Photographs of public art commissions and works
of art in public places:
75 images from this project can be seen online here
Like many other photographers, I have often made pictures
of art for institutions and artists. While doing this I have learned much, made
many friends and occasionally a little money. However much fun doing that kind
of work is, my satisfaction from it has always been tempered by the creative
limits placed on me as someone else's hired "shooter". The client
always provided the subject, approved the treatment and judged its success.
I have tried to make work outside of those constraints.
The pictures are of artworks from the National Capital Region. This project has
several dimensions.
There is the documentary component that designates a
time, place and creator (usually) to the works photographed, notwithstanding this; the project is a creative endeavour rather than an index to public art in the capital region. I have picked and
chosen according to my interests and I photograph them as I please . Some of
the artworks are displayed at a distance, in some cases merely a detail is seen
or the artwork is not the strongest part of the image.
I am doing this because of my curiosity and affection for
these objects and as a creative mechanism for learning and knowing. With these
images I hope I can articulate some ideas and and connections that I see and
put questions about living with this kind of art which is a such a defining
aspect of seeing my city. As this project has
grown larger (- currently there are at least 250 images) many themes
and issues become easier to see and illustrate.
These pictures engage a wide spectrum of material
including temporary public works, graffiti works, commercial appropriations of
well known artists, monuments and works made within the exotic territory of the
contemporary fine arts milieu – present and past. There are good, bad,
neglected , expensive, forgotten , reviled, sentimental and sometimes wonderful
things that suggest issues common to much of our public art in our cities. What
is it for? Who paid for it? Has it lasted. Should it last? How does it work?
What does it mean? And what does it mean to me?
The pictures are accompanied by brief texts that tell you
the name of the work, the artists, where it is and who owns or commissioned it.
Sometimes, there are additional texts which discuss issues that are relevant to
thinking about public art in more general terms.
"Territorial
Perogative" by Bruce Garner, Bronze 1980. Commissioned by the Sparks Street
Business Association. This is located at the intersection of Elgin and Sparks
streets and the view is north east to the War Memorial, the Chateau Laurier
Hotel and the locks of the Rideau Canal. This sculpture occupies a prime
location of historical and political interest at one of the busiest tourist
areas in Ottawa. Sparks street was a prosperous commercial area in old Ottawa
which became a showpiece pedestrian shopping mall in the 1960's. In recent years
it has lost much of its retail trade because of the retail success of enclosed
shopping malls and due to the growing proportion of space on the north side of
the street that is dedicated to the federal government as a tenant. To respond
to this the sparks street mall has added artworks, many design enhancements and
a great deal of custom built street furnishings as a means of enlivening the
street - and as a consequence, business. Animals as metaphor are frequent motifs
in the public art around the area.
" Boat Sight " John McEwen 1984, an NCC commission, Gatineau Quebec
Cast aluminum
doors by Jordi Bonet commissioned in 1969 for the Salon of the National Arts
Centre on Elgin Street in Ottawa. The following is taken from an NAC
publication:
An Advisory Committee on Visual Art chaired by Donald Buchanan was appointed in 1964 by the Canada
Council to work with architect Fred Lebensold to acquire art - whether through
closed competition, commission or direct purchase - for the National Arts
Centre.The committee agreed that art for the
National Arts Centre should reflect its own time and should fall into three main
categories 1) art built into the complex 2) art that should have a practical
function 3) independant decorative art that would embellish the complex.
" National Aboriginal Veteran's Monument" by LLoyd Pinay, 2001. This image was taken in mid July at approximately 10.20 am as the Governor General's Footguards marched from the Armory building on Elgin Street to Parliament Hill for a parade and inspection. This NCC commission is located on the official "Ceremonial Route". The NCC distinguishes between commemorative works, memorials and art in its plans for our capital.
Detail of "Canadian Shield" by General Idea . ( A.A.Bronson, Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal). On the facade of the Ottawa Courthouse (provincial courts) , 161 Elgin street. 1990, crushed stone and fiberglass resin. Commissioned by the province of Ontario.
Robert Tait Mackenzie, Sir William Doughty 1937, . North Courtyard behind the Canada Public Archives and Library
Bill Vazan, Nest ca 1992; Located on the west lawn of the National Gallery grounds.