Exposing art to the public can be a risky business as residents of Tullibody in Scotland found at the weekend. On Saturday evening, a car crashed into the steel statue, Man in Motion, which stood on a roundabout in the village.
The statue, now a heap of twisted metal on the ground, apparently received a mixed reception from local people when it was commissioned. However, there is no suggestion that the accident was a deliberate attempt to restore the roundabout to its original appearance, but was simply a traffic accident with unusual consequences.
The problem with putting art objects in open public places is that they will get vandalised, damaged and destroyed. We recently visited Bowes Museum where a display of bird lantern sculptures in the grounds was damaged by vandals late last year. The artist, Laura Baxter, had to spend a lot of time repairing them and replacing some of the parts. And in other places we have seen public art with physical damage or defaced with graffiti.
These risks should not stop artists and patrons producing art for public places. Perhaps methods such as barriers and CCTV cameras can be used to better protect these artworks. It would be a shame if all art had to be housed inside buildings to protect it as fewer people would go to the trouble of visiting those places. Outdoor public art can enhance its environment and if it doesn't, well, it gives people something controversial to talk about.
Read about the accident and related comments at The Scotstman web site or find out about the artist Andy Scott.
Update: 16 Feb 2011
It seems that keeping art inside doesn't help much either. In 2008 a ceramic sculpture by Tatiana Echeverri Fernandez was accidentally knocked over and destroyed by a visitor to a Royal Academy show.
Vicky and Vince,
Love Your Art
The statue, now a heap of twisted metal on the ground, apparently received a mixed reception from local people when it was commissioned. However, there is no suggestion that the accident was a deliberate attempt to restore the roundabout to its original appearance, but was simply a traffic accident with unusual consequences.
The problem with putting art objects in open public places is that they will get vandalised, damaged and destroyed. We recently visited Bowes Museum where a display of bird lantern sculptures in the grounds was damaged by vandals late last year. The artist, Laura Baxter, had to spend a lot of time repairing them and replacing some of the parts. And in other places we have seen public art with physical damage or defaced with graffiti.
These risks should not stop artists and patrons producing art for public places. Perhaps methods such as barriers and CCTV cameras can be used to better protect these artworks. It would be a shame if all art had to be housed inside buildings to protect it as fewer people would go to the trouble of visiting those places. Outdoor public art can enhance its environment and if it doesn't, well, it gives people something controversial to talk about.
Read about the accident and related comments at The Scotstman web site or find out about the artist Andy Scott.
Update: 16 Feb 2011
It seems that keeping art inside doesn't help much either. In 2008 a ceramic sculpture by Tatiana Echeverri Fernandez was accidentally knocked over and destroyed by a visitor to a Royal Academy show.
Vicky and Vince,
Love Your Art
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