Alfred Cass (huge commissioner of art) in the first episode of The Big Art Project which is taking place on Channel 4 quotes on public art, 'Well, it's whether it sings to you' and such is projected through Channel Four's new show. It's lovely to see, as Simon Schama would say, ,'The Power of Art', this show highlights how art can reignite hope in a community, can act as a core magnetism or force that draws nucleus' of societies back together as communities and can also get people talking again in real space and time. Communities surrounding the particular sites worked with curators appointed by the Big Art Trust. Funding is provided via the Arts Council, England and The Art Fund together with any subsidiaries. Selection was started in 2005 and by 2006 seven commmunities were chosen: St. Helens, Burnley, Cardigan, Mull, Newham, North Belfast and Sheffield.
St. Helens, a former mining town which lost it's trade within the 1990s was appointed Jaume Plensa, an artist bron in Barcelona but renown all over the country for his work particularly his Chicago piece, 'Crown Fountain at Millenium Park'. He's well known as creating works that facilitate the use of light. What was really interestin when the community ex-miners became involved in the process of the development of Sutton Manor Coillery site, a former mine was how open they were to a contemporary piece of art taking hold rather than a memorial/monument.
What's acheived is a 65ft-high sculpture on top of the coal mine made out of concrete and costing £1.8million with 90 separate individual parts.
The resulting sculpture, 'Dream' stands like a futuristic/contemporary Olmec, 'Colossal Head',albeit with sense of smooth elegance, lifting the space out of it's rut into a new cerebral escape, a huge thinking space in which the communtiy can put it's heads together to acheive the dream. In a way it resembles the huge Buddha on Landau Island, Hong Kong or some Grand Wizard that will answer the miners prayers, it's glows a white light of future peace and future hope. However it resembles a girl with her eyes closed pondering the dream so really it's hard to say if this negates value within the piece, a miner's tribute represented by a young girl? It's somehow becomes vulnerable and fragile now unable to carry it's stature, however strength is regained in appeal to the younger generation for regeneration, input into the dream of their community together with attention to historical acheivement and relevance by site significance. To catch the rest Channel 4 at 7pm.
Richard Wilson's site- specific works are also featured in the show and want to do a post on him soon.
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