more paper posting: public art
Art Apologetics How Maria Alquilar’s “The Doors” demonstrates the relationship of public art, public artist, and public, and why each of these should be sorry when the relationship fails Like all personal or museum-quality art, public art faces the challenge of straddling several relational situations. Upon presentation, each piece begs a series of questions: Whom is the piece meant for? Which conversation is it a part of? What is the audience trying to say to the public? What is the artist trying to say to a specific group or person? What is the artist trying to say to his or her self? Is the artist even trying to say anything? Was the artist asked to say something? Was the artist forced to say something? After the original placement of an art within the public sphere, these original questions settle and yet, a dialogue still remains. Some public art (like Biola’s own “Jesus Mural”) is a gift; other art (think graffiti) is a statement. Thanks to the sense of “shock value” brought int...