Comments on: the thing about public art http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/ Sun, 08 Aug 2010 02:37:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Gateway to Canberra | iconophilia http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-5000 Gateway to Canberra | iconophilia Sat, 30 May 2009 08:35:47 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-5000 [...] flat-packed Paper version. And the maquette is already here in the NGA! So if the Chief Minister now advocates a direct approach to commissions, Jon, please don’t hold [...] [...] flat-packed Paper version. And the maquette is already here in the NGA! So if the Chief Minister now advocates a direct approach to commissions, Jon, please don’t hold [...]

]]> By: Clive Murray-White http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4938 Clive Murray-White Mon, 25 May 2009 08:57:52 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4938 Being really cynical - Nigel, your letter, note, etc has probably gone into the "proof of public consultation" file, neither Whitney nor Stanhope return my e-mails, well that's not quite correct Whitney's say Stanhope will reply but nothing after weeks of waiting. But I'm not trying to make helpful suggestions, my comments would probably fall into the artist's rights, morals and ethics category, not half as easy to deal with as a benign suggestions. all the best all - Clive Being really cynical – Nigel, your letter, note, etc has probably gone into the “proof of public consultation” file, neither Whitney nor Stanhope return my e-mails, well that’s not quite correct Whitney’s say Stanhope will reply but nothing after weeks of waiting.

But I’m not trying to make helpful suggestions, my comments would probably fall into the artist’s rights, morals and ethics category, not half as easy to deal with as a benign suggestions.

all the best all – Clive

]]> By: Trevar http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4910 Trevar Sat, 23 May 2009 00:17:27 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4910 Impressive that you got a response at all! Unfortunately, I interpret this to mean that your insightful and very balanced comments will sit on some government staffer's desk (probably that awful David Whitney bloke) in a pile with anyone else's suggestions, while he's off in a meeting approving whoever he j0lly well likes, giving no thought at all to the future of Canberra. Good on you for making such a balanced argument and putting it so well. I hope I'm wrong. Impressive that you got a response at all! Unfortunately, I interpret this to mean that your insightful and very balanced comments will sit on some government staffer’s desk (probably that awful David Whitney bloke) in a pile with anyone else’s suggestions, while he’s off in a meeting approving whoever he j0lly well likes, giving no thought at all to the future of Canberra.

Good on you for making such a balanced argument and putting it so well. I hope I’m wrong.

]]> By: Nigel http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4896 Nigel Thu, 21 May 2009 08:11:01 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4896 And the reply from the CM: Dear Mr Lendon, Thank you for your email of 17 May 2009 regarding the process for commissioning artwork in the ACT. I appreciate your bringing your views and suggestions to my attention. I have forwarded your comments to artsACT within my Department for detailed consideration of the issues you have raised. Once again, thank you for writing to me and your interest in public art. Yours sincerely Jon Stanhope MLA Chief Minister And the reply from the CM:

Dear Mr Lendon,
Thank you for your email of 17 May 2009 regarding the process for commissioning artwork in the ACT.
I appreciate your bringing your views and suggestions to my attention. I have forwarded your comments to artsACT within my Department for detailed consideration of the issues you have raised.
Once again, thank you for writing to me and your interest in public art.
Yours sincerely
Jon Stanhope MLA
Chief Minister

]]> By: Wazza gets the tower – but no surprises there… « glass central canberra http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4884 Wazza gets the tower – but no surprises there… « glass central canberra Wed, 20 May 2009 11:32:59 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4884 [...] speaking of public art in the ACT, check out the Gateway debacle on ArtWranglers. Perhaps it’s time to start sharpening your quills, my [...] [...] speaking of public art in the ACT, check out the Gateway debacle on ArtWranglers. Perhaps it’s time to start sharpening your quills, my [...]

]]> By: Clive Murray-White http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4857 Clive Murray-White Sun, 17 May 2009 05:29:17 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4857 This sounds a bit like, a 3 for the price of one deal to me. (the Major $1.2M Canberra Artwork split 3 ways) With my recent experience with ACT public art procurement I can’t ignore the opportunity to put my bob’s worth in. I was both a finalist in the Major Canberra Artwork fiasco and the National Portrait Gallery invited me to submit a design for their main sculpture commission. In stark contrast to the artsACT run project the NPA’s process was well designed, fair and paid participants an almost reasonable amount for the work they were asked to do. My advice to any artist who is either invited to submit a design or applies to an advertised artsACT public art project is to make very sure that they really know what they could be letting themselves in for. There are a few areas to watch out for: • The commissioning body must have control over the proposed site? Ridiculous as it may sound the ACT government appears not to have had sufficient control of the City Hill area to safely advertise their $1.2M Major Artwork project! • They must stick rigidly to their own guidelines as published in the brief. • That any form of “Scope Creep” be avoided, this is when it is mandatory for competitors to undertake enormous amounts of work usually way beyond the scope of the duties in the various competition stages. Of course the tenderers/competitors don’t get paid. This was out of control in the Northbourne Ave - City Hill project. The Canberra Times worked it out that my cost of entering the competition was around $180,000. If I was writing to the CM I’d want assurances that none of the above could happen in any new project. stanhope@act.gov.au This sounds a bit like, a 3 for the price of one deal to me. (the Major $1.2M Canberra Artwork split 3 ways)

With my recent experience with ACT public art procurement I can’t ignore the opportunity to put my bob’s worth in. I was both a finalist in the Major Canberra Artwork fiasco and the National Portrait Gallery invited me to submit a design for their main sculpture commission.

In stark contrast to the artsACT run project the NPA’s process was well designed, fair and paid participants an almost reasonable amount for the work they were asked to do.

My advice to any artist who is either invited to submit a design or applies to an advertised artsACT public art project is to make very sure that they really know what they could be letting themselves in for.

There are a few areas to watch out for:

• The commissioning body must have control over the proposed site?

Ridiculous as it may sound the ACT government appears not to have had sufficient control of the City Hill area to safely advertise their $1.2M Major Artwork project!

• They must stick rigidly to their own guidelines as published in the brief.

• That any form of “Scope Creep” be avoided, this is when it is mandatory for competitors to undertake enormous amounts of work usually way beyond the scope of the duties in the various competition stages. Of course the tenderers/competitors don’t get paid. This was out of control in the Northbourne Ave – City Hill project. The Canberra Times worked it out that my cost of entering the competition was around $180,000.

If I was writing to the CM I’d want assurances that none of the above could happen in any new project. stanhope@act.gov.au

]]> By: Nigel http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4856 Nigel Sun, 17 May 2009 04:00:10 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4856 No, send us a photo? No, send us a photo?

]]> By: najib http://artwranglers.com.au/the-thing-about-public-art/comment-page-1/#comment-4855 najib Sun, 17 May 2009 02:24:23 +0000 http://artwranglers.com.au/?p=2735#comment-4855 do you have any idea who made the kitsch ‘public sculpture’ (with the red mushroom-like-dome) at the corner of Marcus Clarke Street and Edinburgh Avenue? do you have any idea who made the kitsch ‘public sculpture’ (with the red mushroom-like-dome) at the corner of Marcus Clarke Street and Edinburgh Avenue?

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