The Irrational Power of Public Sculpture

The sculpture that killed Luis Jimenez (a part-time instructor at my undergraduate alma mater and very part-time mentor of yours truly) is either miserably failing the Battle For Appropriateness In Context that every public sculpture faces, or it's got its finger directly on the pulse of how horrifying it is to fly in and out of the Denver Airport.

(That thing's eyes actually blaze red at night! How's that for a cheery Bon Voyage?)

Either way, it's good when sculptures prompt facebook campaigns--art doesn't have to be liked to do its job. Rachel Hultin, who began the anti-Blue Mustang crusade by, delightfully and inexplicably, asking haters to pen original haiku of disgust, is now crusading for an education campaign instead:

“In the process of being personally attacked through e-mail, and through learning more about the piece, I’ve shifted gears from, ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate,’ to ‘Let’s try and understand it...’

Is there something to understand? I think that the really interesting thing to understand is right there in the pages and pages of facebooked haiku.

The evolving response is the gift, and its very inappropriateness is the delivery system. Bravo, Luis Jimenez!

Comments

[Ivan]

It killed Luis Jimenez? Elaboration or link PLEASE!

[deborahfisher]

Ivan my friend, did you click on the links provided?

[carla]

That sculpture is fucking brilliant!

[Christine]

I do find the eyes blazing red a little disturbing...much more in fact, if I were on a plane at night. But Facebook campaigns! We saw it coming! The power of the internet is creeping more and more into the art world as the public and artists show their opinions on various forms of art! In fact, there's a new site that launched called www.mysoiree.net that allows artists to have virtual studios to display their work. Now newer and up-and-coming artists are walking away from galleries and turning more to the internet for exposure! It's amazing how influential the internet is. I can definitely see that in your post with the dialogue it's creating about this sculpture.

Thanks for your post. I always enjoy reading them!

[rebecca]

you need to have more info on this peace like were it is located media its made out of and the size thanks you and it is a good art peace

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I have seen great horse sculptures, but this photo has to be the most garish I have ever seen!

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