Comments on: Branding the landscape http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/11/15/branding-the-landscape/ News and debate from Gardenvisit.com Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:15:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Christine http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/11/15/branding-the-landscape/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Christine Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:43:27 +0000 http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/?p=566#comment-431 Artist Olafur Eliasson is famous for his weather project installation at the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in 2004. He commented "It is commonly observed, when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other, what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm." Ironically, with global warming, what was once a national passtime has now become an international obsession! It is surprising how something seemingly so unimportant has a profound importance in all our lives. Artist Olafur Eliasson is famous for his weather project installation at the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in 2004. He commented “It is commonly observed, when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other, what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm.”

Ironically, with global warming, what was once a national passtime has now become an international obsession! It is surprising how something seemingly so unimportant has a profound importance in all our lives.

]]> By: Tom Turner http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/11/15/branding-the-landscape/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Tom Turner Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:23:37 +0000 http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/?p=566#comment-409 As a work of art, I like the Scallop. It reminds me of a book I have somewhere published by Shell Petroleum and tracing the scallop as a motif throughout the history of art. But yes: the Turd on the Beach is just as much a hazard as the Turd in the Plaza ( http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/09/30/public-art-in-barking-town-square/ ). It can tame a wild place, like those terrible signs saying 'Nature Reserve' and 'View Point'. Or worse: I remember seeing a tragic polar bear, half bald and sweating profusely, in Cairo Zoo. As a work of art, I like the Scallop. It reminds me of a book I have somewhere published by Shell Petroleum and tracing the scallop as a motif throughout the history of art.
But yes: the Turd on the Beach is just as much a hazard as the Turd in the Plaza ( http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/09/30/public-art-in-barking-town-square/ ). It can tame a wild place, like those terrible signs saying ‘Nature Reserve’ and ‘View Point’. Or worse: I remember seeing a tragic polar bear, half bald and sweating profusely, in Cairo Zoo.

]]> By: Christine http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2008/11/15/branding-the-landscape/comment-page-1/#comment-407 Christine Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:57:41 +0000 http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/?p=566#comment-407 There is no doubt that the sculpture is overwhelmingly loved. Like many places of natural/or and created beauty the problem may be the unintended consequences of the high level of public interest and visitation to the site in what it seems would otherwise be a remote and somewhat contemplative locale. The following comment on the bbc site probably encapsulates the issue best (http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2004/11/08/scallop_aldeburgh_feature.shtml); Amanda Most of the comments about the Scallop are missing the point. It may be beautiful, but since when can an artist just choose to place they work in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? This gorgeous stretch of beach now has hoards of cars (I wonder if possible revenue from car park swayed the council at all?),people, burger vans in high season, even a guy selling kite surfing gear. It may be a fine work of art but it certainly does NOT 'improve' what was previously a beautiful, unspoilt spot and one of the few, we naively thought, that would not be affected by the constant 'in-fill' that can be seen in every little quiet corner of Aldeburgh. This is the constant dichotomy of natural and cultural tourism....how many visitors are too few and how many are too many...for a place to retain its integrity? Perhaps over time the controversy will die down, visitor numbers will reduce and the sculpture will somehow become one with the landscape once again. I suppose this controversy raises an interesting question about the siting of public art. Is the public [in their anticipated visitation numbers] considered part of the installation? There is no doubt that the sculpture is overwhelmingly loved. Like many places of natural/or and created beauty the problem may be the unintended consequences of the high level of public interest and visitation to the site in what it seems would otherwise be a remote and somewhat contemplative locale. The following comment on the bbc site probably encapsulates the issue best (http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2004/11/08/scallop_aldeburgh_feature.shtml);

Amanda
Most of the comments about the Scallop are missing the point. It may be beautiful, but since when can an artist just choose to place they work in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? This gorgeous stretch of beach now has hoards of cars (I wonder if possible revenue from car park swayed the council at all?),people, burger vans in high season, even a guy selling kite surfing gear. It may be a fine work of art but it certainly does NOT ‘improve’ what was previously a beautiful, unspoilt spot and one of the few, we naively thought, that would not be affected by the constant ‘in-fill’ that can be seen in every little quiet corner of Aldeburgh.

This is the constant dichotomy of natural and cultural tourism….how many visitors are too few and how many are too many…for a place to retain its integrity? Perhaps over time the controversy will die down, visitor numbers will reduce and the sculpture will somehow become one with the landscape once again.

I suppose this controversy raises an interesting question about the siting of public art. Is the public [in their anticipated visitation numbers] considered part of the installation?

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