Public Art....it's a Hoot!! (Belconnen gets an owl)

LeatherJen said :

Do we really need to have all these phallic references?

Yes. Yes we do. There are not enough phallic references in our public art. As a red blooded Canberra woman I strongly believe too many phalluses are never enough.

LeatherJen said :

Do we really need to have all these phallic references?

Yes, I think so.

Do we really need to have all these phallic references?

My two year old “it’s amaaaaazing, I love it!”, if not for that I’d be not loving it myself 😉

Based on the photo provided here I thought that it was a piece of crap.

Went and had a look today and I actually don’t mind it.

I wonder how many people deriding the owl have actually bothered going to look at it in real life instead of basing their opinion on one photograph.

Stevian said :

It’s obviously engaged you all, for good or ill. Therefore as a work of art it has succeeded

+1

It’s 2D. It isn’t a sculpture, because it’s only appealing from one angle

Go on, give us a clue, what angle is that?

I think it look like one of those ghost creatures from Miyazaki’s animated creation Spirited Away…. but maybe that’s the photo… I will have to check it out in person.

Pommy bastard said :

Stevian said :

It’s obviously engaged you all, for good or ill. Therefore as a work of art it has succeeded

My dog took a cr@p in our swimming pool the other day*, that engaged us for good or ill, anyone willing to call it art and give me $400,000 for it?

Your reply is just the sort of self serving, bland, unintelligent, mediocre, stupidity which drives the public hate of modern art.

* He’s very old and ill poor soul, and accident.

If you think you can state a decent case go for it.

Since I’ve pissed you off I’ve succeeded as art too.

Antagonist said :

The Frots said :

Saw it – its not just crap…………………………………..its expensive crap.

Just say it dude! It is a $400k piece of crap in the shape of a wobbly c0ck, perfectly positioned to distract Canberra’s already sh!t drivers. FFS say it and own it! Oh, hang on …

Not sure, but I think we got there!

The Frots said :

Saw it – its not just crap…………………………………..its expensive crap.

Just say it dude! It is a $400k piece of crap in the shape of a wobbly c0ck, perfectly positioned to distract Canberra’s already sh!t drivers. FFS say it and own it! Oh, hang on …

Saw it – its not just crap…………………………………..its expensive crap.

It’s 2D. It isn’t a sculpture, because it’s only appealing from one angle. Ignorant choice, waste of public money. Who are the committee of philistines who chose it?

Gerry-Built said :

… then the whole base is made of quite large hardwood timbers, in a vertical arrangement (the dark bit you see in the accompanying image).

Freakin awesome! Just add Jiffy Fire Lighters and it will double up as a monument to the Canberra Fire Storm. This ‘artist’ is a genius!

Mr Stanhope – I took a few Viagra this morning and I’ve got an identical statue in the front of my pants. I salute you, sir!

Thumper said :

I think I’m going to have to go for a drive and check out this monstrous zombie owl…

Yes, I’ve decided that while I seem to have a lot to say about it, I haven’t seen the damn thing personally except through Gerry’s and others pics. Better take a look.

See you there!

The Frots said :

the art is crap

I’m undecided on the crapworthiness or otherwise, but what I can say for sure is that the location is a poor choice for any artwork; especially a sizable investment of $400K… Such expenditure should have placed it in a focal point where people gather… I can’t see it getting through this weekend without being tagged by JDs…

I am quite fond of “The Thief of Time” featured in the CT story mentioned (way) above…

I think I’m going to have to go for a drive and check out this monstrous zombie owl…

Gerry-Built said :

The Frots said :

Gerry-Built said :

The_Bulldog said :

Don’t know enough about the base or costs associated with big-ass lumps of what appears to be granite or some-such.

There is a concrete plinth of about 40cm, then the whole base is made of quite large hardwood timbers, in a vertical arrangement (the dark bit you see in the accompanying image). The owl itself is finished to look like it is carved from stone, and the eyes are circled in gold (gold leaf), as is the solid beak (which you can’t really make out in the image accompanying the story) – but that is pretty true to the bird too.

Gerry – seriously, did you see the photo on the other thread taken from the rear? (which is exactly how the ACT people seem to have taken it for this purchase!!!).

a)what’s your point? I was merely giving a discription
b)did you seriously not read that *I * took *THAT* photo 😛

My point on a) was that the art is crap and as for point b), well, you got me. Great photo though!

Stevian said :

It’s obviously engaged you all, for good or ill. Therefore as a work of art it has succeeded

My dog took a cr@p in our swimming pool the other day*, that engaged us for good or ill, anyone willing to call it art and give me $400,000 for it?

Your reply is just the sort of self serving, bland, unintelligent, mediocre, stupidity which drives the public hate of modern art.

* He’s very old and ill poor soul, and accident.

Why do I keep reading this stuff?? Someone just got paid more than half my mortgage for a thing you can’t house an elf inside! C’mon A.C.T government,if you don’t read RA, you have to be kidding yourselves [patting backs] and something like this has to be pulled down like the golden calf in the old testament. It’s not only “not art”, but for the cost to taxpayers it’s a big kick in the Ar$e to ALL Canberrans. I hang my head in shame.

I see what has happened here now. It’s very clear here. In his final years, Mr. Stanhope has taken up the recreational use of certain unlicensed pharmaceuticals.

“Wait! Wait! What about….A GIANT OWL……that eats money.”

It’s obviously engaged you all, for good or ill. Therefore as a work of art it has succeeded

Err, no. Trite and lazy response.

The Frots said :

Gerry-Built said :

The_Bulldog said :

Don’t know enough about the base or costs associated with big-ass lumps of what appears to be granite or some-such.

There is a concrete plinth of about 40cm, then the whole base is made of quite large hardwood timbers, in a vertical arrangement (the dark bit you see in the accompanying image). The owl itself is finished to look like it is carved from stone, and the eyes are circled in gold (gold leaf), as is the solid beak (which you can’t really make out in the image accompanying the story) – but that is pretty true to the bird too.

Gerry – seriously, did you see the photo on the other thread taken from the rear? (which is exactly how the ACT people seem to have taken it for this purchase!!!).

a)what’s your point? I was merely giving a discription
b)did you seriously not read that *I * took *THAT* photo 😛

Gerry-Built said :

The_Bulldog said :

Don’t know enough about the base or costs associated with big-ass lumps of what appears to be granite or some-such.

There is a concrete plinth of about 40cm, then the whole base is made of quite large hardwood timbers, in a vertical arrangement (the dark bit you see in the accompanying image). The owl itself is finished to look like it is carved from stone, and the eyes are circled in gold (gold leaf), as is the solid beak (which you can’t really make out in the image accompanying the story) – but that is pretty true to the bird too.

Gerry – seriously, did you see the photo on the other thread taken from the rear? (which is exactly how the ACT people seem to have taken it for this purchase!!!).

It’s obviously engaged you all, for good or ill. Therefore as a work of art it has succeeded

The_Bulldog said :

Don’t know enough about the base or costs associated with big-ass lumps of what appears to be granite or some-such.

There is a concrete plinth of about 40cm, then the whole base is made of quite large hardwood timbers, in a vertical arrangement (the dark bit you see in the accompanying image). The owl itself is finished to look like it is carved from stone, and the eyes are circled in gold (gold leaf), as is the solid beak (which you can’t really make out in the image accompanying the story) – but that is pretty true to the bird too.

EvanJames said :

What is that, a zombie owl? A bad ghost? Couldn’t they afford to put a BEAK on it?

It actually has a gold beak – not visible in this picture…

It is quite a nice sculpture… I’m just not sure it is $400K nice; and it definitely in a poorly considered location… I give it until Sunday night before it sustains its first damage…

BlackIce said :

rosscoact said :

Why would you give pig ignorant philistines a vote on art? They’ll only eat it or crap on it

You have already endorsed your representatives to make that choice and they are now in the Assembly.

Me, don’t like the Owl but I think Dinornis Maximus is an amusing folly and Rhizomes makes my heart fill with joy everytime I drive past it.

Sort of like giving those same pig ignorant philistines a vote on who governs them…

Good call – and that is the real issue isn’t it. I really don’t consider myself an ‘art critic’ but I am tuned in enough to know that each person has differing views on what they ‘enjoy’. Most of the threads here are saying ‘what sort of crap is this’ – and thats where the people’s collective voice needs to be heard (and not by some limp-dicked moron sitting in his/her darked office deciding what the $%#@ I like!)

LSWCHP said :

I saw the artist gibbering about this on the ABC news. He waffled incoherently about how owls are big, and they eat animals as big as possums.

Not without a beak, they don’t!

rosscoact said :

Why would you give pig ignorant philistines a vote on art? They’ll only eat it or crap on it

You have already endorsed your representatives to make that choice and they are now in the Assembly.

Me, don’t like the Owl but I think Dinornis Maximus is an amusing folly and Rhizomes makes my heart fill with joy everytime I drive past it.

Sort of like giving those same pig ignorant philistines a vote on who governs them…

That’s the biggest waste of $400,000 I’ve ever seen. What a POS.

rosscoact said :

Why would you give pig ignorant philistines a vote on art? They’ll only eat it or crap on it

You have already endorsed your representatives to make that choice and they are now in the Assembly.

Me, don’t like the Owl but I think Dinornis Maximus is an amusing folly and Rhizomes makes my heart fill with joy everytime I drive past it.

I would not advocate voting against particular art, only for.

KaptnKaos said :

Hmmm… fibreglass and wood…. in Belconnen….. wonder what odds are before it is vandalised, set alight, knocked over, etc etc etc.

All you need is someone with emo friends to die there ( possibly by being distracted by it while speeding through the intersection ) and you’ll get all three.

Hmmm… fibreglass and wood…. in Belconnen….. wonder what odds are before it is vandalised, set alight, knocked over, etc etc etc.

I caught an interview with the producer of the thing on the local news last night, he said that initially it was to be several owls, because the collective term for owls is a parliament, but eh, and he trailed off.

It looked very roughly finished on the news, but I thought it was at least rounded, the picture above shows it’s flat.

What’s the base supposed to be anyway, a flat tree?

Why would you give pig ignorant philistines a vote on art? They’ll only eat it or crap on it

You have already endorsed your representatives to make that choice and they are now in the Assembly.

Me, don’t like the Owl but I think Dinornis Maximus is an amusing folly and Rhizomes makes my heart fill with joy everytime I drive past it.

Moose said :

It’s looks like a big white penis. So so SO wrong!!

Hmmm. What sort of penises have you been checking out lately? I inspected my penis this morning, and it doesn’t look anything like that owl.

Pommy bastard said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

You mentioned something in a previous thread about having some form of voting system for public art – I am actually quite interested in that as an idea, how do you see it working? eg artists providing a vision for their work on an ACT Govt website, at Libraries/shop fronts etc and then people can vote for which project they would like to see go ahead?

I would be really supportive of this approach.

Cheers. I outlined the bare bones of it in an earlier post.

Any “art ” which is going to be foisted into the public, should have a display of models of competing proposals, and sketches work ups, CGI images etc toured around the public libraries, so that the public can comment on them BEFORE the money is spent.

It would not be a vote per se, just a chance for us to have alternatives and proposals, before the final choice is made, to comment on. Costs would have to be declared, and no money over the artists estimates paid out.

I would be happy for the artists wanting to submit a proposed piece be compensated for their time and display costs.

Even better, I prefer the comment rather than vote option. One of my concerns was the initial costs incurred by artists but you have covered that off – I think we are close to being in heated agreement

p1 said :

Not if I get it heritage listed. Then the ACT Local Council Government will have to pay upkeep for ever. Mwwhhhaaahaaahaahahaaaa!

Sir (ma’am?), you are evil.
I like your style.

Chop71 said :

now compare $400,000
Basicly that artist was given a 3 bed Canberra house to make that Owl.

It looks really poor quality, it looks cheap. Maybe it is meant to be viewed from a distance, like the one in Melbourne, and not up close. I dunno. It looks like a piece of advertising put together at a fibreglassing shop.

Give that Wamboin bloke $400k and I bet he’d come up with something much better.

O RLY

Angry Owl

colourful sydney racing identity said :

You mentioned something in a previous thread about having some form of voting system for public art – I am actually quite interested in that as an idea, how do you see it working? eg artists providing a vision for their work on an ACT Govt website, at Libraries/shop fronts etc and then people can vote for which project they would like to see go ahead?

I would be really supportive of this approach.

Cheers. I outlined the bare bones of it in an earlier post.

Any “art ” which is going to be foisted into the public, should have a display of models of competing proposals, and sketches work ups, CGI images etc toured around the public libraries, so that the public can comment on them BEFORE the money is spent.

It would not be a vote per se, just a chance for us to have alternatives and proposals, before the final choice is made, to comment on. Costs would have to be declared, and no money over the artists estimates paid out.

I would be happy for the artists wanting to submit a proposed piece be compensated for their time and display costs.

now compare $400,000
Basicly that artist was given a 3 bed Canberra house to make that Owl.

The_Bulldog said :

I give this piece of garbage about twelve months.

Not if I get it heritage listed. Then the ACT Local Council Government will have to pay upkeep for ever. Mwwhhhaaahaaahaahahaaaa!

Perhaps it’s less a statue and more of a tribute to Sheffield Wednesday FC…

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Pommy bastard said :

Watson said :

I do disagree that the choice of public art should be based on popularity though. Lots of now famous artists were laughed at by their peers. And art should just not be about pleasing the majority.

Should it not please the poor sods who are paying for it? Lots of famous artists may not have been recognised in their day, so did their local council come along and buy their wares? Nope.

You mentioned something in a previous thread about having some form of voting system for public art – I am actually quite interested in that as an idea, how do you see it working? eg artists providing a vision for their work on an ACT Govt website, at Libraries/shop fronts etc and then people can vote for which project they would like to see go ahead?

I would be really supportive of this approach.

Yes – really supportive of this approach. Publish the ‘art’ first so that we (who are really the buyers of this stuff) can vote a ‘yes’, ‘no’ and even a ‘not right now’ so that we aren’t spending money on this for the sake of it.

As for the ‘Owl’ – my God – wrong, wrong wrong!!!!!

Strange question, couldn’t we once pull up the DA’s for artwork installations?
(Also, the ArtsACT webiste is really getting out of date except for media releases)

Deep breath. Can’t believe that cost $400,000 dollars. I haven’t seen it “in the flesh” at this stage, but based on the photos I would reckon there’s probably less than $10,000 of fibreglass – which, incidentally, is a really clever idea for an outdoor project! Don’t know enough about the base or costs associated with big-ass lumps of what appears to be granite or some-such.

Based on the poor finish, rudimentary shape and lack of detail, I would guess that the owl component would have taken the artist no loger than a month to complete, from frame to sanding.

Looks like the trades and service industry aren’t the only ones taking the piss out of Government contracts. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for public art when it’s affordable, durable and interesting. The only interesting factor about this is the fact that we’re discussing it – not because of the perceived artistic value, but because it’s plainly taking the piss. Someone will mention Blue Poles and how much we paid for it at the time and the public outcry. Whether you like it or not, at least that piece can be kept inside and it’ll last. I give this piece of garbage about twelve months.

O RLY?

Pommy bastard said :

Watson said :

I do disagree that the choice of public art should be based on popularity though. Lots of now famous artists were laughed at by their peers. And art should just not be about pleasing the majority.

Should it not please the poor sods who are paying for it? Lots of famous artists may not have been recognised in their day, so did their local council come along and buy their wares? Nope.

You mentioned something in a previous thread about having some form of voting system for public art – I am actually quite interested in that as an idea, how do you see it working? eg artists providing a vision for their work on an ACT Govt website, at Libraries/shop fronts etc and then people can vote for which project they would like to see go ahead?

I would be really supportive of this approach.

Watson said :

I do disagree that the choice of public art should be based on popularity though. Lots of now famous artists were laughed at by their peers. And art should just not be about pleasing the majority.

Should it not please the poor sods who are paying for it? Lots of famous artists may not have been recognised in their day, so did their local council come along and buy their wares? Nope.

It is symptomatic of a roads focussed government that so much public art is adjacent to roads, so that people in their cars can catch a glimpse as they speed by.

EvanJames said :

It’s about time they gave people a say in this. It’s not as though these items cost a few hundred bucks, it’s “Art” (with a capital F) which means it is expensive.

it would be nice if they had a publicised website, where they hoisted up pictures (and the price) of stuff they were thinking of buying, and let the citizens vote on it.

Crappy Owl:

0
Windmill-thing: 0
Bent Girders:

0
Sheep:

1000

If they were worried about one kind of Art dominating, they could have a number of different classifications the choices were grouped in. However if all the choices in “abstract, metal or other malleable medium” were horrible, the citizens would have the option of rejecting it all and compelling the government’s art wankers to go off and find better stuff.

I do disagree that the choice of public art should be based on popularity though. Lots of now famous artists were laughed at by their peers. And art should just not be about pleasing the majority. I found one friend who likes it heaps and for me that means it serves a purpose. And who knows, I might actually warm to it one day too.

EvanJames said :

housebound said :

Whoever approved this one should be forced to pay to move it to Stanhope’s back yard.

It gets worse! According to the CT, the government commissioned the bloody thing. And it cost $400k. Speechless.

I saw the artist gibbering about this on the ABC news. He waffled incoherently about how owls are big, and they eat animals as big as possums. I’m not really sure what he was on about, or how it was relevant to anything at all.

And having spent half an hour in the queue at the Belco Government shopfront this afternoon where less than half of the operator stations were staffed, I’ve been wondering how many counter staff that $400K could have paid for.

cranky said :

This has to be Sonic’s final ‘up yours’ to the Canberra ratepayers. To spend $400K on a fibreglass spin-off which, from the Benjamin Way side does indeed look like a penis, just shows the man’s total arogance.

Agreed. In some ways, these latest piece of crap “art” is quite a fitting farewell to Stanhope.

This has to be Sonic’s final ‘up yours’ to the Canberra ratepayers. To spend $400K on a fibreglass spin-off which, from the Benjamin Way side does indeed look like a penis, just shows the man’s total arogance.

Much is made of how cities across the world have beautiful, important, popular artworks. How Sonic decided that he had the perfect sense of taste that would allow Canberra entry to this hallowed world is beyond me.

Mate, you should never have inflicted this piece of excretement upon us. And being a Philistine, yes I do have better suggestions for the $400K. A couple more on road Police would be appreciated.

Maybe it is intended to scare away snakes or the thousands of mice currently invading Canberra ?

colourful sydney racing identity said :

I really don’t get it, for an artist )and I do consider you one through the photo’s you have shared with us) you are really down on art you don’t like – most artist I have met can appreciate art, even when they don’t like it.

Thanks for the compliment, very much appreciated.

I have to say I have not seen in Canberra much that I would consider good public art. Take this for instance, it is neither original, nor is it stimulating, it is not well done, it shows little craft. It’s bland, it’s just another quasi “big thing”. In fact if they had made it a real “big thing” it may have served a purpose in attracting big thing fans.

No one will tell me that there is not at some art school in Canberra someone who could have come up with some better idea than this, and made it for a fraction of the price.

And I still say that any “art ” which is going to be foisted into the public, should have a display of models of competing proposals, and sketches work ups, CGI images etc toured around the public libraries, so that the public can comment on them BEFORE the money is spent.

How many knew that $400 k was going to be spend on this giant garden centre bargain basement lawn ornament? Who was aware of the plans for it? Who knew anything at all about it?

Moose said :

It’s looks like a big white penis. So so SO wrong!!

And in the photo attached to the ABC story, that big white penis appears to be growing out of John Stanhope’s head.

I can’t help but wonder whether the photographer was trying to make his own comment on this one? “Just shuffle a bit to the left John…little bit more…just trying to line everything up…perfect! Now I’ll get down low…no, don’t worry, it won’t look silly, it’s artistic!”

“I support the ‘warming’ and ‘personalisaiton’ of Canberra through public art projects…. but in case case I have to say…..WTF!!!”

It has to be said…

ORLY?

Pommy bastard said :

EvanJames said :

It gets worse! According to the CT, the government commissioned the bloody thing. And it cost $400k. Speechless.

That’s sickening.

I really don’t get it, for an artist )and I do consider you one through the photo’s you have shared with us) you are really down on art you don’t like – most artist I have met can appreciate art, even when they don’t like it.

Skidbladnir said :

Surely we could have installed a crapload of art from relative unknowns and let some of it appreciate in value to offset the shit, or let developers who have some stake in property values choose what their money gets spent on?

Further to this, perhaps we could hold a poll to determine which of the newer pieces the public liked the most, and keep them, removing the others to make way for new pieces.

If we paid unknown artists $20k, for same price as this we could have 20 new pieces.

All we need now it a white horse.

Surely the arboretum is crying out for one?

http://www.wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk/index.html

Skidbladnir said :

For similar appeal, Stanhope could just lined the length of Benjamin Way with tyreswans.

Awesome idea! Painted white, too, of course.

The picture of that punji thing in Melbourne, OK that’s different, that is quite powerful.

The Belconnen Way one is just Blah, it doesn’t make sense.

I like the crow in the CT article, it’s got something going on. And it’s by a local artist, possibly unknown.

Skidbladnir said :

From the same artist who made the 25m tall jarrah, aluminium, and glass statue Bunjil on top of the plinth at the Melbourne Docklands (Which was itself a reproduction of his smaller bronzes Bunjil)

That piece cost $800,000.

…

And again, why did we heap money at the feet of an established artist, who was already at the peak of their price cycle?

Attempted to post the same with a google street view pic of it but failed. I think this is the work referred to as “Eagle” in the CT article.

Completely agree – it looks every bit the cheap knockoff version of the Melbourne one.

I bet the artist was asked to quote for a commissioned work, pulled a figure they guessed would never be paid from thin air, and was amazed to find it agreed to.

Can anyone estimate the cost of materials? By all means, include the perch and installation of the work.

shanefos said :

What are you talking about? That’s fantastic!

+1

From the same artist who made the 25m tall jarrah, aluminium, and glass statue Bunjil on top of the plinth at the Melbourne Docklands (Which was itself a reproduction of his smaller bronzes Bunjil)

That piece cost $800,000.
For similar appeal, Stanhope could just lined the length of Benjamin Way with tyreswans.

Why on earth did we pay $400,000 for a fibreglass statue?
I give it a month and some bored college students before it has a brick-sized hole in it.

And again, why did we heap money at the feet of an established artist, who was already at the peak of their price cycle?
Surely we could have installed a crapload of art from relative unknowns and let some of it appreciate in value to offset the shit, or let developers who have some stake in property values choose what their money gets spent on?

PBO said :

Hmmm, I just see a challenge to make it cool.

A beak would be a good start.

What about an underground competition to decorate it in amusing ways? A bit like the old Triple J Beat The Drum promo.

I note it’s made of fibreglass. How about putting it on the next ANU O week scavenger hunt list? (do they still do those?)

Maybe we could just sell it on eBay.

Yeah well it crapped all over my car !!!! Biggest bird turd you have ever seen

Hmmm, I just see a challenge to make it cool.

EvanJames said :

It gets worse! According to the CT, the government commissioned the bloody thing. And it cost $400k. Speechless.

That’s sickening.

At the risk of being blamed for inciting an act of vandalism, it would almost be worth buying an old clunker to take on a median strip adventure to plough this eyesore into the ground.

housebound said :

Whoever approved this one should be forced to pay to move it to Stanhope’s back yard.

It gets worse! According to the CT, the government commissioned the bloody thing. And it cost $400k. Speechless.

Belconnen have clearly offended someone because, in the CT article, there’s a picture of some real actual art, by a bloke from Wamboin, that has been put up in New Acton.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-sculptures-take-birdseye-view/2160969.aspx

EvanJames said :

Crappy Owl: 0
Windmill-thing: 0
Bent Girders: 0
Sheep: 1000

For mine, the better ones are those that Stanhope had no part in:
Lake George Zebras: 80/100
Mario: 120/100

Onceler said :

I really hope the eyes light up at night. That would be cool. Or maybe shoot laser beams…

That would be cool. I’m thinking I could mount a couple of strong lasers somewhere so then make the eyes glow red….

It’s about time they gave people a say in this. It’s not as though these items cost a few hundred bucks, it’s “Art” (with a capital F) which means it is expensive.

it would be nice if they had a publicised website, where they hoisted up pictures (and the price) of stuff they were thinking of buying, and let the citizens vote on it.

Crappy Owl: 0
Windmill-thing: 0
Bent Girders: 0
Sheep: 1000

If they were worried about one kind of Art dominating, they could have a number of different classifications the choices were grouped in. However if all the choices in “abstract, metal or other malleable medium” were horrible, the citizens would have the option of rejecting it all and compelling the government’s art wankers to go off and find better stuff.

Saw this yesterday from the lake side, and couldn’t work out whether it is Stanhope giving Belco the finger as a parting gift, or some other body part …

Whoever approved this one should be forced to pay to move it to Stanhope’s back yard.

I really hope the eyes light up at night. That would be cool. Or maybe shoot laser beams…

A giant white zombie owl.

Now that is something you don’t see every day.

Moose said :

It’s looks like a big white penis. So so SO wrong!!

And what’s wrong with a big white penis?

It’s better than most of the public art that’s been inflicted on us, though I still object to paying for it without having a say in the matter.

joingler said :

Where abouts is this?

Looks like the intersection of Belconnen Way and Benjamin

I think it would be better if it was closer to Parliament House.

Stanhope you peanut, that is abysmal. Don’t get me wrong, I like art, but sweet jesus stop pumping so much money into utter s*** like this. Hopefully Gallagher halves the budget for this tripe.

ABC are covering it too.

F*** me! A giant zombie owl!

Now that’s something you don’t see every day!

Holy mackeral. That is … huge.

I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way, but when we briefed about the bunyip, we said we wanted it located where people could engage with it, of a scale that could be engaged with, where people could touch it, kids hold its hand. Not something that you look at for 10 seconds from afar then move on. And not in a major intersection where people should be concentrating on other things.

Everything this piece isn’t.

Where abouts is this?

What is that, a zombie owl? A bad ghost? Couldn’t they afford to put a BEAK on it?

It’s looks like a big white penis. So so SO wrong!!

What are you talking about? That’s fantastic!

I saw this yesterday on the way home and thought exactly the same thing! Makes the “train wreck” on GDE look like value for money.