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Discuss where and how the work was placed in the public arena. How does the placement of the work affect the meaning or the way it is seen. Why did the artist choose this particular public space? Is the work site specific? Or in other words does the work gain its meaning from the site in which it is located?

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HISTORY 042

Choose one work from the list below of public artworks

  • 1) Richard Serra, Tilted Arc
  • 2) Maya LIn’s Vietnam War Memorial
  • 3) Guillermo Gomez Pina and Coco Fusco’s, Two Undiscovered Amerindians Visit London, May 1992. or Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Roberto Sifuentes, The Cruci-fiction Project, or The Temple of Confessions, 1994.
  • 5) Krzystof Wodiczko, Homeless Vehicle
  • 6) Suzanne Lacy, Whisper, the Waves, the Wind or one of her performances mentioned in module 4

Answer the following questions in relation to the work you chose:

1) Explain the ‘form’ of the work and how it relates to the content; discuss the aesthetics(relationship to beauty or ugliness) of the work. Remember scale, dimensions, color, and use of specific material are important visual considerations.

2) Discuss where and how the work was placed in the public arena. How does the placement of the work affect the meaning or the way it is seen. Why did the artist choose this particular public space? Is the work site specific? Or in other words does the work gain its meaning from the site in which it is located?

3) Explain the pros and cons of the public debate/controversy over the work you chose. If there was no controversy discussed in the book, or the modules, research the work and see if you can find opinions, questions, controversy regarding the public artwork. Do you personally think there should have been a controversy over the public artwork? Why or why not?

4) What kinds of resolutions or concessions to public opinion were made in relation to the artwork after the work was selected? You may need to do some research on the net to find out more about this. Would you have voted to have the work you are discussing placed into the “public arena”?

5) How well do you think the controversy was resolved?

6) State your subjective response to the work you chose. Is it successful? Why or why not? Do you believe the work to be valuable as “public” art? Why or why not?