Art?!

OceanBlue · 02-24-2003, 01:13 PM

As we were driving downtown, heading east on Burnside yesterday, I spotted this... this... giant metal stool pedestal on wheels. It had long metal bars sticking out of where the seat would be. It must have been 50 ft tall.

I turned to my 15 year old son and said, "What the $#@! is that?!" He calmly replied, "That, mom, is what they call art."

At which point I shared an unsavory opinion.

My son matter-of-factly stated, "your tax dollars at work." Which got me steaming even more... but I digress. Here's the funny part...

My son turns to me with a totally straight face and says, "hey, wanna vandalize it? You know, we hardly do anything together anymore..."

I almost had to pull over I was laughing so hard.

So I guess there is a place for "art" after all...

I Fred · 02-24-2003, 02:41 PM

Ya just gotta love teenagers!!!! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] Got two of my own.

pdxkevin · 02-25-2003, 06:31 AM

That thing is right across the street from Powells. It moves! The top bristles swing around and casue the lower bulb to shift to the other side. It is definately different.

I am not happy that tax dollars paid for it (if they did). I don't know who paid for it.

I can honestly say that I have seen worse, though.

How come most 'public art' is abstract (i.e. weird)? A great example of what I think is good 'public art' would be the running horses in DallasIrving, Texas.

Instead of horses we could have a 14' sturgeon dancing with water splashing up or some sallmon jumping a rear water ladder.

I like the metal critters down by Pioneer Square. Actually, I have not heard anyone say they didn't like them. So why not more art that's less abstract?

happybrew · 02-25-2003, 06:41 AM

I like the school of swimming salmon near City Hall in Eugene. That's what public art should be!

happybrew

Dipnet · 02-25-2003, 07:20 AM

I have to agree with pdxkevin, the horses in Dallas are really cool!! I got to see them a couple of years ago when I visited my daughter in Texas! That is art!!

Dipnet :grin:

CATCH AND EAT · 02-25-2003, 07:35 AM

Pdxkevin, I have seen that display personnally as well as the steer at the convention center with the same theme. I really thought it was pretty cool looking. We could never display something like that in the NW though. It would not be "PC" for horse to cross a river.

PM, I appreciate good art and deplore bad art. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" they say. I guess some of us just have higher standards. Those that get art funding and go to Lincoln Center and call taking a dump on stage art sicken me. What a was of valuable time and money.

I had a friend Larry Mallar who was an incredible artist. Man could he paint. We still have one of his paintings and it is very cool. He was all excited because he had secured time in Hanford CA to display his art at the Bastille Art Gallary. Exciting!! We drove down there to see his work since we knew he was so tallented. Little did we know that Larry began experimenting with formation art.

As we walked into the Gallary we saw only one painting. We looked down on the floor and were told to follow the yellow line throughtout the gallary. What we saw were lots of green, yellow, red, brown, blue lights shinning down on cow pies that were arrange on the floor. :shocked: :whazzup: I was embarrased for him. Here was a man of great talent who's are had just turned to poop. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] Guess what? he had recieve a grant from the NEA for this display. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]

As we were leaving the gallary, Larry asked us what we had thought of the show. I replied, kinda pithy don't you think? Why did'nt you display your paintings? You have a lot of talent Larry, what next, you going to eat crayons and display the outcome? Have'nt seen Larry since. Hope he grew up and did something with his art that really showed promise. :depressed:

Jsail · 02-25-2003, 07:46 AM

Jen,
Are you talking about the (art) piece across from Powell's? I saw it shortly after they put it up and was impressed.
It's functional!
You can move the upper strands by pivoting the lower brass knob/ball.
It's kinda like one of those desk do-dads that you can fiddle with. Not like a statue of abstract art that you look at once and move on.
Stop the car and play with it. :whazzup:

[img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

I'd really like to have one on my desk, but I don't have room on my desk as it is. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

OceanBlue · 02-25-2003, 08:18 AM

PDX: Love that pic of the horses. YES! That's what I'm talking about. Mass appeal. Who could say they don't like that?

JSail: Didn't know it could be "played with"... That thing is just too weird for my taste.

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sheesh, how many behold abstract art like that? Wouldn't it be better, if they HAVE to spend our tax $$ on art, to display something a little more pleasing? Something that portrays our culture and rich history? Something that reflects the NW, rather than trying to be something we're not?

What does that thing symbolize anyway? Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to figure it out... [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

montster303 · 02-25-2003, 08:27 AM

and while on the subject of art....

a couple years ago at the state fair my wife and i were walking thru the "art gallery".....there were pictures of naked women.....why is it considered p o r n in a magazine, but considered art when framed??? :whazzup:

[ 02-25-2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: montster303 ]

OceanBlue · 02-25-2003, 09:09 AM

303: One of the great mysteries of the universe!

Anyhow, the post was really more about sharing the humor of my son... combined with that sad underlying message; "mom, I'm growing up and I know that often it seems like I don't want to spend time with you, but I miss our times together" He's a great kid and we have our moments, but I almost always appreciate his wacky sense of humor.