The Other Side of Midnight comes to City Walk. New public art

dpm said :

I like this one! 🙂

Me too!

Sadly, it won’t be long before it’s vandalised.

Drunken bogans are going to love these.

I wonder how long til it needs repair…

MsCheeky said :

stirred408 said :

It’s is one of those annoying things. That space in civic is very public. It is one of the central places in town used by families. A parent saying it is inappropriate for kids is immediately labelled prudish or the like.
No doubt the artist and the artistic community relish the fact that it is being talked about and it is “pushing boundaries”.
I just prefer not to have to explain why the girl has horns and the animals are being impaled to my kids.

In my experience, kids have a rich fantasy life, and the girl with horns and the dogs on merry go round poles (note, I don’t use the hyperbolic word ‘impaled’ here) will not traumatise them at all. I’m not calling you prudish, but I do find your use of the word ‘inappropriate’ here to be over the top. I think it’s going to be very appealing to kids because of the colours and the fantasy type figures. Why don’t you try them out on it? If your kids ask you to explain it, use your imagination instead of scuttling past trying to avert their eyes!

I like it.

+1

It’s interesting, it’s colourful, and the merry-go-round elements would be immediately apparent to anyone who’s seen a merry-go-round before.

Has the potential to look a bit creepy at night though…

fabforty said :

stirred408 said :

It is probably not fashionable to say this – but I find it creepy.

Me too.

Me too. This is the stuff of nightmares.

stirred408 said :

It’s is one of those annoying things. That space in civic is very public. It is one of the central places in town used by families. A parent saying it is inappropriate for kids is immediately labelled prudish or the like.
No doubt the artist and the artistic community relish the fact that it is being talked about and it is “pushing boundaries”.
I just prefer not to have to explain why the girl has horns and the animals are being impaled to my kids.

In my experience, kids have a rich fantasy life, and the girl with horns and the dogs on merry go round poles (note, I don’t use the hyperbolic word ‘impaled’ here) will not traumatise them at all. I’m not calling you prudish, but I do find your use of the word ‘inappropriate’ here to be over the top. I think it’s going to be very appealing to kids because of the colours and the fantasy type figures. Why don’t you try them out on it? If your kids ask you to explain it, use your imagination instead of scuttling past trying to avert their eyes!

I like it.

poetix said :

I think that this is ‘the other side’ of the merry-go-round, and is, in a sense, addressing it. The dog-poles look like how the merry-go-round horses are attached. That allows for the up and down movement that supplements the going around….

Thank Christ someone else saw it that way!

IMPALED? Honestly I’ve heard of glass half full vs. glass half empty, but merry go round playthings vs. impaled dogs?

I like it. Some art deco style going on there. I just have 2 questions: (1) how long will it stay looking this good, and (2) I’m guessing the artist is a huge fan of the Bioshock games – Little Sisters anyone??

Primal said :

Besides the ego trip, what exactly is the point?

The ego trip IS the point for politicians.

I’ve never understood the need to have politicians’ names on plaques like that. Besides the ego trip, what exactly is the point?

I think the only decent public art besides the huge donger. Well done.

poetix said :

Pork Hunt said :

poetix said :

johnboy said :

Pork Hunt said :

I know who Joy Burch is but it’s spelled “Birch” on the bronze plaque. Try to keep up…

Oh well spotted.

I’ve asked her office what they’re doing about that.

Burching people presumably….tee hee tee.

There’s a lot to be said for feral fantasy in the arts. It’s a fairy tale nightmare. Notice the horns growing from the little girl’s head. Are they wishing bones from an unseen chicken? Or tuning forks for unheard merry-go-round music?

I quite like it, from the photograph.

Reindeers horns on the girls head perhaps but what sort of a message do the impaled dogs send the kiddies?

I think that this is ‘the other side’ of the merry-go-round, and is, in a sense, addressing it. The dog-poles look like how the merry-go-round horses are attached. That allows for the up and down movement that supplements the going around. (I’ve been researching the history of the merry-go-round recently, but I think you’d know more about the mechanical aspects.) The sculpture may also refer to the pack of dogs sculpture which is nearby in Civic.

If you think about it, Joy Birch is an appropriate name to be associated with this; a little bit Brothers Grimm, a little bit lost in the woods, a little bit fairy story. It is a very cool slip indeed. Witches’ brooms, for example, were made of birch, which ties in with the general bright creepiness.

And hats (or horns) off to you for your eagle eye.

I did see the dogs as merry go round figures but in the context, while they look dynamic, they are in fact static and remain impaled…

And another thing…

Public art is meant to inspire people and be positive – not scare the bejesus out of the kiddies.

Atleast the grassby statue fits the purpose at the multicultural centre like it or not. (I also bet it is far cheaper than this creepy thing)

BTW – I don’t mind the owl in Belco – if it’s still there. Although I think Defence are using one of it’s eyes to spy on people.
I don’t mind that mangled steel thing on the GDE.
Also whatever that thing is in Woden.
I love the flower pot thingy near the ANU.
The Sheep – well, the less said the better.

You can clearly see a similarity between the dogs and the horses if you look at this photo, including the decorative saddles:
http://www.emaa.com.au/heritage.htm

Is there an artist’s statement available? The horns in the girl’s head are starting to remind me of a cross between the horns on the ram being shorn in the sheep sculpture, and the wings on the Ethos statue, which probably means I’ve got a little too excited by the resemblances and references. (This has never happened before, of course.)

Pork Hunt said :

johnboy said :

Pork Hunt said :

I know who Joy Burch is but it’s spelled “Birch” on the bronze plaque. Try to keep up…

Oh well spotted.

I’ve asked her office what they’re doing about that.

Be cheaper for us if she changed her name by deed poll 🙂

Whoever made the plaque must’ve been off their tree.

It’s is one of those annoying things. That space in civic is very public. It is one of the central places in town used by families. A parent saying it is inappropriate for kids is immediately labelled prudish or the like.
No doubt the artist and the artistic community relish the fact that it is being talked about and it is “pushing boundaries”.
I just prefer not to have to explain why the girl has horns and the animals are being impaled to my kids.

Pork Hunt said :

poetix said :

johnboy said :

Pork Hunt said :

I know who Joy Burch is but it’s spelled “Birch” on the bronze plaque. Try to keep up…

Oh well spotted.

I’ve asked her office what they’re doing about that.

Burching people presumably….tee hee tee.

There’s a lot to be said for feral fantasy in the arts. It’s a fairy tale nightmare. Notice the horns growing from the little girl’s head. Are they wishing bones from an unseen chicken? Or tuning forks for unheard merry-go-round music?

I quite like it, from the photograph.

Reindeers horns on the girls head perhaps but what sort of a message do the impaled dogs send the kiddies?

I think that this is ‘the other side’ of the merry-go-round, and is, in a sense, addressing it. The dog-poles look like how the merry-go-round horses are attached. That allows for the up and down movement that supplements the going around. (I’ve been researching the history of the merry-go-round recently, but I think you’d know more about the mechanical aspects.) The sculpture may also refer to the pack of dogs sculpture which is nearby in Civic.

If you think about it, Joy Birch is an appropriate name to be associated with this; a little bit Brothers Grimm, a little bit lost in the woods, a little bit fairy story. It is a very cool slip indeed. Witches’ brooms, for example, were made of birch, which ties in with the general bright creepiness.

And hats (or horns) off to you for your eagle eye.

And how do you “launch” an immobile art installation?

Seems to be lacking the anti-grinding measures that other pedestals, retaining walls, etc., have installed. Would it be that they distract from the aesthetic of the piece?

The art is indeeed creepy.

The misspelling of ‘Burch’ is officially piss funny, though.