While public art is the final topic for this term, it is certainly still a very interesting one. Reviewing the Runquist murals, reading the background on them, and the assigned reading from Doss were all very beneficial in expanding my knowledge regarding public art. After reviewing the material and reflecting on my personal experience with public art, two topics, civic improvement, and civic beautification, stuck with me.
Public art has always been very fascinating to me because it often oozes with creativity, passion and can be very vibrant in color. Some of my most recent experiences are living in Eugene, where there are multiple forms of public art around campus, such as the Great Blue Heron sculpture on 13th Street. I have also taken multiple art classes here at UO, which included studying various forms of public art.
The reading by Ericka Doss was very informative regarding public art and the controversy that surrounds it. Doss starts with giving a general background of public art, which is smart so the readers can all be informed on the subject. Doss explains how diverse public art can be and all the different forms, “Public art can be a sculpture, mural, manhole cover, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building façade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas-relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork” (Doss 2). This quote illustrates all the different forms of public art, which contributes to the high levels of creativity. A personal favorite of mine is the street artist, Banksy, who is famous for his various public art pieces.
Doss continues with using a quote from Jack Becker to make an interesting point, which I feel eludes to civic improvement and improving the community, “As Becker remarks, public art is “multifaceted” cultural arena that is “open to artists of all stripes, without predetermine rules or a mutually agreed upon critical languagage” (Doss 2). This highlights how public art doesn’t follow a set of rules, which contributes to how it can speak to people in multiple ways. This is how public art improves the community, because it appeals to a wide range of people for different reasons. Based on my personal experience, public art can significantly improve the community by adding aspects of creativity, art, and beauty to the area.
The murals we studied for this week really made me think of how they add value to the Knight Library and those who visit that area. When I visited the murals in person it became clear that they add significant value to the space. The history of the murals, and each pane adds an aspect of beauty to the public, which is why the murals are a good example of civic beautification. The fact that the murals still remain add another dimension of value to the community, because as mentioned in Doss’ piece, there have been shifts in terms of public art. Doss explains how some public art pieces have been taken down or removed for new innovations. As Doss says, “It shows the shifting circumstances of American public culture and that original intentions regarding public art’s placement, permanence, and public interpretation are often subject to change and reconsideration” (Doss 4). This quote illustrates how the public opinion can change regarding public art. This quote also points to how valuable the murals are to the Knight Library, because they still remain although some of the images the murals depict might be outdated. History can add value to the community and when history is integrated with art it can create real beauty for those around to admire, which is what the murals create for the Knight Library.