Me

May 29, 08 - 4:56 PM

SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Right, I rushed through the museum with my camera and snapped all the images of the potential art works that are bidding to by built in the Hayes, in front of the new library. I've mixed them in with my rough and ready memories of what the surrounding text said:

--------------------------

A row of metal arches that get lower (representing waves) that have lights shining on them. It reacts to people in the Hayes around it in some way.

A massive bowl with water in it. When the Hayes is empty there is not much water and it will be still, as the hayes fills up more water is pumped into the bowl and it gets waves etc until it spills over, sometime to drain quickly, sometimes to stay. There will be cameras around the hayes to work out how busy it is. Its meant to cause uncertainty in people about whether it is going to spill or not, and catch people out sometimes when it does.

A massive metal plinth with huge staggered glass tubes above it, that fill up with water in time with the change in the tidal flows in cardiff bay. it also has speakers underneath nearby seats that provide sound effects and also reacts to the people around it somehow.

A massive hollow bronze dress to represent femininity and counter the masculinity of the Mill Stadium.

A massive metal tree with no leaves on it.

Three massive piles of stones.

A massive spike pointing at an angle and a massive metal ring. The has lots of projectors on it that shine bits of text onto the ground below: words that reflect cardiff and phrases from welsh poetry. Some are big, some are small. By standing near it the words shine on the faces/bodies of the people, and by putting your body in different places you can spell different sentences on you (a bit like one of those fridge magnet sets with words that you can order). There is lots of complexity with this one, and more stuff than I can remember. According to the people manning the exhibition this is the forerunner with the public.

----------------------

Discuss!

Kyle

May 29th, 2008 - 5:50 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I think there'll be plenty of opinions on this forum about these.

Both the water features are pretty cool, but the one that is open may rely on it not being windy to function (think of how often the Torchwood tower down the bay doesn't work).

The final one that you mention is the favourite is pretty big if the scale in the final picture can be believed. Is it too big for the space it is in I wonder ?

The first one and the stones are my least favourite, although I'm not sure about the dress either to be honest. Maybe looking at them in more detail I might grow to like them.

As for the tree. Nice idea in a way, but won't there be actual trees planted around the centre anyway ?

As a New York addict I just love Bethesda fountain. Old fashioned maybe but it's a classic and I'd love to see something in Cardiff like it.

Cardiff Ian

May 29th, 2008 - 6:12 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Good work Me. My preferred option is the last one as well. Although I like the water options, I don't think they'll age well / will break down too often. I also think (unfortunately) that vandalism has to be considered and in this respect one of the inaminate ones would probably be the most suitable.

Me

May 29th, 2008 - 6:25 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

To my mind:

The one that reacts to the tidal flow of the Bay is no good because it obstructs the sight line at ground level, making the space smaller and harder to spot people on the other side.

The one that I first thought was just a pile of rocks has, I've now noticed, got lots of faces in it. Not sure if thats good or bad.

I like the idea of the dress one: something that represents femininity instead of masculinity of the Mil Stadium. But I worry it feeds into the stereotypes of gender more than challenge them, by locating it in a shopping area it suggest: men = sport, women = shopping. Not a healthy representation I feel.

The tree kinda looks nice, but could also easily seem kitch.

The bowl of water and the spike projecting words on the floor, both seem fun to me and could be interesting, although neither are beautiful and I worry how they would age.

I kinda worry that the best might be to have nothing? Or a plinth that has an alternating sculpture each year?

Alec-Radyr

May 29th, 2008 - 6:36 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

well, these look better than what i had in my minds eye.

I think i like the tree the most.. i like the way its simple. Noting more needed. no silly flashing lights and projectors that will break down frequently.

Tho i must admit they are all good ideas and would be fairly happy with any of them..

Wizard

May 29th, 2008 - 7:50 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I agree with a lot of the comments to date.

It is always very difficult to imagine what big public artworks will look like before they are finished . The initial artists impressions are so persuasive in determining your preferences that it is easy to be misled about what the end project will look like.

A water feature would be my preferred choice, but I have massive reservations about the water-based proposals above. Cardiff does not have a good track record in civic maintenance. One only has to look at the now dirty (albeit non water feature)outside Central Station to fear what might dominate the Hayes in the future (this could be easily cleaned with a simple pressure washer from B&Q but no one is interested in doing som but that's another story).

A huge monolithic eyesore in the Hayes is a real potential danger if the wrong choice is made.

My ideal water feature would be something far less gimmicky. We all know that the maintenance will be poor and before you know it, we'll have a dirty looking monster on our hands.

Unfortunately, potential vandalism is also our main enemy (remember the original green and orange glass panels on the Callaghan Square water feature.....).

I fear that the tree (which I quite like) will end up with loads of bits of things hanging off the branches (plastic bags, traffic cones etc) and could look a little too post-apocalytic for the location.

So, whittling down the options based on negative practical considerations (rather than artistic merit), I'm minded to go for either the last option (again I'm worried about the light features not working in a years time) or the dress (it is after all going to be a shopping destination so it's quite apt).

The dress does remind me of the massive Guggenheim fish on the Barcelona seafront. That wouldn't be a bad
example to follow. I would however want the legs to be so high that it wasn;t possible to easily damage the base.

So that's my choice - the fish,erm I mean the dress.

Wizard

May 29th, 2008 - 7:51 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

By the way 'ME' - thanks very much for spending the time and effort to upload these images onto this page. Great work !

paul-cardiff

May 29th, 2008 - 8:20 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

well said wizard, and a big thank you from me to 'me' also!! - all these fantastic contributions to this message board is making it more of a 'must visit' forum on a daily basis!! 'onward and upward' as I like to say when referring to development issues in cardiff

Jeremy

May 29th, 2008 - 11:02 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

A water feature every time. As a species we are attracted to water for some reason. Perhaps Elaine Morgan and her aquatic Ape theory was onto something.

Scupltures are largely ignored and a dress around shops, just look in the windows!

Wizard

May 29th, 2008 - 11:29 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Yes Jeremy, but which water feature would you want out of the options provided? Don't dream about about a stunning 'Treviesque' style feature when it's not on the menu!

DaiB

May 29th, 2008 - 11:42 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Really like the dress. It's a pretty unique sculpture and I can see it becoming something of a widely known landmark - like Wizard it puts me in mind of Gehry's fish which I absolutely adore and make a point of seeing whenever I'm in Barcelona. Also it's pleasingly sensuous, low maintenance and would not be prone to vandalism, so it scores in the practicality stakes too.

I'd take any of them, though. But as has been mentioned above, some of them would perhaps not stand the test of time, especially those that really heavily on technology.

URBANO

May 30th, 2008 - 8:27 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Nice to see you'bve got your pressure washer out again, Wizard. I go round Cardiff thinking of what needs a good 10 minutes pressure washing and there are quite a lot. Why doesn't it happen? My first candidate is the "stone" work above Gilesports near the entrance to SD1

I can't say I'm blown away by any of the propsals, and its a bit riduculous feling one HAS to go for one just because that's the choice wea re presented with. I think the tree is the probably the best. Simple, durable hopefully, timeless, and godd in the day and in the night,whatever the weather . The dresss might be quite good, but I'm both attracted amnd worried by the scale. The others all look like something you would see in Newport. Anything with anything moving is hopeless as it will break down and not get fixed. Something timeless is required- much of this municipal public feature sort of thing looks crap and naff after a few years, and I think that must be the test- how will it be perceived/look like in 10 or 20 years time , after 10 years of welsh weather, party pukers, vandals ,rust, cultural revisionism etc.

URBANO

May 30th, 2008 - 8:40 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Thank you very much ME for taking the pictures

Just one other point on the dress. Yes, not bad,in fact, but I come back to the question of scale, because it seems that it will actually be taller than the existing buildings on the west of the Hayes. If that's the case then I'm not sure it would work terribly well as it would empahsise the mis match between those buildings and the new SD2 ones on the east, rather than trying to bridge it to create a more coherent ( or at least less incoherent)overall Hayes ensemble.

URBANO

May 30th, 2008 - 8:53 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

The other point is to ask why it's always felt one HAS to put an "art feature" in spaces like this? In some ways it would be good to just leave it alone- and let trees,good paving and people say it all. A bt like the Hayes Island, in fact. Would anyone like to see the ( large canopy) trees ( and the snack bar, in fact ) make way for an "art feature" there?

URBANO

May 30th, 2008 - 9:20 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Does anyone else think that the Guggenheim fish looks a bit like an NHS urinal bottle?

Personally, I think Gehry is a bit of a con- man -with- a- compuer, not an artist architect likely to stand the test of time.

URBANO

May 30th, 2008 - 9:40 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

sorry barcelona fish

Kyle

May 30th, 2008 - 9:43 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Remove Hayes Island snack bar ? Can you imagine the uproar ?

Me

May 30th, 2008 - 10:40 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

It seems strange to me that the dress is pointing towards the library, as if it has its back to the Hayes itself. Odd.

Alec-Radyr

May 30th, 2008 - 2:22 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I do like the dress concept, the structure, but not the shape. Something more unisex and representative of Cardiff would be better.

Funnily enough I dont mind the size, I think big is good, a good statement.

I think the "dress" can get away with its size because of it being lifted off the ground' It dosnt interfere with peoples movement or line of sight at ground level. As with its size above ground level the fact that its a wire mesh gives the structure a lightness as you can still see through it.

But yes, i would prefer something less stereotypical and more unisex...

T

Jun 1st, 2008 - 11:19 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I agree with Alec-Radyr - like the dress idea but not sure that this is the right 'object' to use due to its connotations.

Otherwise, on the basis that it is maintained I think the last one is pretty good. The use of words reminds me of those on the front of WMC, which, after all, has been very successful.

Good website, by the way.

glenn

Jun 3rd, 2008 - 7:39 AM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Im really not impressed by ANY of them =/
They just seem utterly random to me, there probably is some sort of link to cardiff but i really dont see it

If it were up to me, i'd do something like trafalgar squares 'fourth plinth' and change the pieces every year or just a nice fountain where people can gather, but not a little trickly fountain but a big spectacular one.

Cardiff Ian

Jul 4th, 2008 - 12:33 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I think the metal spike with the circle round it (not a technical description) has been chosen for the public artwork. I only say this as the latest SD2 update mentions Jean Bernard Metais as the artist chosen and I can see his name in some of the photographs of the spike!

Alex

Jul 4th, 2008 - 2:11 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

The metal dress also reminded me of the Barcelona fish.

Are any of these artworks sponsored by CBAT ?

Me

Jul 4th, 2008 - 4:05 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I think you are right about the spike and the circle:

Lets remember that this one projected text onto the floor and has letter written on the ground as well. Below are some of the other projects the winning artist has been involved in (not sure which ones were commissioned and which ones were not). You will see some of the themes of the Cardiff one:

If it turns out well it could be great. On the other hand, it could be gimmicky, badly maintained, and laughable in 5 years time. Wont know till its up I figure...

Wizard

Jul 4th, 2008 - 4:38 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

I had to laugh when I read that the first one was called 'The Persistent Desire to Persist'.

For the Hayes, it could be called 'The Persistent Desire to get Pissed'

Me

Jul 22nd, 2008 - 2:49 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Neil Canning has been chosen to do 5 paintings for the inside of the new library. Looking at his portfolio you can see he has a definite style and rarely strays from it, so I suspect we will get something like his older work in the building:

http://www.neilcanning.com/index.html

-----
Councillor Nigel Howells, executive member for sport, leisure and culture, said: “It was thought that Neil Canning’s contemporary pieces of work were bright, energetic and well-suited to the modern building of the new library, which will welcome future generations of the city for years to come.”

Jantra

Jul 22nd, 2008 - 2:59 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Abstract

I love abstract, impressionist abstract even better...ooh thats got me drooling...

the only thing I like more than abstract is Jackson Pollock or de stijl

Kyle

Jul 22nd, 2008 - 3:00 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

Now that's what my 7 year old has been upto in school.

Only kidding

Jantra

Jul 22nd, 2008 - 3:15 PM

Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!)

actually just bought a piece (north wales artist who will remain nameless) who is very vivacious in his work, very abstract.

my mother comes to visit and says 'thats a nice painting by jantra junior' who is 3 1/2 I'll hasten to add.

thanks mum

Author	Comment
Me May 29, 08 - 4:56 PM	SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Right, I rushed through the museum with my camera and snapped all the images of the potential art works that are bidding to by built in the Hayes, in front of the new library. I've mixed them in with my rough and ready memories of what the surrounding text said: -------------------------- A row of metal arches that get lower (representing waves) that have lights shining on them. It reacts to people in the Hayes around it in some way. A massive bowl with water in it. When the Hayes is empty there is not much water and it will be still, as the hayes fills up more water is pumped into the bowl and it gets waves etc until it spills over, sometime to drain quickly, sometimes to stay. There will be cameras around the hayes to work out how busy it is. Its meant to cause uncertainty in people about whether it is going to spill or not, and catch people out sometimes when it does. A massive metal plinth with huge staggered glass tubes above it, that fill up with water in time with the change in the tidal flows in cardiff bay. it also has speakers underneath nearby seats that provide sound effects and also reacts to the people around it somehow. A massive hollow bronze dress to represent femininity and counter the masculinity of the Mill Stadium. A massive metal tree with no leaves on it. Three massive piles of stones. A massive spike pointing at an angle and a massive metal ring. The has lots of projectors on it that shine bits of text onto the ground below: words that reflect cardiff and phrases from welsh poetry. Some are big, some are small. By standing near it the words shine on the faces/bodies of the people, and by putting your body in different places you can spell different sentences on you (a bit like one of those fridge magnet sets with words that you can order). There is lots of complexity with this one, and more stuff than I can remember. According to the people manning the exhibition this is the forerunner with the public. ---------------------- Discuss!
Kyle May 29th, 2008 - 5:50 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I think there'll be plenty of opinions on this forum about these. Both the water features are pretty cool, but the one that is open may rely on it not being windy to function (think of how often the Torchwood tower down the bay doesn't work). The final one that you mention is the favourite is pretty big if the scale in the final picture can be believed. Is it too big for the space it is in I wonder ? The first one and the stones are my least favourite, although I'm not sure about the dress either to be honest. Maybe looking at them in more detail I might grow to like them. As for the tree. Nice idea in a way, but won't there be actual trees planted around the centre anyway ? As a New York addict I just love Bethesda fountain. Old fashioned maybe but it's a classic and I'd love to see something in Cardiff like it.
Cardiff Ian May 29th, 2008 - 6:12 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Good work Me. My preferred option is the last one as well. Although I like the water options, I don't think they'll age well / will break down too often. I also think (unfortunately) that vandalism has to be considered and in this respect one of the inaminate ones would probably be the most suitable.
Me May 29th, 2008 - 6:25 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) To my mind: The one that reacts to the tidal flow of the Bay is no good because it obstructs the sight line at ground level, making the space smaller and harder to spot people on the other side. The one that I first thought was just a pile of rocks has, I've now noticed, got lots of faces in it. Not sure if thats good or bad. I like the idea of the dress one: something that represents femininity instead of masculinity of the Mil Stadium. But I worry it feeds into the stereotypes of gender more than challenge them, by locating it in a shopping area it suggest: men = sport, women = shopping. Not a healthy representation I feel. The tree kinda looks nice, but could also easily seem kitch. The bowl of water and the spike projecting words on the floor, both seem fun to me and could be interesting, although neither are beautiful and I worry how they would age. I kinda worry that the best might be to have nothing? Or a plinth that has an alternating sculpture each year?
Alec-Radyr May 29th, 2008 - 6:36 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) well, these look better than what i had in my minds eye. I think i like the tree the most.. i like the way its simple. Noting more needed. no silly flashing lights and projectors that will break down frequently. Tho i must admit they are all good ideas and would be fairly happy with any of them..
Wizard May 29th, 2008 - 7:50 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I agree with a lot of the comments to date. It is always very difficult to imagine what big public artworks will look like before they are finished . The initial artists impressions are so persuasive in determining your preferences that it is easy to be misled about what the end project will look like. A water feature would be my preferred choice, but I have massive reservations about the water-based proposals above. Cardiff does not have a good track record in civic maintenance. One only has to look at the now dirty (albeit non water feature)outside Central Station to fear what might dominate the Hayes in the future (this could be easily cleaned with a simple pressure washer from B&Q but no one is interested in doing som but that's another story). A huge monolithic eyesore in the Hayes is a real potential danger if the wrong choice is made. My ideal water feature would be something far less gimmicky. We all know that the maintenance will be poor and before you know it, we'll have a dirty looking monster on our hands. Unfortunately, potential vandalism is also our main enemy (remember the original green and orange glass panels on the Callaghan Square water feature.....). I fear that the tree (which I quite like) will end up with loads of bits of things hanging off the branches (plastic bags, traffic cones etc) and could look a little too post-apocalytic for the location. So, whittling down the options based on negative practical considerations (rather than artistic merit), I'm minded to go for either the last option (again I'm worried about the light features not working in a years time) or the dress (it is after all going to be a shopping destination so it's quite apt). The dress does remind me of the massive Guggenheim fish on the Barcelona seafront. That wouldn't be a bad example to follow. I would however want the legs to be so high that it wasn;t possible to easily damage the base. So that's my choice - the fish,erm I mean the dress.
Wizard May 29th, 2008 - 7:51 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) By the way 'ME' - thanks very much for spending the time and effort to upload these images onto this page. Great work !
paul-cardiff May 29th, 2008 - 8:20 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) well said wizard, and a big thank you from me to 'me' also!! - all these fantastic contributions to this message board is making it more of a 'must visit' forum on a daily basis!! 'onward and upward' as I like to say when referring to development issues in cardiff
Jeremy May 29th, 2008 - 11:02 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) A water feature every time. As a species we are attracted to water for some reason. Perhaps Elaine Morgan and her aquatic Ape theory was onto something. Scupltures are largely ignored and a dress around shops, just look in the windows!
Wizard May 29th, 2008 - 11:29 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Yes Jeremy, but which water feature would you want out of the options provided? Don't dream about about a stunning 'Treviesque' style feature when it's not on the menu!
DaiB May 29th, 2008 - 11:42 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Really like the dress. It's a pretty unique sculpture and I can see it becoming something of a widely known landmark - like Wizard it puts me in mind of Gehry's fish which I absolutely adore and make a point of seeing whenever I'm in Barcelona. Also it's pleasingly sensuous, low maintenance and would not be prone to vandalism, so it scores in the practicality stakes too. I'd take any of them, though. But as has been mentioned above, some of them would perhaps not stand the test of time, especially those that really heavily on technology.
URBANO May 30th, 2008 - 8:27 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Nice to see you'bve got your pressure washer out again, Wizard. I go round Cardiff thinking of what needs a good 10 minutes pressure washing and there are quite a lot. Why doesn't it happen? My first candidate is the "stone" work above Gilesports near the entrance to SD1 I can't say I'm blown away by any of the propsals, and its a bit riduculous feling one HAS to go for one just because that's the choice wea re presented with. I think the tree is the probably the best. Simple, durable hopefully, timeless, and godd in the day and in the night,whatever the weather . The dresss might be quite good, but I'm both attracted amnd worried by the scale. The others all look like something you would see in Newport. Anything with anything moving is hopeless as it will break down and not get fixed. Something timeless is required- much of this municipal public feature sort of thing looks crap and naff after a few years, and I think that must be the test- how will it be perceived/look like in 10 or 20 years time , after 10 years of welsh weather, party pukers, vandals ,rust, cultural revisionism etc.
URBANO May 30th, 2008 - 8:40 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Thank you very much ME for taking the pictures Just one other point on the dress. Yes, not bad,in fact, but I come back to the question of scale, because it seems that it will actually be taller than the existing buildings on the west of the Hayes. If that's the case then I'm not sure it would work terribly well as it would empahsise the mis match between those buildings and the new SD2 ones on the east, rather than trying to bridge it to create a more coherent ( or at least less incoherent)overall Hayes ensemble.
URBANO May 30th, 2008 - 8:53 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) The other point is to ask why it's always felt one HAS to put an "art feature" in spaces like this? In some ways it would be good to just leave it alone- and let trees,good paving and people say it all. A bt like the Hayes Island, in fact. Would anyone like to see the ( large canopy) trees ( and the snack bar, in fact ) make way for an "art feature" there?
URBANO May 30th, 2008 - 9:20 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Does anyone else think that the Guggenheim fish looks a bit like an NHS urinal bottle? Personally, I think Gehry is a bit of a con- man -with- a- compuer, not an artist architect likely to stand the test of time.
URBANO May 30th, 2008 - 9:40 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) sorry barcelona fish
Kyle May 30th, 2008 - 9:43 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Remove Hayes Island snack bar ? Can you imagine the uproar ?
Me May 30th, 2008 - 10:40 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) It seems strange to me that the dress is pointing towards the library, as if it has its back to the Hayes itself. Odd.
Alec-Radyr May 30th, 2008 - 2:22 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I do like the dress concept, the structure, but not the shape. Something more unisex and representative of Cardiff would be better. Funnily enough I dont mind the size, I think big is good, a good statement. I think the "dress" can get away with its size because of it being lifted off the ground' It dosnt interfere with peoples movement or line of sight at ground level. As with its size above ground level the fact that its a wire mesh gives the structure a lightness as you can still see through it. But yes, i would prefer something less stereotypical and more unisex...
T Jun 1st, 2008 - 11:19 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I agree with Alec-Radyr - like the dress idea but not sure that this is the right 'object' to use due to its connotations. Otherwise, on the basis that it is maintained I think the last one is pretty good. The use of words reminds me of those on the front of WMC, which, after all, has been very successful. Good website, by the way. Email: tom@tom03.wanadoo.co.uk
glenn Jun 3rd, 2008 - 7:39 AM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Im really not impressed by ANY of them =/ They just seem utterly random to me, there probably is some sort of link to cardiff but i really dont see it If it were up to me, i'd do something like trafalgar squares 'fourth plinth' and change the pieces every year or just a nice fountain where people can gather, but not a little trickly fountain but a big spectacular one.
Cardiff Ian Jul 4th, 2008 - 12:33 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I think the metal spike with the circle round it (not a technical description) has been chosen for the public artwork. I only say this as the latest SD2 update mentions Jean Bernard Metais as the artist chosen and I can see his name in some of the photographs of the spike!
Alex Jul 4th, 2008 - 2:11 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) The metal dress also reminded me of the Barcelona fish. Are any of these artworks sponsored by CBAT ?
Me Jul 4th, 2008 - 4:05 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I think you are right about the spike and the circle: Lets remember that this one projected text onto the floor and has letter written on the ground as well. Below are some of the other projects the winning artist has been involved in (not sure which ones were commissioned and which ones were not). You will see some of the themes of the Cardiff one: If it turns out well it could be great. On the other hand, it could be gimmicky, badly maintained, and laughable in 5 years time. Wont know till its up I figure...
Wizard Jul 4th, 2008 - 4:38 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) I had to laugh when I read that the first one was called 'The Persistent Desire to Persist'. For the Hayes, it could be called 'The Persistent Desire to get Pissed'
Me Jul 22nd, 2008 - 2:49 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Neil Canning has been chosen to do 5 paintings for the inside of the new library. Looking at his portfolio you can see he has a definite style and rarely strays from it, so I suspect we will get something like his older work in the building: http://www.neilcanning.com/index.html ----- Councillor Nigel Howells, executive member for sport, leisure and culture, said: “It was thought that Neil Canning’s contemporary pieces of work were bright, energetic and well-suited to the modern building of the new library, which will welcome future generations of the city for years to come.”
Jantra Jul 22nd, 2008 - 2:59 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Abstract I love abstract, impressionist abstract even better...ooh thats got me drooling... the only thing I like more than abstract is Jackson Pollock or de stijl
Kyle Jul 22nd, 2008 - 3:00 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) Now that's what my 7 year old has been upto in school. Only kidding
Jantra Jul 22nd, 2008 - 3:15 PM	Re: SD2 contenders for the Hayes public artwork (watchout, lots of photos!) actually just bought a piece (north wales artist who will remain nameless) who is very vivacious in his work, very abstract. my mother comes to visit and says 'thats a nice painting by jantra junior' who is 3 1/2 I'll hasten to add. thanks mum