Re Views:
Artists and Public Space
by Louise OReilly, Edward Allington,
Simon Read et al
Black Dog Publishing, London, UK 2006
182 pp., illus. Trade, $ 29.95
ISBN: 1-904772-20-X.
Reviewed by Alise Piebalga
University of Plymouth
alise.piebalga@plymouth.ac.uk
Re Views: Artists and Public Space
is a collection of articles and essays
written by arts professionals in response
to 10 successful, public art commissions
by a visual arts commissioning agency,
Artpoint. The 10 works selected illustrate
a highly diverse and varied understanding
of an artistic intervention within a public
space from architectural contributions
and research to a more conventional public
installation.
Louise OReilly, the Artpoints
director and artist, Edward Allington,
have contributed with the two introductory
chapters discussing the wider issues surrounding
art in public spaces, such as the shifting
definition of a public space and the motivation
for the artists to venture outside the
gallery and their workshops. OReilly
found that the formation of new, exciting,
and productive relationships was a mayor
incentive for the artists to work outside
the gallery, as the incorporation of different
needs and desires leads to creative experimentation.
Similarly, new environments can introduce
new techniques and materials; for example,
Bruce Williams replied that the commission
for the Leicester Royal Infirmary in 1994
meant for him "a new Apple Mac and
the opportunity to use the medical illustration
department as a studio."
Diplomatic collaboration is at the core
of all these projects, whether it is between
the artist and the environment, as in
the case of the research project conducted
by Simon Read of the river Thames Path,
or architects, builders, artists, and
the council, as in the case of Jacqui
Poncelets contribution to the New
Arts Centre for Didcot.
However, most intriguing is the dialogue
these projects develop between the public
and the surrounding environment. For example,
Louise Short involved schoolchildren in
the development of Mothshadowmovie,
an installation/movie/performance viewed
by the community that helped to develop
it. This environmentally orientated work
aimed at re-establishing a relationship
between the surrounding environment, in
this case a local park, and the community.
Sasha Wards stained glass screen
installed for the Chaplaincy Centre at
The Great Western Hospital, as noted by
Hugh Adams, re-claims a confusing, cold,
and potentially disorientating space and
introduces an element of quiet contemplation,
subsequently humanising the
environment. Peter Freemans Luminous
Motion explores the dynamics and movement
within public space, providing a memorable
landmark and Peter Randall Pages
Ebb and Flow, a granite and water
sculpture, directly affected by the surrounding
environment, specifically the rise and
the fall of the water level of a nearby
lock, draws and mesmerises its viewers
by its organic nature and form.
In crass contrast there are John Kippins
evocatively haunting photographs depicting
Greenham Common, a former United States
airbase in Cold War Pastoral/SSSI (Site
of Special Scientific Interest). These
images of stark military structures alienating
the landscape like the leftovers of a
giants picnic seem to comment on
the preservation and destruction of the
soul of our environment. As the artist
himself noted upon a later visit that
he still experiences the feeling of "violating
a place that has, in turn, itself been
violated."
John Kippins work, as well as the
nine others discussed in this book, illustrates
how diverse public art can be, from photography
and sculpture to architectural solutions
and research. Similarly, the subject matter
and the choice of materials and techniques
vary from commission to commission; however,
each work shows creative experimentation
and innovative approach to the understanding
of public space and what it means to be
an artist. OReilly in the introduction
noted in response to Bruce Williams
work "how much we need and want from
artists." It appears that this beautifully
illustrated book is not only an example
of 10 successful public commissions but
also a source that contributes to the
wider discourse about our environment
and what is public art.