What is public art? Before I read the reading material, I just think public art is a kind of art form which is located in public places. My concept about public art is simple, I have not thought too much about it. However, after I read Public Art Controversy: Culture Expression and Civic Debate, Dose showed me the other side about public art, which is controversial.

 

This image is from my Instagram, and I took the picture in Seattle. Yea, this is the famous Gum Wall! When I first saw this DISGUSTING in Seattle last year, I was very confused why people made this kind of public art. When I ask my friends why government do not clean it, and their answers are the same:  government tried to clean it but it always failed because people put the gums on the wall for ever.

These two pictures are also from my Instagram, I took these pictures in Eugene. The first one is a long graffiti on the train. When I waited for the passing train, I did not feel bored anymore; because I can still see these cool moving graffito for killing time. The other one is another graffiti located in a parking lot.  When I first saw it, I was impressed by these cute animals on the wall! After several times passed by here, I keep location on mind, and I used it to remember the location so that I will never get lost when I passed by here.

After used two examples, maybe you will be more clear about why some public arts are sick or favorite. From Public Art Controversy: Culture Expression and Civic Debate, Dose gave us a briefly explanation about why the public art is so controversial: Answer vary, but in general public art controversy relates to the essentially conversational nature of the art itself. (Page 6) Every coin has two sides, and people’s appreciations of art are different. Maybe some people prefer the first public art and do not like the graffiti. It really depends on different people. Public art is a kind way that people express something, and is also a way people effected.