Historically public art was by its very nature celebratory or commemorative examples include war memorials or statues of imperial or state figures which are familiar sights across the country. One of the social and political agendas of pre-modern public art was to create social and political order in the parks, squares, or buildings that it inhabited. But what is the agenda or function of public art now?
Public art can be either permanent or temporary works, visible to the general public on either public or private property. It can be funded by public or private commissioners, executed in any media, of any size, but with the one specific intention of being sited on or viewed in the public domain.
Public art now covers a broad range of activities including commission, installation, collaboration, participation, exhibition, performance, intervention, dialogue or theoretical indication.
On the Wonderful North road trip Bryan and Laura visited public art across the North of England, they explored sites, ideas, artists, communities, stories and histories behind a number of pieces of work, which you can find in the artists blog or explore in the small case studies in this pack. Examples include the ‘Greasy Pole’ in Egremont, ‘The Halo’ in Rossendale or ‘Turning the Place Over’ in Liverpool.
What is evident when exploring the Wonderful North blog and the places on the road trip route is that current public art still carries a political, social and economic agenda, who commissions the work, where, why, how, and for whom, are all important considerations. Explore this section of the pack, along with the Wonderful North map and road trip blog and consider these questions. Feedback or debate issues surrounding this topic, use the Wonderful North forum to discuss your thoughts, ideas, or criticisms’ of public art.
Look at the St Helens case study and accompanying video in the case study section and consider the notion of every city having an “Angel of the North”.
Is this a realistic possibility? Do you believe this would be a positive national cultural strategy?
Go to the individual case studies or ‘More discussions and activities’ for further public art debate.