Sculpture Park Sparks Debates

Posted by Jennifer Yap Jan 22, 2007

Quick update on my previous post… Mere days after its official opening, Seattle’s new Olympic Sculpture Park is sparking debate about the meaning of public art.

Claes Oldenburg’s “Typewriter Eraser” bears a plaque with information about the piece and an artist statement. However, it concludes with the line: “Sorry, photography of this sculpture is prohibited”. This has got photographers debating copyright and fair use issues, since the giant sculpture is visible from a highway as well as surrounding public property. Is this a smart marketing move or a vain attempt at control? Read comments here.

Then there is the issue of the public making their own art on park grounds. Some visitors have taken to balancing hundreds of rocks on the park’s new beach – essentially building a sculpture garden within the official sculpture park. These rocks were dutifully knocked back down by Seattle Art Museum workers, to restore a natural looking beach. This obviously synthetic “natural” beach has started a debate about the public use of public space, the definition of just what is a “natural” environment, and the nature of public art. Just what is public space anyway? What is nature? Isn’t art created by the public also public art and not just specially installed pieces by professional artists? For a little more info, click here.

There are also a ton of photos on Flickr – just enter the search terms “Seattle Sculpture Park”.