MUM'S THE WORD
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SO, there’s nothing like the unveiling of proposed public artwork projects to make you realise you missed your true calling in life.
As Sydneysiders this week debated exactly what was art – a question which, let’s face it, predates Giotto – I decided that I liked the Cloud Arch, even if it reminded me of Jessica Rabbit in profile.
But then, my inner cartoon villain took over.
While debate raged about the merits of the up-to-75-metres-high Cloud Arch by Japanese artist Junya Ishigami – who is being paid $2.5 million for his steel sculpture – I was wondering how long it would be before the graffiti tagging started and how often it would then have to be cleaned.
Then I got to pondering whether any petrol heads armed with lengths of chain would attempt to either hang off the arch, or pull it over completely.
And for that matter, I then realised, Sydney has roof-removing wind storms on a fairly regular basis. Just how safe is the arch going to be?
My biggest “what the…” moment though came when I read about the plans for artist Tracey Emin to install up to 60 bronze sculptures of birds which are apparently going to be “dotted” around the city.
Yeah, what could possibly go wrong with putting small, very portable artworks by a renowned artist on poles? Please tell me I am not the only one envisaging would-be art thieves breaking out crowbars and blowtorches.
OK, obviously I am being flippant about reaction to the Sydney plan, but to put aside my pantomime villain’s moustache for a moment, let’s be honest: Isn’t public artwork supposed to be controversial?
I thought the whole point was to create debate and not only getting people talking, but getting them actually visiting the works to judge them for themselves.
Remember many Parisians loathed the Eiffel Tower and a great many still consider the glass pyramid addition to the Louvre to be an abomination. Many visitors – me included – love both.
And if people are coming to visit a landmark, aren’t they going to need to eat? To shop? And to travel around the city?
I would have thought a bigger issue for Sydneysiders is whether pedestrianising the area around Town Hall is going to create traffic gridlock or hurt passing retail trade.
Yes, $9 million is a lot of money, but Sydney City Council is not a cash-strapped outfit. The money can be found and if the artworks create a stir, there is real potential for flow-on financial benefits for the city.