e m o n e y raised in t h e a u c t i o n w o u l d g o t o a c h a r i t y o f t h e sponsor's c h o i c e . To t h e s u r p r i s e o f t h e c o m m u n i t y t h e a u c t i o n , t o o , was a success, w i t h m o s t c o w s selling f o r several t h o u s a n d dollars e a c h . T h u s in Z u r i c h , p u b l i c art, t h e b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y , a n d p h i l a n t h r o p y h a d established a w i n n i n g m o d e l . D u r i n g t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s , EBSQU a d o p t e d t h a t m o d e l in G e r m a n y

(lions f o r

Saarbrucken and Dresden, horses for Ellwangen, cows for H a m b u r g ) a n d in S w i t z e r l a n d ( h e d g e h o g s f o r G e n e v a ) . A m o n g t h o s e w h o saw Z u r i c h ' s c o w s w a s P e t e r H a n i g , a C h i c a g o s h o e store o w n e r . H e r e t u r n e d h o m e c o n v i n c e d t h a t c o w s w e r e j u s t t h e t h i n g f o r his city, c o n s i d e r i n g t h e h i s t o r y o f M r s . O ' L e a r y ' s f a m o u s f i r e - s t a r t i n g cow. T h e G r e a t e r

North

M i c h i g a n A v e n u e Business A s s o c i a t i o n s u p p o r t e d his i d e a as did t h e Swiss C o n s u l a t e a n d t h e city's c o m m i s s i o n e r o f c u l -

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

William McBride, Hey Diddle Diddle.

( b e l o w ) T h o m a s Towhey, Rock-a-

Chicago, 1999.

Bye-Piggy, Cincinnati, O h i o , 2 0 0 0 .

P h o t o by City of C h i c a g o

P h o t o by Javier Jarrin

h i g h e s t p r i c e p a i d was $1 1 0 , 0 0 0 f o r a s t a n d i n g c o w d e c o r a t e d with the handprints of children. Just as Z u r i c h ' s p a r a d e inspired C h i c a g o ' s , t h o s e w h o visited t h e W i n d y C i t y o r h e a r d a b o u t its s u m m e r 1999 e v e n t felt " i t is really a f u n e v e n t for a c o m m u n i t y , " as A m y H a t c h , d i r e c t o r o f Plainview,Texas's C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e , p u t it. P l a i n v i e w was j u s t o n e o f m a n y c o m m u n i t i e s to j o i n t h e a n i m a l p a r a d e craze;

they

welcomed

forty-one

cows

from

Gibbon,

N e b r a s k a , w h e r e a f a c t o r y was familiar w i t h t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f longhorns and Herefords. T h e y October

t o o p l a n an a u c t i o n , o n

15, 2 0 0 0 , a f t e r t h e P l a i n v i e w Cattle

Drive

ends,

a l t h o u g h s o m e sponsors have d e c i d e d t o k e e p t h e i r c o w s a n d d e c o r a t e t h e m f o r f u t u r e city holidays. W a c o , Texas, also had a c o w display, Wacows, o r g a n i z e d by its Arts

Center. They,

too,

ordered

fiberglass

beasts

from

Nebraska. Beaufort, South Carolina, arranged to borrow cows o w n e d by C h i c a g o f o r Cows

on Vacation. T w e n t y - s i x c a m e

a l r e a d y p a i n t e d f r o m last year's e v e n t . A n o t h e r c o w

was

p a i n t e d by a C h i c a g o artist e s p e c i a l l y f o r B e a u f o r t , a n d C h i c a g o also d o n a t e d a c o w for p a i n t i n g by S o u t h C a r o l i n a artists. As a r e s u l t o f a r s o n , t h e o r i g i n a l Merci Henri

cow,

painted with a cutout Matisse-inspired pattern, had to be tural arts, Lois W e i s b e r g . T h e p r o j e c t was h a n d e d over t o t h e P u b l i c A r t s P r o g r a m , d i r e c t e d b y M i c h a e l Lash a n d " c o w -

c o m p l e t e l y repaired. It n o w wears a

firefighter's

h o n o r o f its rescuers, a n d is k n o w n as

Backdraft.

c o s t u m e , in

o r d i n a t e d " by N a t h a n M a s o n . T h e S e e b e r g e r Q u i n s served as creative

Zurich.

B u t c o w s w e r e n ' t for e v e r y o n e . F o r C i n c i n n a t i ( o n c e k n o w n

C h i c a g o ' s c o w s c l i m b e d walls, r o d e boats, w e r e c u t a p a r t a n d

consultants

and

322

cows

came

from

as " P o r k o p o l i s " b e c a u s e o f its p o r k - p a c k i n g i n d u s t r y ) , pigs

r e a s s e m b l e d , b u t still f o l l o w e d basic g u i d e l i n e s , w h i c h w e r e

m a d e sense, and t h e i r Big Pig Gig was t h e result: 3 7 9 pigs sat,

stated in t h e " A g r e e m e n t f o r t h e D e s i g n , C o m m i s s i o n , a n d

walked, or stood on their hind legs—with or w i t h o u t w i n g s —

Implementation

o f A r t C o w s " s i g n e d b y e a c h artist. T h e

t h r o u g h o u t t h e Q u e e n C i t y a n d across t h e O h i o R i v e r in

D e p a r t m e n t o f C u l t u r a l Affairs o f C h i c a g o (DCA) reserved t h e

C o v i n g t o n a n d N e w p o r t , K e n t u c k y , f r o m M a y u n t i l late

" r i g h t t o disqualify designs w h i c h are i n c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 0 . T h e Big Pig Gig o p e n e d w i t h a P i g n i c a n d t h e

p u r p o s e o f t h e e v e n t w h i c h is t o p r o m o t e t o u r i s m a n d civic

p u n s , p u n y a n d o t h e r w i s e , n e v e r s t o p p e d . Artistic pigs w e r e

p r i d e , [ i n c l u d i n g b u t n o t l i m i t e d to] designs c o n t a i n i n g i n d e c e n t , political, religious a n d c o m m e r c i a l messages a n d icons." As in Z u r i c h , calls w e r e p u t o u t to artists to suggest designs a n d t o businesses o r o r g a n i z a t i o n s t o s p o n s o r t h e c o w s . U n p a i n t e d c o w s cost $ 2 0 0 0 , w h i l e s c u l p t e d a n d d e c o r a t e d c o w s r a n g e d in 38

p r i c e f r o m $ 3 0 0 0 to $ 1 1 , 0 0 0 , d e p e n d i n g o n t h e f a m e o f t h e artist. O n c e p a i n t e d , t h e heaviest c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f c o w s was l o c a t e d a l o n g M i c h i g a n A v e n u e f r o m t h e W a t e r T o w e r to t h e C h i c a g o River, but there were "corrals" near the M u s e u m C o m p l e x , strays w h o " m o o o v e d " a r o u n d t h e city, a n d ambassad o r s d i s p a t c h e d to O ' H a r e a n d M i d w a y A i r p o r t s . A f t e r Cows on Parade e n d e d in O c t o b e r , 144 c o w s w e r e a u c t i o n e d b y S o t h e b y ' s at t h e C h i c a g o T h e a t e r a n d o n

the

I n t e r n e t . " R a i s e Y o u r P a d d l e f o r C a t t l e " — a s t h e a u c t i o n was c a l l e d — w a s , like Z u r i c h ' s sale, an a s t o n i s h i n g success. T h e

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

( b e l o w ) Tammy Schneider, Spammy

Sparkle Spud. N e w p o r t , R.I., 2 0 0 0 .

Hormel,Austin,

P h o t o c o u r t e s y R h o d e Island

Minn., 2 0 0 0 .

Tourism Division

P h o t o by Moira F. Harris

named

Vincent

Van Hogh, Andy

t h e r e was a p i g n a m e d

Warhog, o r Roy

Swine

Lake

Lichtenswine;

and another

dubbed

Pigliacci. S e v e n t y - n i n e horses w e r e t h e t h i n g f o r L e x i n g t o n , K e n t u c k y ' s Horse Mania; over t h r e e h u n d r e d m o o s e f o r T o r o n t o ' s Moose in the City, p r e s e n t e d by Labatt; a n d f i f t y - f i v e m e r m a i d s g r a c e d N o r f o l k , V i r g i n i a , d u r i n g Mermaids

on Parade. D e s M o i n e s ,

Iowa, a n d A u s t i n , M i n n e s o t a , b o t h f o l l o w e d C i n c i n n a t i ' s lead w i t h f o r t y - o n e Pigs on Promenade

a n d f o r t y Pigs in the

City,

respectively. R h o d e Island, h o m e o f t h e H a s b r o c o m p a n y , p r o d u c e d fifty s i x - f o o t - t a l l fiberglass M r . P o t a t o h e a d s that w e r e d e c o r a t e d a n d scattered a r o u n d t h e state f o r its Birthplace

Fun p r o m o t i o n . In e a c h i n s t a n c e t h e c r e a t u r e s e l e c t e d h a d s o m e link w i t h t h e c o m m u n i t y . T h e m o s t o r i g i n a l c o n c e p t was Saint Paul, M i n n e s o t a ' s

Peanuts

on Parade, f e a t u r i n g S n o o p y , t h e b e a g l e w h o n e v e r really t h o u g h t h e was a d o g . C a r t o o n i s t C h a r l e s S c h u l z was raised in S a i n t P a u l , so t h e c i t y c o n s i d e r e d h i m a f a v o r i t e s o n w h o s h o u l d b e h o n o r e d . W h e n S c h u l z a n n o u n c e d t h a t , a f t e r fifty years, h e w o u l d cease p r o d u c i n g his Peanuts c o m i c strip, t h e

t o o n c h a r a c t e r w i t h a n u m b e r o f distinct " p e r s o n a s " l i c e n s e d

idea o f a S c h u l z t r i b u t e g a i n e d m o m e n t u m . W h e n S c h u l z died

t o m a n y n a t i o n a l businesses. Artists w e r e r e q u e s t e d t o avoid

o f c o l o n c a n c e r t h e n i g h t b e f o r e his final strip a p p e a r e d , t h e city

s h o w i n g S n o o p y as J o e C o o l , t h e F l y i n g Ace, an A t t o r n e y , a

was in t h e m i d s t o f its a n n u a l W i n t e r C a r n i v a l . T h e first c o m -

Beagle S c o u t , o r a Literary A c e seated at his t y p e w r i t e r . Local

m e m o r a t i v e e f f o r t was f a s h i o n e d o f s n o w and ice. B y late s p r i n g

firms

s p o n s o r s p r o m i s e d that Saint Paul w o u l d have m o r e t h a n sev-

a l r e a d y u s i n g S n o o p y in t h e i r a d v e r t i s i n g w e r e r e j e c t e d as

e n t y - f i v e S n o o p y s " l i t t e r i n g t h e streets" as J e f f N e l s o n , t h e city's

s p o n s o r s . Finally, all designs w e r e e v a l u a t e d b y b o t h

w h o s e p r o d u c t s c o m p e t e d w i t h those ot any

firms United

d i r e c t o r o f c u l t u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t , p u t it. A g l e e f u l S n o o p y ,

M e d i a a n d C r e a t i v e Associates, r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e S c h u l z family.

walking with

D i r e c t a d v e r t i s i n g p r o v e d to b e t h e m o s t difficult h u r d l e in

his p a w s o u t s t r e t c h e d , w a s c r e a t e d o u t

p o l y u r e t h a n e ; artists w e r e asked t o s u b m i t designs; a n d s p o n s o r s

M i n n e s o t a , t o o : t h e S n o o p y c o v e r e d w i t h r e d circles d i d n ' t

w e r e asked to c h o o s e f r o m this p o r t f o l i o . At t h e h e i g h t o f t h e

suffer f r o m measles, b u t w i t h t h e bull's eye l o g o o f its s p o n s o r ,

e v e n t , 101 S n o o p y s w e r e installed t h r o u g h o u t t h e city.

t h e T a r g e t C o r p o r a t i o n . Scotch Guard, a k i l t - w e a r i n g S n o o p y , w a s s p o n s o r e d by 3 M . In A u s t i n , Spammy,

o n e of t w o pigs

T h e r e were s o m e m a j o r differences between the Peanuts proj-

s p o n s o r e d by H o r m e l , s t o o d o n t h e c o m p a n y ' s l a w n in t h e

ect a n d t h e o t h e r a n i m a l parades. Snoopy, o f c o u r s e , is a c a r -

s h a d e o f a S P A M can. T h e S n o o p y figure c o u l d n o t b e physically c h a n g e d , b u t t h e c h e e r f u l b e a g l e c o u l d a p p e a r in c o s t u m e a n d h o l d o b j e c t s in his o u t s t r e t c h e d p a w s . As visitors t o t h e S n o o p y P a i n t - O f f , held in an e x h i b i t i o n hall at t h e city's R i v e r C e n t r e . d i s c o v e r e d . t h e restrictions still a l l o w e d artists t o c r e a t e vast v a r i e t y in t h e

fifty-one

S n o o p y s o n v i e w . T h e r e was a R e n a i s s a n c e

S n o o p y j u g g l i n g clubs, a v o y a g e u r S n o o p y w e a r i n g s n o w s h o e s and carrying a paddle, Snoopys w e a r i n g the u n i f o r m s of b o t h t h e M i n n e s o t a T w i n s a n d S a i n t P a u l Saints, as t h e P e a n u t s gang's baseball g a m e s r e m a i n u n f o r g e t t a b l e , a n d S n o o p y s c o l l a g e d in n e w s p r i n t f r o m t h e Saint

Paul Pioneer

p r i n t e d Schulz's first strips, a n d t h e Minneapolis

Press,which Star

Tribune,

w h e r e his c a r t o o n s a p p e a r e d f o r m o s t o f his career.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

PROJECT

( b e l o w l e f t t o r i g h t ) Bullseye, All-American Digital Dog, and Snoopy the World Traveler, Saint Paul, Minn., 2 0 0 0 . P h o t o by F O R E C A S T

M o s t o f t h e p a r a d e s in N o r t h A m e r i c a n cities have W e b sites,

EBSQU d i s c o u r a g e s cities f r o m b u y i n g less t h a n ten animals.

w h e r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n artists, i n d i v i d u a l a n i m a l designs, s p o n -

Statues o f large animals also m a k e m o r e o f an i m p a c t . ( S o m e

Cities

also i s s u e d

maps

sors, l o c a t i o n s , a n d p a r a d e e v e n t calendars is available. or

their

chambers

of commerce

have

in A u s t i n , M i n n e s o t a , felt that t h e i r life-size pigs w e r e simply t o o small t o n o t i c e . )

( C i n c i n n a t i ' s was called " L a T o u r d e P o r k " a n d Saint Paul's " T h e Great Snoopy Search"), while other firms produced e v e r y s o u v e n i r i m a g i n a b l e f r o m t h e usual posters, postcards,

A t t r a c t i n g s u m m e r visitors to a t e m p o r a r y special e v e n t m e a n s e a r n i n g t o u r i s t dollars t h a t m i g h t n o t o t h e r w i s e e n t e r city business coffers. A n d , at t h e close o f t h e display, a u c t i o n s e a r n

a n d T-shirts to c o w - f a c e w a t c h e s .

m o n e y f o r n o n p r o f i t s . M a n y arts g r o u p s have b e n e f i t e d : an art enormous

c e n t e r in Waco, t h e C o l l e g e o f V i s u a l Arts a n d a f u t u r e P e a n u t s

publicity, n o t all favorable. R e p o r t s o f v a n d a l i s m r a n g e d f r o m

g r o u p s c u l p t u r e in Saint Paul, t h e Arts a n d C u l t u r a l C o u n c i l

b r o k e n h o r n s , antlers, f e e t , a n d ears to t h e B e a u f o r t c o w ' s fiery

in L e x i n g t o n , a n d A r t W o r k s in C i n c i n n a t i . T h e c i t y

T h e v a r i o u s a n i m a l s o n p a r a d e events g e n e r a t e d

d e m i s e . T w o o f t h e A u s t i n pigs w e r e " p i g n a p p e d , " as t h e

H a m b u r g sent livestock to E t h i o p i a , a n d T o r o n t o d o n a t e d its

c h a m b e r o f c o m m e r c e r e p o r t e d , a n d n o t r e t u r n e d . New York

earnings to the Canadian O l y m p i c team.

Times critic R o b e r t a S m i t h did n o t disguise h e r c o n t e m p t for h e r city's o u t d o o r s c u l p t u r e : " F o r quantity, ubiquity, relentless a w s h u c k s h o k i n e s s a n d f r e q u e n t stupidity, t h e p r i z e goes h o o f s d o w n t o ' C o w P a r a d e ' . . . i t is a s u p p o s e d l y f u n t h i n g t h a t , o n e

W h a t is t h e f u t u r e o f a n i m a l s o n p a r a d e events? PAR'S, J a c k B e c k e r c o m m e n t e d that w e m a y b e " u p f o r a d e c a d e o f t h i n g s o n parade." Already t h e i n f l u e n c e of t h e parades has b e e n seen in Lake Street USA, W i n g Y o u n g H u i e ' s e x h i b i t i o n o f six h u n -

h o p e s , t h e city will n e v e r d o a g a i n . " 3

d r e d p h o t o g r a p h s in M i n n e a p o l i s . T h e s i x - m i l e - l o n g display H o w well t h e t r i p l e goals o f art, p h i l a n t h r o p y , a n d t o u r i s m

will b e f o l l o w e d by an a u c t i o n o f t h e p r i n t s w i t h p r o c e e d s

will b e a c h i e v e d i n t h e v a r i o u s cities t h a t o r g a n i z e d animals

d e s t i n e d f o r g r o u p s in t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d . B u t f o r m o s t p e o -

ple, this s u m m e r ' s a n i m a l parades w e r e a b o u t art, f u n , a n d , as

parade

remains

assessed. A c c o r d i n g

Eric

H o l o w a c z , B e a u f o r t c o u n t y arts c o u n c i l d i r e c t o r , t h e b o r -

t h e Cincinnati

Enquirer w r o t e , " E v e r y o n e h a d a s w i n e t i m e ! " 4

r o w e d C h i c a g o c o w s w e r e " a m b a s s a d o r s , a w a y to i n t r o d u c e p u b l i c art a n d g e t t h e c o m m u n i t y i n t e r e s t e d in it as well as

Moira F. Harris is an art historian and a u t h o r of Museum of the Streets:

establishing a n i c e p a r t n e r s h i p b e t w e e n a m a j o r city a n d a tiny

Minnesota's

Contemporary Outdoor Murals.

t o w n . " At all v e n u e s artists have b e e n paid f o r t h e i r w o r k , a n d t h e i r n a m e s are i n c l u d e d o n signage a n d in publicity. T h o s e w h o c o l l a b o r a t e d at Saint Paul's P a i n t - O f f r e p o r t e d a sense o f

Notes:

Potatohead); city.toronto.on.ca/

c a m a r a d e r i e . As artist K a t h e r i n e T i l t o n c o m m e n t e d , " I t was

1. Gail Sheehy, " C o w C o u n t r y

m o o s e / i n d e x (Toronto);

N o t e s , " New York Times, 9 J u n e 2 0 0 0 ,

p e a n u t s . c o m p l e t e i s . c o m (Saint

A31.

Paul); and c o w p a r a d e n e w y o r k . c o m

f u n t o b e p a r t o f all this." For o r g a n i z e r s it is a c h a n c e t o s h o w t h e creativity a n d h u m o r

( N e w Y o r k City).

possible in a t e m p o r a r y p u b l i c art e v e n t a n d p e r h a p s , as in

2. S o m e o f these i n c l u d e

W a c o , to give t h e city a m o r e desirable claim t o f a m e . P l a c i n g

www.metromix.com/go/cows

3. R o b e r t a S m i t h , " S t r e t c h i n g

(Chicago); mermaidsonparade.com

D e f i n i t i o n s o f O u t d o o r Sculpture,"

d o z e n s o f animals t h r o u g h o u t a city o r e v e n a state e n c o u r a g e s visitors a n d residents to see t h e w h o l e t o w n as t h e y search f o r

(Norfolk,Vir.); horsemania.org

The New York Times, 2 8 J u l y 2 0 0 0 ,

(Lexington,Vir.): brave.org/pigs

B25.

t h e n e x t cow, h o r s e , o r p i g o n t h e m a p . " I f y o u have t o o f e w

(Des M o i n e s , Iowa);

animals t h e effect is lost," E r n a S e e b e r g e r Q u i n c o m m e n t e d .

v i s i t R h o d e I s l a n d . o r g (Mr.

4. Cincinnati

Enquirer, 13 J u n e 2 0 0 0 .

CONFERENCE

THE ART OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN D E S I G N I N G FOR THE 2 I S T CENTURY II P R E C O N F E R E N C E R e v i e w e d by R i c a r d o B a r r e t o • • •

Providence, Rhode Island, June 14,2000

r e p e a t e d o f t e n at t h e c o n f e r e n c e m a y c o m e as a s u r p r i s e t o

Universal design envisions a w o r l d w h e r e shared e x p e r i e n c e is possible, w h e r e special e f f o r t to gain full access t o facilities a n d p r o g r a m m i n g is n e v e r n e e d e d . As d e f i n e d by t h e

National

E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e Arts, universal d e s i g n g o e s b e y o n d t h e m e r e provision o f special features for v a r i o u s s e g m e n t s o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n . Instead it e m p h a s i z e s a creative a p p r o a c h that is m o r e i n c l u s i v e , o n e t h a t asks at t h e o u t s e t o f t h e d e s i g n process h o w a p r o d u c t , g r a p h i c c o m m u n i c a t i o n , b u i l d i n g , o r

m a n y w h o have b e e n so c o m m i t t e d in t h e i r s u p p o r t o f ADA g u i d e l i n e s : seen f r o m t h e v a n t a g e p o i n t o f universal design's goals, o n e realizes that ADA r e q u i r e m e n t s can b e s c r u p u l o u s l y m e t yet fail t o e n h a n c e t h e e n v i r o n m e n t o r a p e r s o n s e x p e r i e n c e o f it, d i s a b l e d o r n o t . Sadly, it h a p p e n s all t h e t i m e . R e c o g n i z i n g this failure is w h a t m a k e s universal design s ideals s i m u l t a n e o u s l y e x c i t i n g a n d t r o u b l i n g as t h e y r e d e f i n e t h e g r o u n d rules f o r t h e design o f o u r built e n v i r o n m e n t .

landscape can b e m a d e b o t h aesthetically pleasing a n d f u n c -

In h e r i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e session, A n n - E l l e n Lesser, universal

tional f o r t h e greatest n u m b e r o f users. D e s i g n s resulting f r o m

planning consultant and conference coordinator along with

this a p p r o a c h are m o r e likely to serve a w i d e r array of p e o p l e :

Very Special Arts, R h o d e Island, stated, " U n i v e r s a l design is

individuals w h o have t e m p o r a r y disabilities, p e o p l e w i t h p e r -

a b o u t f i n d i n g a n e w p a r a d i g m , a n e w w a y o f t h i n k i n g . It

m a n e n t disabilities, a n d e v e r y o n e w h o s e abilities c h a n g e w i t h

assumes it is possible t o c r e a t e e n v i r o n m e n t s e v e r y o n e can use.

age. 1 As p u b l i c art m o v e s i n t o t h e t w e n t y - f i r s t c e n t u r y , t h e

It breaks d o w n isolation. It is g o o d f o r e v e r y o n e b e c a u s e it is

m e s s a g e universal design a d v o c a t e s w o u l d like t o c o n v e y is

inclusive. Universal

t h a t f a r f r o m a r e s t r i c t i v e b u r d e n , its p r e c e p t s

o f f e r an

design

is i n

the

details

and

the

t h o u g h t . " T h e seven p r i n c i p l e s established by t h e C e n t e r f o r

u n p r e c e d e n t e d creative o p p o r t u n i t y for the benefit of the

Universal

b r o a d e s t a u d i e n c e . S i g n i f i c a n t l y , u n i v e r s a l d e s i g n g o e s well

AccessAbility c o o r d i n a t o r , p r o v i d e f u r t h e r c l a r i f i c a t i o n . T h e y

b e y o n d p r o v i d i n g m e r e access. W h e n it w o r k s , it d o e s so

are 1) e q u i t a b l e use, 2)

t h r o u g h w e l l - c o n c e i v e d b u i l d i n g s a n d spaces, easy f o r all t o

use, 4) p e r c e p t i b l e i n f o r m a t i o n , 5) t o l e r a n c e f o r e r r o r , 6) l o w

use a n d b e a u t i f u l to b e h o l d .

physical e f f o r t , a n d 7) size a n d space f o r a p p r o a c h a n d use. In

O n J u n e 14, 2 0 0 0 , a d a y - l o n g s y m p o s i u m e n t i t l e d A r t s in U n i v e r s a l E n v i r o n m e n t s w a s h e l d in P r o v i d e n c e , Island, as p a r t

of the

Designing

the

for

preconference

21st

C o n f e r e n c e on Universal

Century

sessions

II: A n

Rhode

preceding

International

D e s i g n o r g a n i z e d by A d a p t i v e

E n v i r o n m e n t s , USA. Its i n t e n t as d e s c r i b e d in t h e p r o g r a m was t o b r i n g t o g e t h e r d i s t i n g u i s h e d artists, d e s i g n e r s , a n d arts a d m i n i s t r a t o r s t o discuss t h e e l e m e n t s n e c e s s a r y t o c r e a t e a u n i v e r s a l s e t t i n g f o r t h e arts. I n b r o a d t e r m s , t h e session a c c o m p l i s h e d w h a t it set o u t t o d o , a l t h o u g h b e s i d e s t h e i n v i t e d speakers, s o m e o f w h o m i n d e e d w e r e artists, it was a g r o u p m a d e u p largely o f a d m i n i s t r a t o r s a n d designers. T h e lack o f artist p a r t i c i p a n t s p o i n t s clearly to t h e c h a l l e n g e f a c e d by universal design advocates as they a t t e m p t t o build b r i d g e s t o t h e professional p u b l i c art c o m m u n i t y . W h a t d o e s universal design m e a n in t h e c o n t e x t o f p u b l i c art?

Design

and

presented flexibility

Paula

Terry,

NEA

in use, 3) simple, i n t u i t i v e

o t h e r w o r d s , w h a t is p r o p o s e d is an a p p r o a c h t o design t h a t m a k e s sense for, a n d is sensitive to, t h e b r o a d e s t p o p u l a t i o n . T h e p a r a d o x is t h a t w h i l e u n i v e r s a l d e s i g n ' s a s p i r a t i o n s are i n d e e d universal, its p r a c t i c e t o d a t e is n o t . Its p r i n c i p l e s are far f r o m r o u t i n e , a n d t h e design p r o f e s s i o n s are still o f t e n t e n t a t i v e in t h e i r e m b r a c e . W h a t d o e s t h i s m e a n f o r t h e b u s i n e s s o f p u b l i c art? T h e implementation

of basic

ADA r e q u i r e m e n t s

has

already

b e c o m e an integral p a r t o f t h e design process f o r p e r m a n e n t w o r k s o f p u b l i c art, i.e. b r i c k s a n d m o r t a r p r o j e c t s m o s t c o m m o n l y t h e result o f p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t p r o g r a m s , a n d m o s t p u b l i c artists a n d p u b l i c art a d m i n i s t r a t o r s are aware, o r fast b e c o m i n g so, o f its legal i m p e r a t i v e . Yet f o r t e m p o r a r y p u b l i c art, its s c o p e increasingly r e c o g n i z e d as a l a b o r a t o r y f o r i n n o v a t i o n a n d c u t t i n g e d g e activity, t h e idea o f a d d i t i o n a l r e g u l a t o r y layers is v i e w e d w i t h a p p r e h e n s i o n at best, e v e n t h o u g h

many

As m o r e t h a n o n e s p e a k e r p o i n t e d o u t , t h e m o s t p r e v a l e n t

artists will a g r e e t h a t m a k i n g t h e i r w o r k a c c e s s i b l e t o t h e

m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g e q u a t e s u n i v e r s a l d e s i g n w i t h access as

b r o a d e s t possible a u d i e n c e is w o r t h w h i l e .

d e f i n e d t h r o u g h t h e A m e r i c a n s w i t h Disabilities A c t (ADA). B o s t o n artist J e r r y B e c k , f o r e x a m p l e , visionary l e a d e r o f t h e R e v o l v i n g M u s e u m , a quintessential e x a m p l e of successful c o n s e n s u s b u i l d i n g a n d a u d i e n c e d e v e l o p m e n t at a grassroots level, a c k n o w l e d g e d his o w n m i s c o n c e p t i o n s p r i o r t o his p a r t i c i p a t i o n . W h i l e t h e issues o f access are related, s o m e t i m e s

As w i t h ADA, u n i v e r s a l d e s i g n is v i e w e d w i t h s k e p t i c i s m by artists w h o f e a r its i m p a c t o n c r e a t i v i t y a n d f r e e d o m

e x p r e s s i o n . A r e t h e g o a l s o f t h e p u b l i c artist a n d u n i v e r s a l design incompatible? Will successful advocacy for universal design in p u b l i c art result in less i n t e r e s t i n g , less c h a l l e n g i n g , less m e a n i n g f u l art? Plainly p u t , is q u a l i t y e n d a n g e r e d ?

intimately, universal design p r o p o s e s s o l u t i o n s far b e y o n d t h e basic r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r physical a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n s access set

As o n e m i g h t p r e d i c t , t h e a n s w e r given by c o n f e r e n c e p a r t i c i -

f o r t h in ADA policy. In fact, an i m p o r t a n t p o i n t m a d e early a n d

p a n t s w a s an u n e q u i v o c a l " n o . " T h e p r e v a l e n t o p i n i o n in

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

CONFERENCE (left) N o r t h entry with on-grade pathways, Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, N.Y.

( r i g h t ) Dining and living room, Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, N.Y. Photos by David Stansbury

A fine e x a m p l e o f a s u c c e s s f u l u n i v e r s a l d e s i g n

planning

process was p r e s e n t e d in an N E A - f u n d e d film c h r o n i c l i n g t h e c r e a t i o n o f n e w w o r k s p a c e s f o r artists at t h e Millay C o l o n y f o r t h e Arts in A u s t e r l i t z , N e w Y o r k . M a k i n g t h e case as e l o q u e n t l y as a n y o n e a c t u a l l y p r e s e n t at t h e c o n f e r e n c e , artist M i c h a e l S i n g e r describes in t h e film t h e r i c h creative a t m o s P r o v i d e n c e was that, if a n y t h i n g , t h e i n t e l l i g e n t process a d v o -

p h e r e t h a t led t o s u c h s e n s i b l e a n d a e s t h e t i c a l l y

c a t e d by universal design p r e c e p t s m i g h t d o m u c h t o increase

results. W a l k w a y s a n d d o o r w a y s are accessible t o all; inside,

pleasing

q u a l i t y w i t h i n a field w h e r e t h e lack o f s t a n d a r d s a n d t h e

c o u n t e r s , shelves, a n d sinks a c c o m m o d a t e p e o p l e at all h e i g h t

r e s u l t i n g p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f m e d i o c r e w o r k is i n c r e a s i n g l y o f

levels and are pleasingly i n t e g r a t e d i n t o t h e overall design o f

c o n c e r n . H o w e v e r y o n e i n v o l v e d in t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f

each r o o m . T h e o u t c o m e o f this p r o j e c t contrasts strongly to

p u b l i c art p r o j e c t s is e d u c a t e d in universal design so that t h e

t h e reality d e p i c t e d in The Resilient

w o r l d it e n v i s i o n s is a c h i e v e d is t h e c h a l l e n g e . If n o t d o n e

m a k e r S h a r o n G r e y t a k . In it she i n t e r v i e w s v a r i o u s individuals

w i t h care a n d p a t i e n c e , t h e i m m e d i a t e c o n f u s i o n m a y i n d e e d

living

result in a c u r t a i l m e n t o f creative activity, if f o r n o o t h e r r e a -

Crivellari and Brazilian w r i t e r M a r c e U o Paiva. A clearer e x a m -

son t h a n that t h e f u n d s necessary f o r c o m p l i a n c e will r e d u c e

ple o f o b l i t e r a t e d p o t e n t i a l a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s lost w h e n access

t h e available resources o t h e r w i s e g o i n g to p u b l i c art itself.

is d i m i n i s h e d o r a l t o g e t h e r d e n i e d c a n n o t b e i m a g i n e d .

with

disabilities,

including

Spirit, p r e s e n t e d by Italian

artist

film-

Marino

To date, m o s t progress in universal design s e e m s t o have b e e n

A n impressive aspect of this p r e c o n f e r e n c e was t h e s t r o n g c o l -

m a d e b y m u s e u m s . In t h e U n i t e d States, t h e S m i t h s o n i a n

lective c o m m i t m e n t to universal design based o n actual e x p e r i -

I n s t i t u t i o n has t a k e n a l e a d e r s h i p role. J a n i c e M a j e w s k i , in

e n c e . To d e m o n s t r a t e that t h e field is far f r o m t h e o r e t i c a l a n d

c h a r g e o f t h e S m i t h s o n i a n ' s accessibility p r o g r a m since 1978,

that its p r i n c i p l e s are increasingly applied, t w o designers p r e -

p r e s e n t e d an o v e r v i e w o f t h e i r a c h i e v e m e n t s , w h i c h i n c l u d e

sented w o r k of notable distinction. C o c o R a y n e s of C o c o

g u i d e l i n e s f o r universal design c o m p r i s i n g n o t o n l y physical

R a y n e s Associates in B o s t o n d e s c r i b e d h e r f i r m ' s w o r k w i t h

access, b u t accessibility t o t h e i n s t i t u t i o n ' s c o l l e c t i o n s at all

m u s e u m e x h i b i t i o n s and o f f e r e d a logical c o m p l i m e n t t o t h e

levels, i n c l u d i n g o b j e c t labels, e x h i b i t i o n design f r o m c o n c e p t

standards set by t h e S m i t h s o n i a n . Particularly c o m p e l l i n g is t h e

f o r m u l a t i o n to maintenance, publications, educational p r o -

s y s t e m o f braille a n d i n f r a r e d - a c t i v a t e d s o u n d railings d e v e l -

g r a m s , a n d t h e I n t e r n e t . M a j e w s k i stresses, " T h e s e are all

o p e d by this firm to h e l p t h o s e w h o are b l i n d navigate a n d p a r -

w o r k s in p r o g r e s s , " s t a t i n g w h a t m i g h t b e c o n s i d e r e d

t i c i p a t e in m u s e u m e x h i b i t i o n s . In c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h

the

e i g h t h p r i n c i p l e o f universal design: it is an o p e n process y o u

careful p l a c e m e n t o f o b j e c t s a n d t h o u g h t f u l a t t e n t i o n to f l o w

go back to and improve continuously.

p a t t e r n s , t h e result is a particularly w e l c o m i n g e n v i r o n m e n t .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

CONFERENCE ( b o t t o m l e f t ) General view of Allegheny Riverfront Park, Pittsburgh, Pa. ( b o t t o m r i g h t ) A c c e s s ramps with bronze handrail, Allegheny Riverfront Park, Pittsburgh, Pa P h o t o s by Ed Massery, Photography

L a u r a Solano, p r i n c i p a l at M i c h a e l van V a l k e n b u r g h Associates

a n d a u d i o t e c h n o l o g y for t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e visual arts.

in C a m b r i d g e , Massachusetts, d e s c r i b e d h e r w o r k w i t h artist

W h e r e possible, art o b j e c t s s h o u l d be available f o r tactile

Ann

e x a m i n a t i o n . W h e e l c h a i r access, so m u c h

Hamilton

the

Allegheny

Riverfront

Park

a p a r t o f ADA

P i t t s b u r g h , a p r o j e c t c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e P i t t s b u r g h C u l t u r a l

r e q u i r e m e n t s , is also i m p o r t a n t , b u t universal design a i m s f o r

T r u s t a n d c o m p l e t e d in 1998. H e r e , w h i l e t h e artist did c o n -

m o r e integrated, m o r e aesthetically pleasing solutions that

t r i b u t e c e r t a i n e l e m e n t s , such as h a n d r a i l i n g s a n d an e m b o s s e d

facilitate access f o r e v e r y o n e i n c l u d i n g p e o p l e o f v a r i o u s sizes

p a v e m e n t design o f b u l r u s h e s inspired by t h e early w o r k o f

a n d ages. C r i t i c a l l y i m p o r t a n t in this discussion is t h e c o n t r i -

P i e t M o n d r i a n , h e r l a r g e r c o n t r i b u t i o n was as an i n t e g r a l

b u t i o n o f p u b l i c artists w h o s e w o r k will b e m o s t a f f e c t e d . Still

v o i c e o n t h e design process f r o m start t o finish. As r e p o r t e d by

in its i n f a n c y , this p a r t i c i p a t i o n is clearly w e l c o m e a n d will

Solano, H a m i l t o n aptly d e s c r i b e d h e r role this way: " T h i n k o f

h e l p establish o w n e r s h i p in t h e arts c o m m u n i t y .

m y c o n t r i b u t i o n as water, w a s h i n g over e v e r y t h i n g a n d leavi n g its trace," a f i t t i n g m e t a p h o r f o r t h e ideal universal design strives to achieve. D e b o r a h K a p l a n a n d S l o b o d a n Paich o f San Francisco's Arts

A c h i e v i n g universal design's goals will also c o n t i n u e t o b e a process o f selling its b e n e f i t s t o design professionals a n d t o t h e p o l i c y m a k e r s at t h e local, state, a n d n a t i o n a l levels o f g o v e r n m e n t . B e c a u s e universal design p r o m o t e s a n e w w a y o f t h i n k -

Ship articulated three reasons w h y universal design may b e

ing, it will take t i m e f o r a m a j o r i t y o f p r a c t i t i o n e r s t o e m b r a c e

p o i s e d t o have an increasingly significant i m p a c t o n f u t u r e p o l -

its p r e c e p t s . It is w o r t h r e m e m b e r i n g t h a t artists w h o h a v e

icy decisions: its goals can b e seen as integral t o t h e civil r i g h t s

c h o s e n t o w o r k in t h e p u b l i c d o m a i n u n d e r s t a n d c o m p r o m i s e

o f individuals; a large, a g i n g mass o f b a b y b o o m e r s will press f o r

is a p a r t o f t h e process, a c h a l l e n g e t h a t b r i n g s m e a n i n g t o

e n v i r o n m e n t s t h a t a l l o w m o r e p e o p l e t o live i n d e p e n d e n t l y

w h a t is c r e a t e d . If e x p e r i e n c e t o d a t e is a g u i d e , it can easily b e

i n t o o l d age; a n d t h e e m e r g e n c e o f a distinct "disability c u l t u r e "

a r g u e d that t h e h i g h level o f t h o u g h t a n d analysis r e q u i r e d by

w i t h shared values, visions, a n d c u s t o m s m a n i f e s t e d especially

universal design leads t o r i c h e r , m o r e i n t e r e s t i n g creative s o l u -

t h r o u g h t h e arts will e x e r t a d d i t i o n a l pressure.

tions. T h a t t h o s e w h o have u s e d its p r i n c i p l e s successfully are loath t o r e t u r n t o o l d practices is revealing. T h e s e artists are

As an i n t r o d u c t i o n t o universal design a n d t h e positive role it m i g h t play in p u b l i c art in g e n e r a l , t h e p r e c o n f e r e n c e was an i m p o r t a n t m i l e s t o n e . F u t u r e m e e t i n g s will n e e d to e x a m i n e in g r e a t e r d e p t h a n d w i t h m o r e s p e c i f i c i t y w h a t t h e universal

t h e r e c o n n a i s s a n c e t e a m w h o already u n d e r s t a n d that u n i v e r sal design is an o p p o r t u n i t y w a i t i n g t o h a p p e n . C e r t a i n l y this was t h e enthusiastic message o f t h e p r e c o n f e r e n c e p a r t i c i p a n t s w h o c a m e t o g e t h e r in P r o v i d e n c e .

d e s i g n g u i d e l i n e s f o r p u b l i c art p r o j e c t s are a n d h o w t h e y m i g h t b e m e t . T h e e x a m p l e s o f p r o j e c t s d e s c r i b e d by t h e v a r -

For more information

i o u s s p e a k e r s clearly p o i n t t o a g r o w i n g b o d y o f s o l u t i o n s

T e a c h i n g U n i v e r s a l D e s i g n , edited

b o r n o f real life e x a m p l e s , m o s t n o t a b l y t h e i n c l u s i o n o f braille

Adaptive

Environments

on universal Center,

design, refer to S t r a t e g i e s f o r by Polly

Welch

(Boston:

1995).

Ricardo Barreto is the Director of the UrbanArts Institute at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts. Notes: 1. As defined by Adaptive Environments. Boston, Massachusetts.

REVIEW

WANDERLUST A HISTORY OF W A L K I N G R e v i e w e d by D e b o r a h K a r a s o v •

•

Rebecca Solnit New York, N.Y.:Viking, 2000 326 pages, $24.95

d o m a n d t h e k n o w l e d g e o f it can live in t h e i m a g i n a t i o n o f a n y o n e , a n d that is a n o t h e r space too." If Solnit's thesis is c o r rect, t h e n t h o s e artists w h o w a l k in resistance to t h e loss o f

S o r e n K i e r k e g a a r d , that great p h i l o s o p h e r o f religion, insisted

space, t i m e , a n d e m b o d i m e n t , are as Allan K a p r o w p r o p h e s i e d ,

that h e c o m p o s e d all his w o r k s w h i l e w a l k i n g alone. " I n o r d e r

devising s o m e t h i n g q u i t e e x t r a o r d i n a r y o u t o f t h e m o s t o r d i -

t o b e a r m e n t a l t e n s i o n s such as m i n e , " h e w r o t e , "I n e e d d i v e r -

n a r y o f things.

sion, t h e diversion o f c h a n c e c o n t a c t s o n t h e streets a n d alleys, b e c a u s e association w i t h a f e w exclusive individuals is actually n o d i v e r s i o n . " In a j o u r n a l passage f r o m 1848, h e d e s c r i b e d h o w o n his w a y h o m e , " o v e r w h e l m e d w i t h ideas ready t o b e w r i t t e n d o w n a n d in a sense so w e a k t h a t I c o u l d scarcely walk," his ideas w o u l d stay w i t h h i m o n l y if h e t o o k t h e t i m e t o talk w i t h t h e occasional m a n h e e n c o u n t e r e d o n t h e way. P h i l o s o p h e r s are n o t t h e o n l y walkers in R e b e c c a Solnit's b o o k

Like h e r discussion o f artists, m a n y o f t h e smaller histories o f E u r o p e a n m a r c h e s , A m e r i c a n m o u n t a i n e e r i n g , a n d Parisian w a n d e r i n g s are familiar t e r r i t o r y . B u t c o l l e c t i n g t h e m as she has, w i t h p o e t r y b y W o r d s w o r t h a n d e x c e r p t s by e v e r y o n e f r o m J e a n - J a c q u e s R o u s s e a u t o G a r y Snyder, it's a n e w walk a g a i n . U n f o r t u n a t e l y n e a r l y e v e r y c h a p t e r is i n s e r t e d w i t h Solnit's

tracings

of her

own

walks

through

California.

C o m p a r e d w i t h Kierkegaard's reveling in t h e streets and alleys

Wanderlust: A History of Walking. Poets, i n s u r r e c t i o n a r i e s , street-

o f C o p e n h a g e n , h e r w a l k i n g t o t h e local l i q u o r store for milk

w a l k e r s , p i l g r i m s , t o u r i s t s , h i k e r s , e v e n artists p a r t i c i p a t e i n

falls flat. If n e i t h e r p o e t n o r p h i l o s o p h e r n o r

what

memoirist,

relationship

t h o u g h , Solnit d e m o n s t r a t e s h e r gifts as a j o u r n a l i s t . I t h a n k h e r

b e t w e e n body, world, and imagination." Solnit believes the

for b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r these stories so that w e m a y u n d e r s t a n d

activity o f w a l k i n g is f a d i n g , n o t o n l y f r o m t h e lack o f space in

t h e art o f w a l k i n g as W o r d s w o r t h d i d : " a g u i d e . . . t o t h i n g s

w h i c h to w a l k , b u t also f r o m t h e lack of t i m e — t h e d i s a p p e a r -

u n k n o w n and without bound."

S o l n i t calls an " a n c i e n t

and

profound

a n c e o f t h a t m u s i n g , u n s t r u c t u r e d space in w h i c h so m u c h t h i n k i n g , c o u r t i n g , d a y d r e a m i n g , a n d s e e i n g has transpired. W a l k i n g a n d t r a v e l i n g h a v e b e c o m e c e n t r a l m e t a p h o r s in thought

a n d s p e e c h , so c e n t r a l w e h a r d l y n o t i c e

them.

M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g Jr.'s first b o o k was called Stride

Toward

Freedom, Nelson

Deborah Karasov is codirector of the Institute for Public Art and Design, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and recipient of a CriticsLink Mentorship Award.

• • •

a title e c h o e d m o r e t h a n t h r e e d e c a d e s l a t e r b y Mandela's

autobiography,

Long

Walk

DIALOGUES IN PUBLIC ART

Freedom.

R e v i e w e d by R o b S i l b e r m a n

A u t h o r D o r i s Lessing called t h e s e c o n d v o l u m e o f h e r m e m oirs Walking

in the Shade, w h i l e in Six Walks in the

Fictional Tom Finkelpearl Cambridge, Mass.The MIT Press, 2000 453 pages, $42.95

Woods, t h e t h e o r i s t U m b e r t o E c o d e s c r i b e s r e a d i n g a b o o k as w a n d e r i n g in a forest. T h e songlines of Australia's a b o r i g i n a l p e o p l e s are t h e m o s t f a m o u s e x a m p l e s c o n f l a t i n g l a n d s c a p e a n d narrative. T h e songlines are tools o f n a v i g a t i o n across t h e

A h , interviews. W h o can resist t h e m ? At their best, they o f f e r a

d e e p d e s e r t , w h i l e t h e l a n d s c a p e is a m n e m o n i c d e v i c e f o r

c h a n c e to g e t t h e s t o r y — i f y o u ' l l p a r d o n t h e e x p r e s s i o n —

r e m e m b e r i n g t h e stories. In o t h e r w o r d s , t h e story is a m a p ,

s t r a i g h t f r o m t h e h o r s e ' s m o u t h . At t h e i r w o r s t , t h e y are

a n d t h e l a n d s c a p e a narrative.

s e l f - a g g r a n d i z i n g a n d unreliable, o f f e r i n g e n t e r t a i n m e n t o n l y as a k i n d of p e r f o r m a n c e art. Since a b r i e f n o t e in PAR'S last

Artists d o n ' t c o m e i n t o play until t h e very e n d o f Solnit's b o o k . B u t in this way, she sets t h e m u p w i t h i n a b r o a d cultural c o n 44

t e x t n o t o f t e n alluded t o by strict art historians w h o trace m o s t

issue l a b e l e d T o m Finkelpearl's Dialogues in Public Art " A m u s t ! " any j u d g m e n t h e r e m i g h t s e e m a f o r e g o n e c o n c l u s i o n . R e a d on and see...

e v e r y t h i n g t o t h e art c o n t e x t o f t h e 1960s. S h e b e g i n s w i t h C a r l A n d r e ' s 1 9 6 6 s c u l p t u r e Lever, m a d e o f b r i c k s l i n e d u p to

Finkelpearl is P r o g r a m D i r e c t o r o f P.S. 1; f r o m 1 9 9 0 t o 1 9 9 6

e x t e n d f r o m o n e r o o m t o a n o t h e r . " M y i d e a o f a. p i e c e o f

s c u l p t u r e is a road," h e w r o t e t h e n . " W e d o n ' t have a single

P r o g r a m . H e has r o u n d e d u p m a n y o f t h e usual suspects:

p o i n t o f v i e w f o r a road at all, e x c e p t a m o v i n g o n e , m o v i n g

m a j o r p r o j e c t s by m a j o r figures s u c h as V i t o A c c o n c i , M e l

a l o n g it." O f c o u r s e t h e m o s t w e l l - k n o w n artist d e d i c a t e d to

C h i n , and the architectural team of Denise Scott Brown and

was in

charge

of N e w York

City's

Percent

w a l k i n g is t h e E n g l i s h m a n R i c h a r d L o n g , w h o has s o m e t i m e s

R o b e r t V e n t u r i . It m a y b e i m p o s s i b l e t o a v o i d

c l i m b e d a r o u n d m o u n t a i n s instead o f to t h e top, used riverbeds

about

as f o o t p a t h s , a n d m a d e walks w i t h i n a place as o p p o s e d to a lin-

i n c l u d e s K r y s t o f W o d i c z k o ' s Alien

ear j o u r n e y . " A walk," h e has w r i t t e n , " e x p r e s s e s space a n d f r e e -

provocative engagement with the immigrant

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

inclusions

and

exclusions,

but Staff

any

for Art

questions

volume

that

(an i n g e n i o u s a n d experience),

REVIEW

Linnea

Glatt and Michael

Management Mnemonics

Singer's P h o e n i x

Solid Waste

Facility, A n d r e w G i n z e l a n d K r i s t i n J o n e s ' s

( c o m m e m o r a t i v e t i m e capsules f o r a h i g h s c h o o l ) ,

a n d t h e AIDS R i b b o n is c o v e r i n g a lot o f g r o u n d .

did individuals a n d t e a m s w h o s e p r o j e c t s are w o r t h k n o w i n g a b o u t a n d w h o s e c o m m e n t s are w o r t h h e a r i n g . So, yes, Dialogues in Public Art is " A m u s t ! " Rob Silberman t e a c h e s at t h e University of Minnesota.

T h e i n t r o d u c t i o n , " T h e C i t y as Site," is i n f o r m a t i v e b u t u n f o r t u n a t e l y seems to assume that public art s h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d exclusively in t e r m s o f large cities. T h e i n t e r v i e w s that f o l l o w are d i v i d e d i n t o f o u r s e c t i o n s : C o n t r o v e r s i e s in P u b l i c A r t , Experiments

Public

Art

as A r c h i t e c t u r e

and

CORRECTION

Urban

P l a n n i n g , D i a l o g u e - B a s e d Public Art, a n d Public A r t for Public

The following

H e a l t h . N o t all t h e i n t e r v i e w s are w i t h

PAR #22.

t h e artists. T h i s

a d m i r a b l e a t t e m p t to i n t r o d u c e m u l t i p l e perspectives p r o d u c e s

listing was published

in the Recent Projects section of

The artist's name was misspelled. The corrected listing is

being reprinted in its entirety.

m i x e d results. It w o r k s pretty well w h e n t h e i n t e r v i e w w i t h J o h n A h e a r n , w h o s e statues w e r e r e m o v e d f r o m in f r o n t o f a B r o n x p o l i c e station, is b a l a n c e d by o n e w i t h a m a j o r o p p o n e n t o f t h e p r o j e c t . It a p p e a r s a b i t f o r c e d , h o w e v e r , in " T o u c h e d by an A r t P r o j e c t " discussions w i t h a w o m a n w h o lived in o n e o f t h e P r o j e c t R o w H o u s e s in H o u s t o n and w i t h a w o m a n w h o m a d e AIDS R i b b o n s u n d e r t h e auspices o f t h e

Florida s c u l p t o r a n d b o o k artist, C l a i r e J e a n i n e Satin c r e a t e d a large p u b l i c a r t w o r k f o r a n e w b r a n c h l i b r a r y in P e m b r o k e Pines, Fla. ALPHASTORY is a series o f a r t w o r k s that b e g i n s w i t h tile designs in t h e walkways f r o m t h e p a r k i n g lot a n d t h e a d j a c e n t m i d d l e s c h o o l , leads i n t o t h e library w i t h a 1 2 5 - s q u a r e - f o o t , h a n d - p a i n t e d c e r a m i c tile wall design, a n d c u l m i n a t e s in a large m e t a l s c u l p t u r e s u s p e n d e d a b o v e t h e i n f o r m a t i o n desk w i t h a

Art a n d H o m e l e s s C o l l a b o r a t i v e in N e w York.

q u o t e f r o m W i l l i a m Blake. E a c h e l e m e n t o f t h e w o r k i n c o r p o Finkelpearl says p u b l i c art is t h e " m o s t d y n a m i c field in c o n -

rates w r i t t e n s y m b o l s , f r o m R o m a n a l p h a b e t s a n d E g y p t i a n

t e m p o r a r y art practice, a n d t h e m o s t f r u s t r a t i n g . " Yet t h e f e a -

h i e r o g l y p h i c s to q u o t e s s u c h as Lewis Carroll's " W h a t is t h e

t u r e d p r o j e c t s are all s u c c e s s s t o r i e s a f t e r t h e

use o f a b o o k . . . w i t h o u t pictures o r c o n v e r s a t i o n ? " , w h i c h is

controversy

s e c t i o n , w h i c h i n c l u d e s R i c h a r d Serra's Tilted Arc (intelligently

also d u p l i c a t e d in braille at chest level. T h e w o r k was c o m m i s -

d i s c u s s e d b y c r i t i c D o u g l a s C r i m p ) , M a y a Lin's V i e t n a m

s i o n e d by B r o w a r d C o u n t y ' s C u l t u r a l Affairs P u b l i c A r t a n d

M e m o r i a l , and A h e a r n ' s Raymond,

D e s i g n P r o g r a m a n d d e d i c a t e d in M a y 1999.

Corey, and Daleesha, as well

as t h e D a v i d Avilos, L o u i s H o c k , a n d E l i z a b e t h S i s c o b u s p o s t e r p r o j e c t f r o m San D i e g o . Welcome Tourist Plantation

to America's

• •

Finest

was d e s i g n e d to b e controversial, a n d was,

p r o v o k i n g a discussion a b o u t the relationship b e t w e e n the sunny, u n t r o u b l e d c h a m b e r - o f - c o m m e r c e i m a g e o f San D i e g o a n d t h e use o f u n d o c u m e n t e d w o r k e r s t o m a i n t a i n t h e t o u r i s t

COVER PHOTO CAPTIONS Front Cover (from top to bottom): 1) Andy G o l d s w o r t h y , TheWallThatWent

economy.

for a Walk.

P h o t o by J e r r y L . T h o m p s o n

Finkelpearl falls i n t o u n a b a s h e d h e r o w o r s h i p o n l y w i t h P a o l o Freire. H e m a y b e r i g h t t o u p h o l d Freire's e g a l i t a r i a n ideas a b o u t t e a c h e r s a n d s t u d e n t s in Pedagogy of the Oppressed

as a

2) T o o t h r o c k V i a d u c t c o n s t r u c t i o n . Historic Columbia River G o r g e . Photo courtesy Oregon Department ofTransportation 3) Appalachian Trail, near Helen, Ga. P h o t o b y T a m a r a Sisson 4) N a t i v e A m e r i c a n symbols. P h o t o f r o m t h e W i t t e m a n n Collection.

m o d e l f o r p u b l i c artists, a l t h o u g h " d i a l o g u e " is in d a n g e r o f

5) Edward James, The Bamboo Palace. P h o t o by Victoria M a t t h e w

b e c o m i n g a b u z z w o r d , like " s p i r i t u a l " o r " e m p o w e r . "

6 ) Sylvia Benitez, Beneath the Bark, Under Leaf and Log. P h o t o c o u r t e s y W a v e Hill

T h e great d i s a p p o i n t m e n t for m e was t h e i n t e r v i e w w i t h Maya L i n — t o o u n c r i t i c a l a b o u t h e r version o f t h e c o n t r o v e r s y s u r -

7) Winifred Lutz. The Reclamation Garden. P h o t o c o u r t e s y t h e artist

r o u n d i n g t h e V i e t n a m M e m o r i a l , t o o sketchy a b o u t h e r o t h e r w o r k . W h e n Lin describes t h e Women's Table at Yale as " n o t h i n g b u t n u m b e r s " n e i t h e r she n o r Finkelpearl b o t h e r s to m e n t i o n

Back Cover (from top to bottom): 1) N e w f o u n d Gap Highway, G r e a t S m o k y Mountains National Park, 1936. P h o t o f r o m historic p o s t c a r d

w h a t t h e n u m b e r s refer to. A p h o t o g r a p h is n o help. ( T h e small b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e p h o t o s are at best n o m o r e t h a n adequate.)

2) Margy O'Brien, Teach the Mind &

Touch the Spirit. P h o t o c o u r t e s y City of A l b u q u e r q u e 3) Mike MacDonald, Butterfly Garden. P h o t o by Marie-Josee D e s r o c h e r s 4) Fallen Monarch, Kings Canyon National Park, Calif.

W i t h i n t e r v i e w s it is best to trust e v e r y o n e b u t c h e c k t h e facts.

P h o t o from historic p o s t c a r d

A n d t h e spelling: it's " M a r t i n F r i e d m a n , " n o t " F r e e d m a n . " But

5) G o r d o n Young, Gaius Sentius Drinking Fountain. P h o t o by Julia Bayne

Finkelpearl has c h o s e n talented, intelligent, articulate, a n d c a n -

6 ) Richard Long, A Line in Canada. P h o t o c o u r t e s y S p e r o n e W e s t w a t e r N e w York P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

RECENT

PROJECTS

In July, D e n n i s O p p e n h e i m

Barbara Kruger's fifth w o r k for

G r a c i n g the stairwell landing of

In celebration of life a n d sur-

c o m p l e t e d STAGE SET FOR A FILM

N e w York's Public Art F u n d ,

Eastern O r e g o n University's

vivorship, t h e P r o v i d e n c e

#1 o n t h e c a m p u s of t h e

UNTITLED (IT'S A SMALL W O R L D BUT

ACKERMAN HALL is a m o r e recent

M e d f o r d Medical C e n t e r in

University of N o r t h e r n Iowa,

NOT IF YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT), is o n

w o r k by Sue W e r s c h k u l and

M e d f o r d , O r e g . , included a

C e d a r Falls, a w o r k that has

view at 8th Avenue b e t w e e n

Illahe Tileworks: a t w e n t y - f o o t -

CANCER SURVIVOR'S HANDPRINT MURAL

g e n e r a t e d strong love or hate

41st and 4 2 n d Streets and 41

l o n g tile mural inspired by the

in their n e w cancer center,

responses in m e m b e r s of the

Washington Street at West Side

vastness, wildness, and o p e n

w h i c h was c o m p l e t e d in

c o m m u n i t y . O p p e n h e i m has

H i g h w a y f r o m July 13 t h r o u g h

space of the local terrain. T h e

S e p t e m b e r 1 9 9 9 . T h e project

explained that h e " w a n t e d to

O c t o b e r 22, 2 0 0 0 . T h e bill-

w o r k takes viewers past t h e

was designed and created by Sue

situate in the city a piece of

boards, c o p r o d u c e d by t h e

Wallowa N a t i o n a l Forest, t h e

Werschkul, artist and o w n e r of

sculpture that related to a n o t h e r

W h i t n e y M u s e u m of A m e r i c a n

Eagle C a p Wilderness, t h e

Illahe Tileworks, Ashland, O r e g .

art f o r m , w h i c h is film, (particu-

Art are in c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h t h e

s n o w - c a p p e d peaks of t h e Blue

O v e r 350 cancer survivors

larly) the prop. It was a desire to

e x h i b i t i o n Barbara Kruger.

M o u n t a i n s , and t h e agricultural

participated in the project by

fields of the G r a n d e R o n d e

m a k i n g a p r i n t of their hands

Valley. M a n y of the mural's ani-

in terra c o t t a . T h e s e tiles were

mal and plant images are m o d -

t h e n fired at Illahe T i l e w o r k s

eled in relief, w i t h textural

and c o m b i n e d w i t h brightly

details carved into t h e ceramic

glazed tiles depicting the f o u r

surface. V i e w e d as a w h o l e , the

seasons to create a 1 0 0 - f o o t

w o r k weaves images of history,

mural along the halls of the

natural history, and geology

C e n t e r s entryway.

w i t h the landscape.

[right Photo courtesy the artist]

c o n f u s e s o m e t h i n g false w i t h s o m e t h i n g real, w h i c h a stage set attempts to do." L o c a t e d in f r o n t of the n e w c a m p u s Wellness and R e c r e a t i o n C e n t e r , t h e w o r k takes t h e f o r m of a fanciful b u i l d i n g displaying a diving board, gymnastic rings, dance and aerobics studio m i r rors, w e i g h t b e n c h e s , barbells, and o t h e r devices related to w o r k i n g o u t , p r o v o k i n g viewers to reflect o n t h e images they create for themselves in relationship to wellness and fitness. A reader of t h e

Waterloo/Cedar

Falls Courier c o m m e n t e d , " T h e character o f any city is d e f i n e d by things like its public art

Ursula von Rydingsvard's B O W L WITH FOLDS can b e f o u n d o n the D o r i s C . F r e e d m a n Plaza (60th Street and Fifth Avenue) in N e w York C i t y t h r o u g h spring 2001. Installed in J u n e by t h e Public Art F u n d , the w o r k is the e p i t o m e of von Rydingsvard's larger-than-life style of accumulative sculptures created

Artist Lee Littlefield has a pas-

Olav Westphalen's latest sculp-

f r o m carved, cut, and layered

sion: to s u r r o u n d H o u s t o n with

ture, EXTREMELY SITE-UNSPECIFIC

cedar beams.

his POP-UP S C U L P I U R E S , w o r k s that

SCULPTURE (E.S.U.S.), seeks a middle

" p o p u p " or appear in unusual

g r o u n d b e t w e e n t h e extremes of

and u n e x p e c t e d sites along f r e e -

installation artworks that are a

ways 1-45 and 1-10, particularly

direct response to a given site

areas that are o v e r g r o w n and

and plop art. A cross b e t w e e n a

u n m a n i c u r e d . " T h e freeway's

h i g h - t e c h U.F.O., a W e b e r grill,

edge allows m e to site and

and a child's toy, E.S.U.S.

exhibit sculpture in u n i q u e

t r i p o d legs the that can b e

e n v i r o n m e n t s and present free-

l e n g t h e n e d or s h o r t e n e d

way travelers a Sculpture

according to the surface it sits

M u s e u m w i t h o u t walls,"

o n , a b r i g h t red fiberglass b o d y

Littlefield e x p l a i n s . T h e graceful

that doubles as a

sculptures, o f t e n painted bright

device, and a solar-powered

yellow w i t h hints of o r a n g e and

lighting system. A c c o r d i n g to

red, look like alien plant life, at

Westphalen, it is "an a r t w o r k

o n c e organic and otherwordly.

that f u n c t i o n s equally well at

D o n n a Billick's terrazzo sculpture, OUR HANDS, was installed at t h e e n t r a n c e of t h e C h i c o , Calif., Municipal C e n t e r in August. T h e pair of t w e l v e - f o o t hands contain images of C h i c o s

and architecture. T h e s e things

natural and urban e n v i r o n m e n t

exist as m o n u m e n t s to o u r

e m b e d d e d in the terrazzo.

i m a g i n a t i o n as m u c h as anyt h i n g else and in their absence it's rather like saying that w e have n o i m a g i n a t i o n . " [left Photo courtesy the artist]

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

[middle Photo courtesy City of Chico]

has

flotation

RECENT

PROJECTS

almost any imaginable site at

Creative T i m e l a u n c h e d a n e w

Akak^e's billboard presents a

Electrician, t h e M e n W h o Sold

any time." Presented by the

series this s u m m e r that will

digital still f r o m his v i d e o

t h e World, and Elvis. At

Public Art F u n d t h r o u g h its In

c o n t i n u e t h r o u g h 2 0 0 2 . DNAid

The Measure of All

the Public Realm p r o g r a m ,

features projects in an array of

s h o w i n g a d o u b l e helix as it

E.S.U.S.

d e b u t e d at the

Chicago's H y d e Park A r t C e n t e r

Things,

media designed to e n c o u r a g e

spirals f r o m t h e earth to the

W h i t n e y M u s e u m at Phillip

public awareness and discussion

city skyline and representing a

M o r r i s o n S e p t e m b e r 22. A f t e r

of the implications of genetic

view of t h e f u t u r e of paradise

three days it m o v e d to T o m p k i n s

r e s e a r c h . T h e series was

and technology. For m o r e i n f o r -

Square Park for o n e day and

l a u n c h e d with deli coffee cups

m a t i o n o n DNAid,

then o n to Flushing M e a d o w s

www.creativetime.org.

C o r o n a Park, the site of the

Kalman, C a r y Leibowitz, Larry

[right Alexis Rockman, The Farm.

1964 World's Fair, t h r o u g h

Miller, and T o m T o m o r r o w ,

Photo by Charlie Samuels, courtesy

O c t o b e r 27.

available at coffee shops in all

Creative Times]

visit

and Kathleen M e e h a n c o m pleted SULLIVANT PLAZA, a 10,000s q u a r e - f o o t g a t h e r i n g place in C o l u m b u s , O h i o . Located b e t w e e n the O h i o D e p a r t m e n t s o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n and Public Safety Buildings, the plaza h o n o r s area founder Lucas B. Sullivant. U p p e r and lower plazas include seating, a historical timeline, quotations f r o m c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s , sculpture, artifacts, landscaping, an arbor, and a stone f o u n t a i n . T h e w o r k was f u n d e d by the O h i o Percent for Art P r o g r a m , [left Photo courtesy the artists]

Wave Hill, t h e Bronx's public garden and cultural center, p r e s ents BENEATH THE BARK, U N D E R LEAF A N D LOG. an o u t d o o r installation by Sylvia Benitez, f r o m S e p t e m b e r 3 - O c t o b e r 30, 2 0 0 0 . Five-foot-tall vine balls, f u n g i f o r m s e m a n a t i n g f r o m tree t r u n k s a n d fallen logs, a n d wire

five b o r o u g h s a r o u n d N e w York N e w M e x i c o artists H o w a r d

f r o m A u g u s t 2 7 - O c t o b e r 7.

C i t y b e g i n n i n g at t h e e n d of

THE M E N W H O SOLD THE W O R L D is a

J u n e . Miller's c u p asks " W h o

p e r f o r m a n c e - b a s e d collabora-

o w n s y o u r genes? G o o d q u e s -

tion b e t w e e n C h e s t e r and t h e

t i o n . . . C o p y r i g h t y o u r DNA (you

Sheriff (aka A l a m o & Costello

left s o m e o n this cup)." In

and D o n a l d M c G h i e ) that

September a month-long exhi-

investigates t h e "sell a n y t h i n g "

bition of three publicly sited

idea driving today's global c a p i -

billboards was l a u n c h e d . Alexis

talist culture. T h e piece assumes

R o c k m a n ' s The Farm features a

the role of a

chronological pictorial history

upstart c o m p a n y that is

fly-by-night, focused

of agriculture as it has b e e n

o n t h e m a n t r a , "sell, sell, sell,"

t r a n s f o r m e d by h u m a n s .

w i t h the promise of p r o v i d i n g

Progressing f r o m left to right,

the "latest greatest m a k e - y o u r -

R o c k m a n depicts species of

life-better services and p r o d -

plants and animals as they used

ucts," in a business e n v i r o n m e n t

to look and t h e n visualizes w h a t

that includes slogan directives,

scientists project for t h e

visual experiences, olfactory

f u t u r e â&#x20AC;&#x201D; c h i c k e n s w i t h six legs,

e n c o u n t e r s , and b r a n d e d p r e m i -

square tomatoes, and pigs bred

ums.Two performances pre-

for organ transplants. N a n c y

sented as part of the project

Burson's p h o t o - b a s e d w o r k

include "Pass t h e B u c k , " a n e w

m o r p h s a snapshot of a w o m a n

v e n t u r e event, and "Sell, Sell,

" e v o l v i n g " t h r o u g h five differ-

Sell," a liquidation sale event,

ent races, e x p l o r i n g h o w race is

b o t h f e a t u r i n g guest a p p e a r -

n o t a genetic fact b u t a political

ances f r o m characters such as

and social construct. H a l u k

t h e Secretary, the Painter, t h e

mesh fairy dresses a n d clay m u s h r o o m s h i d d e n u n d e r a tree c o m p r i s e t h e installation, w h i c h is visible at t h e e d g e o f W a v e Hill's w o o d l a n d , b e c k o n i n g visitors i n t o t h e w o o d s to discover its natural mystery and beauty. Students in Wave Hill's Forest P r o j e c t S u m m e r Collaborative worked with Benitez o n the sculptures, i n c l u d i n g harvesting invasive vines from a n e i g h b o r ing park to create t h e v i n e balls.The w o r k is part of Generated@wavehill, a program o f site-specific art in t h e l a n d scape, n o w in its s e c o n d year. [See photo on page 27]

Aims ROCKMAN lor DNAid

RECENT

PROJECTS

L o c a t e d in t h e w i n d o w s of t h e

B e g u n in July 1999 and c o n t i n -

fins.The

San Francisco M u s e u m of

u i n g t h r o u g h 2 0 0 0 is an a u d i o

d e p e n d i n g o n the weather.

C e n t e r in Sheboygan, Wise.,

M o d e r n Art's Garage t h r o u g h

walk by C a n a d i a n artist Janet

B u d d h i s t prayer wheels and

unveiled a m a j o r commission by

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 0 is a special

Cardiff, entitled THE MISSING VOICE

w i n d generators were a m o n g

Patrick D o u g h e r t y for its o u t -

installation by ten h i g h school

(CASE STUDY B). C o m m i s s i o n e d by

the diverse sources of inspira-

d o o r Library Sculpture G a r d e n

s t u d e n t artists called IN-VISION.

Artangel, t h e walk begins at

tion for the piece,

in J u n e . KEEPSAKE, m a d e of b u n -

T h e students, all seniors f r o m

L o n d o n ' s W h i t e c h a p e l Library,

[middle Photo courtesy

dled willow and red osier d o g -

the San Francisco U n i f i e d

w h e r e a participant requests a

the artists]

w o o d saplings, resembles a

S c h o o l District's S c h o o l of t h e

D i s c m a n . Lasting approximately

Arts (SOTA), spent ten weeks

fifty minutes, t h e w o r k traces a

w o r k i n g w i t h artist Seyed Alavi

r o u t e toward the city of L o n d o n

exploring photography tech-

all t h e w h i l e w e a v i n g a narrative

niques w i t h the i n t e n t i o n of

filled w i t h footsteps, w h i s p e r i n g

discovering a way to portray

voices, mystery, paranoia, and

themselves in a single still

urban sounds that shift t h e

image. T h e results are m o n u -

listener back and f o r t h t h r o u g h

m e n t a l digitally m a n i p u l a t e d

t i m e and space, fantasy and

and c o n s t r u c t e d w o r k s layered

reality. As part of their Afterlives

w i t h meanings, m o o d s , and

series of artist's books, CDs, and

e m o t i o n s . T h e Garage w i n d o w s

videos, Artangel has published a

serve as " w i n d o w s of the soul,"

special b o o k d o c u m e n t i n g

displaying each revealing self-

the w o r k that includes a CD

portrait. T h e installation is the

of t h e original walk. For

result of a partnership b e t w e e n

information on experiencing

SOTA a n d SFMOMA'S S t u d i o

the w o r k or purchasing the

Programs for Youth,

Afterlives b o o k , visit

[left Image by Oliver McCarthy-

www.innercity.demon.co.uk.

rotor s p u n gently,

circular G r e e k t e m p l e with a In S e p t e m b e r , G e r m a n artists Victor Kegli and F i l o m e n o Fusco installed 104 pristine, working, white washing m a c h i n e s o n Berlin's Schlossplatz, a spot w h e r e Nazis o n c e rallied and East G e r m a n Communists demonstrated.The artists of W E I S S 104 (WHITE 104), residents of H a m b u r g , resist a single interpretation o f their installation, a c k n o w l e d g i n g instead that it implies various meanings: w h i t e w a s h i n g history, washing dirty political laundry, as well as the G e r m a n cultural obsession w i t h hygiene and cleanliness. T h e washing machines, w h i c h were free for

Foecke. Photo courtesy SFMOMA] Jason B r o w n and A n d r e w

a n y o n e to use, r e m a i n e d o n the

Sinning's W H I R L E O ROTOR was

square until O c t o b e r 3, the

installed this s u m m e r o n the

tenth anniversary of G e r m a n

g r o u n d s of the n e w M i n n e s o t a

reunification, at w h i c h t i m e

Science M u s e u m in d o w n t o w n

they were a u c t i o n e d off.

Saint P a u l . T h e sculpture was in place d u r i n g t h e Science M u s e u m ' s da Vinci's Imagination C e l e b r a t i o n . T h e da Vinci-inspired design c o n sisted of a w o o d e n t e l e p h o n e pole c r o w n e d with a rotor structure c o m p r i s e d of three

T h e J o h n Michael Kohler Arts

twenty-eight-foot-tall center core s u r r o u n d e d by a

fifteen-

foot colonnade. Dougherty " i m a g i n e d this sculpture as a small architectural m e m e n t o w h i c h w o u l d . . .offer a contrast b e t w e e n c o n t e m p o r a r y architecture and ancient and rural ways of w o r k i n g . I saw this sculpture as a street side r e m i n d e r a b o u t o u r first e n c o u n t e r s w i t h sticks as children and the h o u r s of backyard play w h i c h results. Finally, I i m a g i n e d this sculpture as...a psychological j o g , i n t e n d e d to r e m i n d t h e viewer h o w central trees and their g r o w t h are to o u r sense of w e l l - b e i n g as humans." [ r i g h t P h o t o courtesy John Michael Kohler A r t s C e n t e r ]

RECENT

PROJECTS

N e w York's M e t r o p o l i t a n Transit

PLAYING W A R , a video and sculp-

water reflections. Five h u n d r e d

A u t h o r i t y (MTA) celebrated t h e

ture project by M a r i o n Wilson,

r a n d o m p h o t o g r a p h s of N e w

walls six feet high and a red,

renovation of the 81st Street

can be seen in t h e 69th Street

Yorkers were digitally m a n i p u -

sloped roof. Each cell-block is

M u s e u m of Natural History sta-

w i n d o w s of N e w York's

lated to m a k e 100 generic,

divided i n t o t w o cells w i t h

tion o n the B and C line in

SculptureCenter from

i n t e r m i x e d faces for the site's

w i n d o w s and a d o o r , each o f

J u n e . T h e o p e n i n g represented a

N o v e m b e r 2 - 2 5 . T h e installa-

s h a d o w c a n o p y and garden.

w h i c h is blocked by metal bars.

novel collaboration b e t w e e n

tion layers the fantasy play of

C o i n c i d i n g with t h e o p e n i n g of

Two of t h e m o d u l a r cell-blocks

MTA Arts for Transit, w h i c h cre-

y o u n g boys w i t h c o m m e m o r a -

this w o r k is an e n v i r o n m e n t a l

balance o n e n d , and t h e third

square w i t h cast c o n c r e t e

ated the m i x e d - m e d i a installa-

tive representations of war,

installation by C h e n g o n v i e w

rests o n top. Monument

tion, FOR WANT OF A NAIL, that is

glory, tradition, and masculinity

at t h e S c u l p t u r e C e n t e r f r o m

literally and m e t a p h o r i c a l l y

to Escape

integrated t h r o u g h o u t the sta-

e m b o d i e d in and implied by

N o v e m b e r 2 - D e c e m b e r 16,

turns prison architecture o n e n d

tion, and the m u s e u m . O v e r the

b r o n z e public sculptures. A digi-

2 0 0 0 . NATURE OBSERVED/ART TOOL

to visually and viscerally s y m -

course of t w o m o n t h s , Arts for

tally p r o d u c e d v i d e o s u p e r i m -

2000 is a t w e n t y - b y - t h i r t y - f o o t

bolize t h e o v e r t u r n i n g of

Transit researched t h e m u s e u m s

poses the images of very y o u n g

field of sand several inches d e e p

Argentina's military d i c t a t o r -

exhibit materials and e d u c a -

boys playing w i t h guns o n t o

and a robotic mechanical device

ships d u r i n g t h e 1970s.

tional philosophies to c o n c e p t u -

small b r o n z e statues of baby

that drops, rakes, and shapes it

alize a design that suited the

warriors clad in suits of a r m o r .

creating a p a t t e r n e d surface s u g -

overall goal of the project: to

It is s h o w n in c o n j u n c t i o n with

gestive of terrestrial landscapes.

capture t h e spirit of the

cast b r o n z e sculptures of

A s e c o n d gallery will exhibit

m u s e u m . U s i n g ceramic tile,

anatomically correct n e w b o r n

preparatory w o r k C h e n g m a d e

glass tile, glass mosaic, b r o n z e

dolls in a r m o r cast f r o m blankets

w h i l e d e v e l o p i n g t h e Pier 11

relief, and granite as p r i m a r y

and beads. T h e w o r k , created in

p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t project,

materials, the Arts for Transit

collaboration w i t h v i d e o artist

[below Nature Observed. Photo

staff design team depicted t h e

E d g a r Endress and w i t h s o u n d

evolution of extinct, existing,

by E d w a r d R u c h a l s k i , raises

and e n d a n g e r e d life forms. T h e

questions a b o u t g e n d e r c o n -

w o r k shows images and symbols

struction and violence as well as

r a n g i n g f r o m t h e earth's core to

the collision of reality and f a n -

the sea, sky, and cosmos b e y o n d ,

tasy, real and virtual space,

[left Photo courtesy MTA Arts for

[below Photo courtesy the artist]

courtesy SculptureCenter Gallery]

J a c q u e l i n e Pennell's sculptural installation, CAST, was installed o n T h e E c o n o m i s t Plaza in London from September 1â&#x20AC;&#x201D;October 1 5 , 2 0 0 0 . Pennell transposed t h e shadows of three t e e n a g e girls f r o m a Venetian f o r e c o u r t i n t o t h e predominantly "masculine"

Sculptor D e n n i s O p p e n h e i m ' s

Economist plaza.The young

M O N U M E N T TO ESCAPE was erected

w o m e n w e r e p h o t o g r a p h e d by

in S e p t e m b e r at t h e Parque de

Pennell d u r i n g t h e previous

la M e m o r i a in B u e n o s Aires,

s u m m e r at a t i m e of day in

Argentina. O p p e n h e i m ' s w o r k is

w h i c h their shadows m a d e a

o n e of eight to b e awarded a

captivating presence. T h e

Santa M o n i c a - b a s e d artist Carl

sculpure prize f r o m t h e C i t y o f

photographs provided

C h e n g ' s latest public c o m m i s -

B u e n o s Aires and installed in

images f r o m w h i c h t h e

sion at t h e Pier 11 Ferry

t h e p a r k â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n d t h e only w o r k by

sculptures e m e r g e d . M a d e

L a n d i n g in L o w e r M a n h a t t a n

an A m e r i c a n . T h e c o m p e t i t i o n ' s

f r o m cast r u b b e r , t h e flat,

opens in N o v e m b e r . COMMUNITY

t h e m e was to h o n o r those k i d -

translucent sculptures

ISLAND P O N D and S H A D O W G A R D E N

n a p p e d , missing, or m u r d e r e d

w e r e enlarged to exaggerate

provides a c o m m u n i t y rest spot

because of Argentina's state t e r -

t h e shadows' presence,

and encourages an awareness of

rorism. T h e architectonic sculp-

[right Photo courtesy

the East R i v e r e n v i r o n m e n t

ture is c o m p r i s e d of three

Contemporary Art Society Projects]

t h r o u g h the e n h a n c e m e n t of

g e n e r i c gray cell-blocks ten feet

Transit]

Museum & of Natural History

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

RECENT

PROJECTS

Barbara M c C a r r e n a n d j u d Fine

tiles i n t o their t w e n t y - f i v e - b y -

W h i l e cities a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y

collaborated o n t w o w o r k s this

thirty-two-foot photographic

are h e r d i n g like cattle to copy

Metcalfe Park c o m m u n i t y .

year, M 0 D E S T 0 P 0 , and MAiZ, b o t h

portrait, W A I T I N G , w h i c h captures

Chicago's Cows on Parade,

Based o n the cultural traditions

projects reshaping and a d d i n g to

five p e o p l e anticipating the

M i l w a u k e e has forged its o w n

of A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s , it is a

public space. Modestopojj sited in

arrival of a flight. A n n Preston

path and created a u n i q u e , p e r -

place w h e r e p e o p l e can reflect,

d o w n t o w n M o d e s t o , Calif., is a

draws o n t h e p e r f e c t i o n of

m a n e n t public art initiative that

meditate, and d r e a m â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n eight-

plaza designed w i t h an orchard

m a t h e m a t i c s for VOU W E R E I N

is an innovative twist o n a

f o o t - h i g h and - w i d e sculpture

of pistachio trees, g i n g k o trees,

H E A V E N , a representation of pure

growing trend.The NEIGHBORHOOD

m a d e of red, green, and black

and a t h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a l l a n d -

sky and clouds that creates a

M I L L E N N I U M A R T I N I T I A T I V E (NMAI) is a

granite w i t h a b r o n z e caste stool

scape m a p of t h e s u r r o u n d i n g

h u g e kaleidoscopic star p a t t e r n

u n i q u e public-private approach

that creates a sense of an e n o r -

area. Maiz,

for t h e ceiling d o m e and c o r r i -

to public art that is s p u r r i n g the

m o u s throne. Evelyn Terry cre-

C h a v e z Park in L o n g B e a c h .

d o r walls of C o n c o u r s e A.

city's e c o n o m i c , social, and cul-

ated Kindred Ties, an inspiring

Calif., is a text m a z e inscribed

O t h e r artists w h o w e r e c o m -

tural d e v e l o p m e n t . C o m m u n i t y

bus shelter w i t h w r o u g h t iron

w i t h q u o t a t i o n s relating to t h e

missioned for this project

leaders developed NMAL as a way

images, paint, and colored c o n -

dignity of agrarian labor and

include Vito Acconci, l k - J o o n g

to celebrate and c o m m e m o r a t e

crete, in the N o r t h C e n t r a l

life, t h e integrity of earthly flora

Kang, S u - C h e n H u n g , M i l d r e d

the city's j o u r n e y i n t o t h e

N e i g h b o r h o o d , an area that is

and f a u n a , and t h e i m p o r t a n c e

H o w a r d , V i o l a Frey, E n r i q u e

twenty-first century, and they

w o r k i n g toward revitalization.

of t h e coastal f a r m . Poets and

Chagoya, Squeak C a r n w a t h ,

backed t h e project w i t h large

Pamela Matiosian w o r k e d w i t h

activists q u o t e d i n c l u d e E r n e s t o

C a r m e n Lomas Garza, R i g o 99,

g r a n t s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 each to partici-

students, senior groups, and t h e

Galarza, T h e o d o r e R o e t h k e , J o y

R u p e r t Garcia, E m m a n u e l

pating artists.The seven p e r m a -

U p t o w n Crossing Business

H a i j o , Pablo N e r u d a and

M o n t o y a , Keith Sonnier, and

n e n t w o r k s of art, i n t e n d e d to

Association to create Fence of

Booker T.Washington,

N e d K a h n . An additional

be gifts to f u t u r e generations,

Belonging, a tile mosaic sculp-

[left Maiz. Photo courtesy

w o r k , created by Joyce KozlofF

are site specific to a n e i g h b o r -

tural fence that replaces a dreary

the artists]

in 1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 3 , will be

h o o d and i n c l u d e s o m e aspect

chain-link fence. A n d Erik

reinstalled. T h e artists were

of c o m m u n i t y participation.

B l o m e created Children of the

c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e San

Z o r a n Mojsilov created Stone

West End, life -size b r o n z e fig-

Francisco Arts C o m m i s s i o n in

Bracelet for a city park in historic

ures of children reflecting the

collaboration w i t h t h e San

Walker's Point. M a d e of l i m e -

diversity of the n e i g h b o r h o o d

Francisco A i r p o r t u n d e r the

stone, granite, and stainless steel,

along a s e v e n t e e n - f o o t s e r p e n -

city's p e r c e n t - f o r - a r t ordinance,

the sculpture refers to geology

tine wall m a d e f r o m

[right Lary Sultan and Mike Mandel,

and the passage and m e a s u r e -

Milwaukee's distinctive cream

Waiting. Photo by Craig Mole]

m e n t of time. Peter Flanary's

city b l o c k s . T h e sculpture is

Eight Boulders and a Pavilion

located in a site that was f o r -

leads visitors t h r o u g h a historic

merly a n e i g h b o r h o o d waste-

walking t o u r of Merrill Park.

land, but has b e e n t r a n s f o r m e d

situated in Cesar

W h e n San Francisco's n e w i n t e r n a t i o n a l a i r p o r t o p e n s in O c t o b e r it will offer travelers seventeen n e w p e r m a n e n t p u b lic art installations. W o r k s range f r o m such large-scale, f u n c t i o n a l pieces as sculptor J a m e s C a r p e n t e r ' s fiberglass light reflectors integrated i n t o the departures lobby skylights and Lewis deSoto's 1 2 , 0 0 0 - s q u a r e f o o t terrazzo floor in t h e same lobby, to a t w o - s t o r y fresco buono b y j u a n a Alicia. Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel hand-assembled 9 9 , 0 0 0 o n e - i n c h square mosaic

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

Egbo (Sacred Grove) in the

O n the M i l w a u k e e Riverwalk,

into a l o w - m a i n t e n a n c e garden

Beth Sahagian's Aqua Grilli, a

and an attractive entryway to

cast b r o n z e arch a d o r n e d by a

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

magical w a t e r creature, acts as a gateway to the river. M u n e e r B a h a u d d e e n created

RECENT

PROJECTS

T h e P h o e n i x Arts C o m m i s s i o n ' s

Barbara M c C a r r e n recently

It was partially f u n d e d by NASA'S

SUNNYSLOPE CANAL DEMONSTRATION

c o m p l e t e d t w o n e w projects in

Art P r o g r a m and inspired by t h e

w h i c h runs six miles f r o m t h e

PROJECT has t r a n s f o r m e d a o n e -

California. FORETOKENS is a series

M a r s M i l l e n n i u m Project,

Mississippi R i v e r to Lake

a n d - a - h a l f - m i l e section of the

of cast b r o n z e amulets in high

w h i c h challenges students to

C a l h o u n , is h o m e to a m i x o f at

Arizona Canal, f o r m e r l y an

relief seated o n t h i r t y - s i x - i n c h -

w o r k in teams to p r o d u c e a

least twelve different s o c i o e c o n o m i c , ethnic, and cultural

Minneapolis's Lake Street,

uninviting, barren, utility c o r r i -

high c o n c r e t e bases and located

w o r k of art or science that

d o r that nevertheless d r e w

at t h e teeing area of each h o l e at

reflects their vision of t h e

neighborhoods. Minnesota-born

walkers, joggers, and bikers to its

the R a n c h o del P u e b l o

future. After l e a r n i n g a b o u t

photographer W i n g Young Huie

e a r t h e n , water-lined b a n k s . T h e

Municipal Golf C o u r s e in San

M a r s f r o m a NASA space e n g i -

spent t h e past f o u r years d o c u -

design team, led by M . Paul

Jose. Based o n the tradition of

neer, t h e children p r o d u c e d

m e n t i n g life o n Lake Street.

Friedberg, FASLA, of N e w York

l u c k - b r i n g i n g objects a m o n g

m o r e than 4 0 0 drawings o f their

Since July, t h e 6 5 0 p h o t o g r a p h s

City, included artists Jackie

golfers, the amulets include a

n o t i o n s of space. B i g H a n d s

that are t h e result of this u n d e r -

Ferrara and D o u g Hollis, land-

rabbit's foot, a horseshoe, a

c o m b i n e d seventy-five of t h e

taking have b e e n displayed in

scape architect Steve M a r t i n o ,

w i s h b o n e , and a f o u r - l e a f e d

drawings and scaled t h e m for

store w i n d o w s , t h e sides o f p u b -

and consultant M a r t i n Yoklic.

clover. HOME COURT, at the Pacific

the school's walls. T h e children

lic buses, at illuminated bus

Landscape architecture has

Palisades Park g y m n a s i u m in

did t h e p a i n t i n g — i n just eight

stops, and as t w e l v e - f o o t m u r a l

t r a n s f o r m e d the watercourse

Pacific Palisades, features f o u r

days. All involved h o p e that the

prints o n t h e G r e a t Lakes

into a park a t m o s p h e r e with

f r a m e d basketball jerseys for

mural will spark n e w energy at

Center. Accompanying the p h o -

trees and f o u r o u t d o o r " r o o m s "

intellectuals (Vicki B a u m ,

CES 64, w h i c h has b e e n s t r u g -

tos are t h e w o r d s of the p e o p l e

located along a b e r m o n the

Aldous Huxley, T h o m a s M a n n ,

gling to t u r n a r o u n d p o o r e d u -

in t h e pictures, e x c e r p t e d f r o m

canal's n o r t h b a n k . Each r o o m

and C h r i s t o p h e r Isherwood)

cational p e r f o r m a n c e ,

h u n d r e d s of interviews that

has a different t h e m e : o n e is a

w h o resided in Pacific Palisades

[middle Photo by Sarah Donovan]

H u i e c o n d u c t e d . LAKE STREET USA

water sculpture i n t e n d e d to cool

d u r i n g t h e 1930s and 1940s.

will be o n v i e w at least t h r o u g h

lush desert grasses and low walls

In July, C o m m u n i t y E l e m e n t a r y

all p h o t o g r a p h s will b e a u c -

or b e n c h e s w i t h m o u n t a i n

School 64 (CES 64) in t h e

t i o n e d off to s u p p o r t n e i g h b o r -

views; the f o u r t h r o o m f u n c -

B r o n x received a h u g e f a c e l i f t —

h o o d groups. A W e b site

tions as a sun dial t h r o u g h

a 14-by-550-foot permanent

hosted by Walker A r t C e n t e r

w h i c h visitors' shadows tell the

o u t d o o r m u r a l — o n e of t h e

provides a virtual t o u r o f all

t i m e of day. T h e project is

largest in N e w York C i t y —

650 p h o t o g r a p h s as well as

P h o e n i x ' s first a t t e m p t to

called LIVING ON M A R S . T h e a r t -

digital files for publication:

improve recreational services

w o r k was a collaborative effort

lakestreetusa.walkerart.org.

along the banks of the Bureau

b e t w e e n CITYarts; N e w

[ r i g h t P h o t o by FORECAST]

of R e c l a m a t i o n / S a l t R i v e r

Settlement, a n o n p r o f i t h o u s i n g

O c t o b e r , and o n N o v e m b e r 19

t h e desert air; t w o others feature

Project Canals.

and c o m m u n i t y - b u i l d i n g o r g a n -

[left Photo courtesy Phoenix Arts

ization in the southwest B r o n x ;

Commission]

mural artists Nils Folke A n d e r s o n and N i c k y E n r i g h t ( k n o w n as t h e artist collaborative Big Hands); and m o r e than 150 B r o n x children.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FAIL. WINTER. 00

RECENT

PROJECTS

Z o r a n Mojsilov recently

A master of t h e m a z e for m o r e

B e t h Galston's installation,

r a n d o m spots at a city park.

c o m p l e t e d BASIN, a granite,

than t w e n t y years, artist J o h n

RECASTING NATURE, ran f r o m

Left w i t h each piece is a n o t e

stainless steel, and black spruce

W i l l e n b e c h e r has c a p t u r e d t h e

S e p t e m b e r 6 - O c t o b e r 1, 2000,

describing the project and an

sculpture for t h e University of

intricacies and ambiguities of

at Boston Sculptors at C h a p e l

SASE to be r e t u r n e d to A l a m o

W i s c o n s i n at Steven's Point.

p a t t e r n and space in granite and

Gallery in West N e w t o n , Mass.

& Costello for tracking p u r -

The twenty-two-foot-high

steel at t h e M i n n e a p o l i s

T h e installation was a series of

poses. "Parks are very nice

w o r k was c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e

Institute of Arts (MIA).

large-scale sculptures m a d e of

places and w e n e e d to go

C o l l e g e of N a t i o n a l R e s o u r c e s

C o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e MIA to

natural materials, such as leaves,

t h e r e . . . f o r a w a l k . . . t o see

w i t h Percent for Art in Public

design a n e w plaza and pavilion

a c o r n caps, seed pods, branches,

nature. A n d w h e n the piece is

Places f u n d i n g .

o n t h e south lawn of the

logs, and roses, w h i c h Galston

picked u p by s o m e o n e , w h o

museum, Willenbecher envi-

had preserved a n d cast or

knows? M a y b e it will make

T h e latest phase of t h e sixty-

sioned LABYRINTH, w h i c h takes

e m b e d d e d in translucent resin.

their day." L a u n c h e d in

followers o n a j o u r n e y over the

T h e relationship b e t w e e n n a t u r e

O c t o b e r 1999 in N e w York

entire plaza and i n t o the c e n t e r

and architecture is a central

City, the distribution will c o n -

of an o p e n pavilion: t h e r o o f is

t h e m e to t h e w o r k . In

tinue for three years in cities

cut o u t in the pattern of t h e

of a Rose, for example, rose

chosen o n an o n g o i n g basis. To

maze, o p e n i n g t h e pavilion to

leaves, petals, thorns, and sta-

date, drops have o c c u r r e d in

the sky. " W a l k i n g a m a z e can be

m e n s were preserved in tiny

twelve cities, i n c l u d i n g

a kind of m e d i t a t i o n , " says

cubes and stacked t o g e t h e r to

Indianapolis, Minneapolis,

W i l l e n b e c h e r , "so I w a n t e d t h e

suggest n e w m e a n i n g s and

Milwaukee, A n n Arbor, and

design to b e simple and n o n -

poetic juxtapositions.

C a m b r i d g e and L o n d o n ,

t h r e e - a c r e CAPONI ART PARK AND L E A R N I N G CENTER in Eagan, M i n n . , was n e a r i n g c o m p l e t i o n in early July w h e n a record elevena n d - a - h a l f - i n c h rainfall washed o u t sections of n e w l y created paths t h r o u g h t h e park leading to a serene o u t d o o r a m p h i t h e ater. Sculptor and f o u n d e r A n t h o n y C a p o n i and his p a r t ner, C h e r y l , surveyed the d a m age and, w i t h a heavy sigh, w e n t back to w o r k . C a p o n i ' s s t o n e and cast metal w o r k is scattered t h r o u g h o u t t h e site, located t w e n t y miles s o u t h of the Twin Cities. A l t h o u g h he's p u s h i n g eighty, h e hasn't slowed d o w n f o r a m i n u t e . H e has mastered his latest sculpting tool: a f r o n t e n d loader. C a r v i n g land f o r m s and c u t t i n g trails t h r o u g h t h e w o o d s takes u p m u c h of his t i m e now. " T h e paths I m a k e are line drawings," h e explains. For f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n visit www.caponiartpark.org. [left Photo courtesy the artist]

Anatomy

threatening, b u t I also w a n t e d it

England. To check o n sites for

to have a grand scale."

C h i c a g o - b a s e d artist A l a m o &

Willenbecher's design was

Costello has b e e n busy w i t h

W e b site, w w w . e n t e r a c t . c o m /

t u r n e d i n t o a w o r k a b l e granite

A P P L E S E E D , a series of 280 r a n -

~refocus, w h i c h features a r i d -

and steel structure by

d o m , " f i n e art offerings" in

dle w h o s e solution is also

Minneapolis architect R o n a l d

t w e n t y national and t w e n t y

rewarded with an original w o r k

R . S m i t h o f W a l s h Bishop

international city parks. "I've

of a r t â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n e i g h t - b y - t e n - i n c h

Associates, Inc.

d o n e a lot of research o n

chrome photograph,

[Johnny Appleseed]," he says.

[right Photo courtesy the artist]

" H e had g o n e a r o u n d planting trees in the M i d w e s t . . . a s an act of kindness." A l a m o & Costello is interested in the same type of kindness, b u t t h r o u g h gifts of art. Each of his offerings c o n sists of a l a r g e - f o r m a t color transparency encased b e t w e e n t w o panes of glass in a w o o d frame, seven of w h i c h h e distributes o n a designated day in

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . FALL. WINTER. 00

f u t u r e drops, visit the project

Skowhegan Application deadline: February 1, 2001 A residency p r o g r a m in M a i n e for a d v a n c e d visual artist w o r k i n g with established Resident a n d Visiting Artists

June 16 - August 18, 2001 For information contact: Skowhegan 200 Park Ave. S o u t h , Suite 1116 N e w York, N Y 10003 tel 212/529-0505 fax 212/473-1342 e-mail m a i l @ s k o w h e g a n a r t . o r g website w w w . s k o w h e g a n a r t . o r g

King County Public Art Program The King County Public Art Program, w i t h offices in Seattle, Washington,

G e n e r o u s financial aid is available.

develops permanantly sited, portable, or architecturally integrated public artworks of the highest quality, using funds from 1% of county construction budgets. Since 1 9 7 3 , t h e mission of t h e program has been t o ensure

Faculty Resident Artists Visiting Artists M a r y Lucier Bruce Pearson

Allen R u p p e r s b e r g Beverly S e m m e s Kara Walker

that t h e w o r k and thinking of artists is incorporated into King County buildings, public places and i n f r a s t r u c t u r e . For information write to:

Robert Creeley

5 0 6 S e c o n d Avenue, Suite 2 0 0 , S e a t t l e , W a s h i n g t o n 9 8 1 0 4 - 2 3 0 7 ,

Paul Mellon Distinguished Fellow

H e l m u t Dorner Vik M u n i z Shirin N e s h a t Carolee S c h n e e m a n n

c a l l 2 0 6 . 2 9 6 . 8 6 7 6 or V / T D D 2 0 6 . 2 9 6 . 7 5 8 0 . Fax

206.296.8629

King C o u n t y

Public Art Program

O f f i c e of C u l t u r a l

Resources

www.metrokc.gov/exec/culture/publicart

You'll receive 10 issues a y e a r — e a c h one containing more than 100 color images. Sculpture features thoughtful criticism, surveys of current issues in the field, reviews from around the world, studio visits, and interviews with established and emerging artists, as well as profiles of important public commissions.

Join our group of devoted readers and keep pace with the changing forms of s c u l p t u r e — in the gallery and on the plaza. From grand-scale memorials to community-based interactive projects, anti-monuments, and

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environmental interventions, Sculpture explores the concerns of public a r t — i t s creation, meaning, administration, and conservation.

Subscriptions are $50/North America and $70/Intemational. For more information call the International Sculpture Center 609.689.1051 or e-mail <cyril@scutpture.org>.

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SOLAR

HOLT,

1995

FEATURING: DOUG HOLLIS,

NANCY HOLT, TIM

K.O.S., ELYN Z I M M E R M A N

ROLLINS

AND OTHER

R E N O W N E D C O N T R I B U T O R S TO T H E ArtistsRegister.com is a c o o p e r a t i v e service of t h e A r i z o n a C o m m i s s i o n o n the Arts, the Colorado Council o n the Arts, and the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF). www.ArtistsRegister.com

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MUSEUM

vahern@satie.arts.usf.edu

Fairmount Park Art Association

New

'Land Marks public art, community, and the meaning of place

New'Land'Marks is a program of the Fairmount Park Art Association that brings together artists and community organizations to plan new works of public art for Philadelphia's neighborhoods. Participating artists and communities have worked together to develop proposals that incorporate public art into ongoing community development, urban greening, public amenities, and other revitalization initiatives. These efforts celebrate community identity, commemorate "untold" histories, and offer visionary, yet reasonable, ways to invigorate public spaces.

Publication Forthcoming February 2001

Exhibition February 10-April 15, 2001

A fully illustrated publication addresses the complex artistic and community processes that shaped the proposals and includes essays by Penny Balkin Bach, Ellen Dissenayake, Thomas Hine, and Lucy Lippard; detailed proposal descriptions; and a comprehensive bibliography.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Broad and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, PA A major exhibition of works in process, including photographs, plans, drawings, computer renderings, maps, maquettes, and models.

Participating Artists

Participating Communities

$ 2 9 . 9 5 hardcover with jacket ISBN 0 - 9 6 7 9 1 4 3 - 4 - 5 160 pages; color and b & w illus.

Lorene Cary, Lonnie Graham, and John Stone

The Allegheny West Foundation

To pre-ordersend check + $ 4 . 5 0

Malcolm Cochran

Baltimore Avenue in Bloom

Ap. Gorny

Communities of Kensington and Fishtown

Mei-ling Horn

Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Martha Jackson-Jarvis and JoAnna Viudez

Friends of Elmwood Park

Zevilla Jackson Preston

Friends of the Japanese House and Garden

John Kindness

Friends of Malcolm X Memorial Park

Ed Levine

Friends of the Wissahickon

Rick Lowe and Deborah Grotfeldt

The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender

Darlene Nguyen-Ely Todd Noe Pepon Osorio Diane Pieri and Vicki Scuri Jaime Suarez George Trakas Janet Zweig

community in association with the William Way Community Center

shippingand handling per copy to: Grayson Publishing 1700 17th Street NW, Suite 505 Washington, D.C. 20009

T h e e x h i b i t i o n a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g p u b l i c a t i o n h a v e b e e n s u p p o r t e d by a g r a n t f r o m t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a E x h i b i t i o n s Initiative, a p r o g r a m f u n d e d by T h e P e w C h a r i t a b l e

Manayunk Development Corporation

Trusts, a n d a d m i n i s t e r e d by T h e U n i v e r s i t y of t h e A r t s , P h i l a d e l p h i a , with a d d i t i o n a l

Mill Creek Artists' Collaborative

s u p p o r t from The William P e n n Foundation, the P e n n s y l v a n i a Council o n the Arts,

Neighbors of Fairhill

a n d the Fairmount Park Art Association.

Pennypack Environmental Center Advisory Council Project H.O.M.E. South of South Neighborhood Association Vietnamese United National Association

For m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e c o n t a c t : F a i r m o u n t P a r k Art A s s o c i a t i o n

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 2012 Philadelphia, PA 19101-5113 215.546.7550

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St. Paul, UN 55114 T <51-641-1128 / F

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| www.artjob.org Easy-to-use, searchable Web site

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New Slide Registry Deadlines November 15, 2 0 0 0 May 15, 2 0 0 1 November 15, 2 0 0 1 Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places supports and administers the installation of both commissioned and purchased art in public spaces of state buildings.

FAN BACK CHAIRS,

1999

granite mosaic Constance Mayeron &

Get your slides on file in our Slide Registry to be considered for future projects. All media is accepted. Contact the Minnesota State Arts Board for an application.

Fuller Cowles, Franconia, M N E A R T H SPIRIT, 1999 mosaic granite and tile fountain with kneewall Constance Mayeron & Fuller Cowles,

Minnesota State Arts Board Park S q u a r e C o u r t 4 0 0 S i b l e y Street, S u i t e 2 0 0 S a i n t Paul, M N 5 5 1 0 1 - 1 9 2 8

Franconia, M N Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center, Anoka, M N

(651)

215-1600

(800)

8MN-ARTS

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