Who owns ART?

Seattle has a wonderful 1% for art ordinance for public buildings. The mystery has always been who comprises the mysterious "Art Decider?" Controversies like this are, of course, common. However, in this case there is an amazing political overcast. The choice of art for our new rail station is a sculpture made up off swooping parts of jet fighters hanging from the ceiling. Blue painted fighter, yet.



The idea is dumb for many reasons. I suspect it arose in the sculptor's head because he read from Brooklyn that Seattle hosts an annual Blue Angels fly over. The Angels do put on a show .. over Lake Washington. Getting there requires dive bombing and strafing this neighborhood with acoustic abuse some do not like. (I actually like it but ...). So far, at worst questionable taste. But this is SEATTLE .. home of the pacifists, and there is no more pacific place on the shores of the pacific than Capital Hill. A War Plane exhibit is .. well .. err .. jingoistic for this venue?

Once again I wonder at the taste Art Decider shows. We have many wonderful Northwest Art traditions ... from coastal art to the subtle blues and grays of Graves, from Horiuchi and the pottery of the nearby Asian museum ... so howsitcome this art was chosen to be imposed here????

All else aside, there is a huge level of condescension implied by the os choice ... as if "they" no better than the locals ... isn't this how nhatives are supposed to feel in the presence of the colonist's wisdom?

This exhbit ain;t cheap .. $500,000. For that price, I suspect there are a lot of local artists with more relevant ideas!

War plane art sparks controversy | Top Stories | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington: "By CHRIS INGALLS / KING 5 News

Video: Unforeseen controversy during unveiling of station art
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SEATTLE- There was unexpected controversy Thursday evening as plans for a new Sound Transit station were unveiled.

Capitol Hill residents got their first peek at the design for their new Light Rail station, and some of them couldn't believe their eyes.

The artist behind the plans came up with a bold design, but he may have picked the wrong neighborhood for his project."

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.