Owl sculpture vandal clearly lacking in #BelcoPride

wildturkeycanoe said :

So according to the plaque, the owl is an “occasional” resident to the ACT. It doesn’t even mention being sighted in Belconnen specifically, so what makes it unique to our suburbs then? Nothing. This could have been an image of our Prime Minister, who is also an occasional resident, and would have been about as suitable for subject matter as an owl that visits once in a while.
I sincerely hope they aren’t spending nearly half a million dollars to touch up the base with some paint every few years. If so, I would offer my services and do it for a tenth of that and still make a huge profit.

At least the real owl occasionally visits Canberra, the white swan in our flag doesn’t even exist.

So according to the plaque, the owl is an “occasional” resident to the ACT. It doesn’t even mention being sighted in Belconnen specifically, so what makes it unique to our suburbs then? Nothing. This could have been an image of our Prime Minister, who is also an occasional resident, and would have been about as suitable for subject matter as an owl that visits once in a while.
I sincerely hope they aren’t spending nearly half a million dollars to touch up the base with some paint every few years. If so, I would offer my services and do it for a tenth of that and still make a huge profit.

Ever wondered why some “societies” actually worship a 40ft concrete statue of an owl?

I will give you a hint. It is very illuminati-ng.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4NZ_q247E

Go to 20.32 It is all there for those that are interested.

I would be receptive to Skywhale being returned to Canberra and somehow being permanently moored above the Legislative Assembly building in London Circuit.

While I don’t like it in any “art” way, I believe it stands as the greatest practical joke ever played on the leaders of Canberra buy an ex-Canberran.

Some would refer to it as “revenge art”.

Looking forward to a “Skywhale Levy” on my next rate/land tax notice.

jcitizen said :

No wonder Canberra is the laughing stock of the Nation. What a massive joke. No wonder no one takes politicians seriously..Muppets…

I think that “roadside art” program (instituted by Stanhope I think) has been discontinued ? In any event, yes, Canberra is still widely regarded as a laughing stock of the nation. And little wonder, but its probably ACT voters/ratepayers who are the “muppets” and they have again returned the ACT Labor/Greens Go’t – not even an independent in sight to hold the balance of power. ACT politicians just take advantaged of that voter/ratepayer apathy. There are just far too many overpaid people in Canberra to whom a bit of highly expensive and obscure road side art, means nothing.

madelini said :

I love the owl, and find it incredibly sad when public art is defaced (including when one of the figurines from the little men sculpture was continuously stolen, prompting the statue’s relocation to Gorman House). Have some pride, people.

The fact that the owl is vaguely phallic is beside the point. I would be surprised if the artist had been unaware of the likeness – artists are often highly aware of how their works can be seen – it’s still fantastic. If Belconnen doesn’t want it, I’ll gladly take it. And to all those saying “but is it art?”, can you explain to me how it is not?

You will gladly take it, but would you gladly pay the $450K like the rate payers did, and then that again to repair it?? No wonder Canberra is the laughing stock of the Nation..How about you take the mangled mess that looks like the steel in the bridge that collapsed out Mitchell way? Or the orange thing out at Kambah with those googly eyes? What a massive joke. No wonder no one takes politicians seriously..Muppets…

Acton said :

Is it vandalism, or is it art? Manifestations of so-called art around Canberra are designed to be confrontational. The artist enjoys making the viewer uneasy when they see the object. It shows the artist’s independence from and contempt for the wage earning, mortgage paying class.

The public must just pay their taxes, levies and rates, then stand well back and gape in dutiful awe at the artist’s creation. Any green space is simply a venue waiting to be adorned with bits of metal welded together. Give it a funky name and it then becomes art.

After all, the art is in the description, not the object. The greater art is in the scam of obtaining public funding for private fantasies.

So grow a hipster beard, put on a floppy hat, call yourself an artist, get a grant and create some confrontational art. Let’s see. What about a large flying mutant turtle with big titties? Too ridiculous for public funding? No, it’s been done. Ok, how about burying some encyclopaedias by the lake to illustrate the clash between Western and Indigenous knowledge. Nope, it’s been done too.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/the-walk-around-lake-burley-griffin-just-got-a-whole-lot-more-interesting-as-artists-install-their-works-for-contour-556-20161020-gs6o7u.html

Well there is a large owl in Belconnen…. Disfigurement and offence. Such pet subjects for our local artists. Some call it vandalism. Some call it art. Do they know the difference?

Well said…

Is it art or is it vandalism, you ask? Well, it’s art if someone calls it art and then gets miffed and huffy if anyone disagrees. But this really is art: it’s an example of the FAM(e) school – Furtive Art Movement (environmental). Not my style, you understand: no depth.

I suggest the charcoal base is repainted Army camouflage colours – disruptive pattern I think they call it. That would be in keeping with the idea of the owl in bushland, the inevitable FAM(e) works would be harder to see and the periodic touch-up maintenance quite easy. You need three colours green, brown and black and a ladder. It can all be done by the end of the month. Schedule a quarterly inspection.

For what it’s worth, I like the owl and suggest it should be named Jon. Some public art is a wonderful thing and its cost was a trivial proportion of the overall territory budget. What is the point in having a society if we can’t collectively do things that we couldn’t do individually – practical stuff like roads, hospitals and garbage collection but also a bit of fun stuff too.

I wanted to share this photo of Narrabundah’s all-wood tribute to the Belco Owl, but couldn’t, so have made it my profile photo.