25 August 2010

Stanhope to speak at length on public art.

| johnboy
Join the conversation
17
Public art

ArtsACT is warning that the Chief Minister and Minister for the Arts and Heritage, Jon Stanhope, MLA, is going to be speaking at the ANU’s School of art with a speech titled: The Politics of the ACT Government’s Percent-for-Art Scheme

Mr Stanhope will discuss the importance of public art in our streetscapes and city places, its contribution to the cultural life of our community and the challenges of making a record investment in public art in the Territory.

Speaking personally I weep for the Canberra sculptors who wouldn’t have moved to Melbourne if there had been a “buy local” component to the program to date.

It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Arthur McKenzie8:14 pm 02 Sep 10

Nohope is a fraud. He embezzles our money on projects like the GDE art, arboretums, statues of his criminal mates – anything but lead this two-bob local council in providing services of value.

Have you ever noticed how people avoid him in the supermarket when he’s out and about?

erv said :

I’d be all for it if the art was tasteful. Yes, yes not everyone will like it, but Im yet to meet anyone who likes more than 1 piece at most. Besides, the cost of it is outrageous, like mentioned in a previous topic, spend that money keeping Canberra clean and maintained.

but it is tasteful – it simply depends on your definition of taste…

Skidbladnir said :

In contrast, nobody will ever consider looting Stanhope’s choices of art, because they’re shit.

That’s gold 🙂

OpenYourMind said :

I’m sure the biggest critics are the same kinds of people who complained when the … Mona Lisa was commissioned.

Small point, but the Mona Lisa was a private work of art, commission by nobility to celebrate his wealth, and kept in private hands for something like 350 years, until the French Revolution came through and the National Assembly declared the entire contents of La Louvre to be French public assets held in national trust.
People have only started fussing about it in the last 150 years.
IE: A government with a taste for the aesthetic raided private collections without offering compensation, by exercising its newfound expropriation powers because the regime previously in charge was no longer capable.

In contrast, nobody will ever consider looting Stanhope’s choices of art, because they’re shit.

Pommy bastard9:31 am 26 Aug 10

OpenYourMind said :

I’m happy for part of my local rates and taxes to be spent on art. I particularly like the kinetic wind sculpture on Adelaide Ave.

The “Broken Clock”? I’m still waiting for the bloody thing to take off (and possibbly take soemone out) in a high breeze.

Waiting For Godot4:50 am 26 Aug 10

Speaking “at length”? How long does it take to say “it’s crap”?

I’d be all for it if the art was tasteful. Yes, yes not everyone will like it, but Im yet to meet anyone who likes more than 1 piece at most. Besides, the cost of it is outrageous, like mentioned in a previous topic, spend that money keeping Canberra clean and maintained.

OpenYourMind said :

I’m sure the biggest critics are the same kinds of people who complained when the Eiffel Tower was built or Mona Lisa was commissioned.

Bull. I wasn’t alive back then. And you’ll find quite a lot of what we consider art from an historical perspective was privately funded. Different societal system, I know; so stop comparing apples with oranges, please.

The bottom line is that public art should be appreciated somewhere along the line, and this can take many forms, yet when public servants (and I am one myself) are in charge of budgets, often the pursuit of art becomes more of a project management issue rather than one of art.

“$20,000 left in the kitty and we need to spend it by the end of the financial year, otherwise next year’s budget will be cut by that amount? Yeah, give the contract to that bloke.”

OpenYourMind said :

Jon, mate. I love our public art. Keep up the good work!
You will always get people that don’t find every piece of work to their taste.

In my world travels, the cities that really stand out as culturally rich have a wealth of sculptures (both modern and traditional).

I’m happy for part of my local rates and taxes to be spent on art. I particularly like the kinetic wind sculpture on Adelaide Ave.

I’m sure the biggest critics are the same kinds of people who complained when the Eiffel Tower was built or Mona Lisa was commissioned.

How exactly did people complain back in the days when the Mona Lisa was ‘commissioned’?

I would have hoped the CEO of a Government would be too busy for this type of thing. Get to work on something of consequence Jon…..I know you read this

OpenYourMind10:31 pm 25 Aug 10

Jon, mate. I love our public art. Keep up the good work!
You will always get people that don’t find every piece of work to their taste.

In my world travels, the cities that really stand out as culturally rich have a wealth of sculptures (both modern and traditional).

I’m happy for part of my local rates and taxes to be spent on art. I particularly like the kinetic wind sculpture on Adelaide Ave.

I’m sure the biggest critics are the same kinds of people who complained when the Eiffel Tower was built or Mona Lisa was commissioned.

Jon, mate, by all means debate the merits of public art.

But as long as you keep spending great gobs of public money (ie, my money) on wanky pieces of shit that are not art by any definition I know, then you will be continue to be pushing it uphill.

Pommy bastard5:43 pm 25 Aug 10

Skidbladnir said :

Favourite quote of the moment: Art needs to not only provoke a reaction from the audience and leave them wondering Why, but also leave them with a lingering question of How.

Why the hell was my money watsed on that heap of crap?

How the hell do they get away with it?

Skidbladnir said :

True art should provoke the these reactions again and again on subsequent viewings..

The “art” we have so far certainly does provoke in me these questions again and again on subsequent viewings..

I’d much prefer to hear what he has to say about bridges, but art comes in many forms, and Mr Stanhope likes to think of himself as Patron of the Arts…
Favourite quote of the moment: Art needs to not only provoke a reaction from the audience and leave them wondering Why, but also leave them with a lingering question of How. True art should provoke the these reactions again and again on subsequent viewings…
By that definition, the Barton Highway really is art for the moment.

“It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.”

Call me cynical, but I sincerely doubt that.

I assumed that that was what that was at the Barton Hwy. Looks just like the one on top of the bridge.

justin heywood2:28 pm 25 Aug 10

I might go over to that as the token Philistine.

bitzermaloney2:12 pm 25 Aug 10

I suspect there will be no mention of the latest roadside “Artwork” at the Barton Hwy overpass.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.