public art

    Its not something that I was that aware of growing up. It certainly wasn't an issue. I'll admit up front that's probably a -white privilege- point of view. That being said its nothing but the truth. When I was a kid that Victorian era statue in the park down town simply registered as a guy on a horse. It was someplace your school trip sat beside so the class could eat their packed lunches before going somewhere else. 

    Time skip and we have protests and riots pulling down statues in the American south. Even in Canada we have protests over statues of politicians that had (unpopular from a modern point of view) views over a great many things that I wont go into here because this isn't that kind of blog.

    Fact is if we take a step away and look at the statues dispassionately as art, most of it just isn't that great. It makes a statement and says THIS PERSON WAS HERE. The people who put the thing up never pictured that others in the future would be saying THIS PERSON WAS ALSO A TWAT. 

    A twat that's boring to look at. Can we have some nice art please. Mind you that's a bit of a mine field on its own. There's a bronze statue in front of Toronto city hall called the Archer. Its by someone named Henry Moor. He was very big in the sixties and seventies. Even back then the thing got a lot of flack from the ordinary man in the street because to be honest it looks less like a archer and more like a couple of pelvic bones trying to fit together at a very odd angle. That being said its interesting and no one is ever going to riot over the thing.

    So here's a suggestion. Teach people in school about the notable persons of the past. That way you can learn their good sides and their not so good sides. Both can be placed in a historical context and understood. Let public squares and spaces in front of government buildings be filled with images of what we want for the future. Or maybe just something interesting to fill the space. 

    

    Mind you I'm not sure this is the best example. Its in front of a condo building down town. To me it looks like a big silver noodle man. The sort that you see in front of car lots with a fan to make them dance around. It is metal and stands four stories tall. It fills the space and its not boring. I guess it will do.

TOKEN BOOK PLUG

If you thought having your teacher bug you to hand in your work on time was annoying, be glad you aren't being pushed to finish by aliens who wont even tell you why they want what they want. Two film students are trying to deal with reality but it feels like someone is playing a game. 

find it at    amazon.com/author/tabithabaumander