The Opiate, Winter Vol. 4
Gaius Caligula, Gephyromaniac John J. Trause [2. Life on the Edge: Marginality as the Center of Public Art Inside the gallery/museum, the artist functions as the center of a particular system; once outside that system, the artist is lost between worlds — ] => “the artist’s position in our culture is marginal. The public artist can turn that marginality to advantage. Forced, physically, off to the side, the public artist is asked to deal not with the building but with the sidewalk, not with the road but with the benches at the side of the road, not with the city but with the bridges between cities.” <= [Outside and in between centers, the public artist is under cover; public art functions, literally, as a marginal note; it tries to comment on, and contradict, the main body of the text as a culture.] VITO ACCONCI Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, When he was Emperor of ancient Rome, being Heir to Tiberius, reigned in insanity: Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac. Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, When he was Emperor, grew very passionate And more obsessed, one would even say violently, This time with bridges — yes, gephyrophilia. Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, Grew more obsessed and not only with building them, But also he’d just adore being close to them: How could you satisfy such an arch specialty? Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, When he was little had read in Herodotus How in the Persian War Xerxes, the emperor Of all of Persia invaded the Greek mainland By crossing over what we call the Dardanelles, Then called the Hellespont, gateway to Asia, By building over this body of water a Gigantic bridge, that stretched nearly a mile, so Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, In a mad effort to outdo that emperor Stretched a huge bridge all the way from Puteoli To Bauli over the wide Bay of Naples, and Gaius Caligula, gephyromaniac, Rode on his chariot, crowned with a golden wreath,
40.
