Sometimes something is SO Memphis you can’t help but smile, and this time I’m talking about all the yapping about the Tad Lauritzen Wright art installation that wraps the trees on the Parkways with blue vinyl strips. It’s one of ten UrbanArt installations around town, and people’s reactions are, well, fascinating. Stacey Greenberg, who has my undying admiration for teaching her kids to actually eat and converse in restaurants, likes Wright’s idea, but, predictably, most of the comments on The CA story today are, um, negative. (Some more background from artbutcher.)
I hope all the controversy doesn’t make the folks at the UrbanArt Commission back off of their plans to try to keep putting interesting art in public places in Memphis. I’m not wild about the Blue Parkway installation myself, but I love that it happened, and I’m loving watching and listening to the conversation around it. And, after all, isn’t that what art is supposed to do? Maybe make you think a little?
Responses to “Turning the Parkways blue.”
March 13th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I haven’t been down that direction in a while, so I wasn’t aware of the banners, but I have to say that the pictures in the CA made me shudder. The banners look like the tapes they put around trees they plan to kill, and seeing all those trees banded is just horrifying, even though I know what it’s supposed to be. Art in public places should make your day more pleasant, not less pleasant, shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t massive art installations be approved on some sort of aesthetic ground before the artist is allowed to inflict whatever ugliness on the public? I can’t help thinking of that black wall in NYC that kept people from walking to their offices until it was torn down thanks to a petition.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
A lot of people, myself included, think the installation is just plain ugly. And we aren’t philistines. If these people want to be artists, maybe they should learn to take criticism. Christo’s thing in Central Park was covered in graffiti and dog poop by the time all was said and done. I’m frankly getting annoyed at the default Memphis response to critique: “At least we’re doing SOMETHING!” And I don’t necessarily believe the anecdotes about the South Memphians siccing dogs and pulling guns on them.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I’ve driven by these things for weeks now and I never knew what they were (other than ugly). I assumed some kids were doing a gag; you can’t even make out any “art” on the blue wrapping from the street as you drive by. I assumed someone was marking the trees because they were dying or needed to be trimmed. Turns out – it’s art! Who knew.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Like Allie, I thought the banding was some sort of marking the trees for removal or pruning. Since it’s in the median, it’s impossible to see that there’s anything on the banners.
I’m all for art in public places but the artist needs to meet the public halfway and at least give us a chance to see what they’re attempting to do. Putting it in the median of very busy streets was a pretty bad idea.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Awful. Annoying. Distracting. Thank god they’re gone. Why don’t we invite Christo down to drape union avenue in blue cloth next. Please.
March 13th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
the story says the art was installed March 2. Too bad the news couldn’t have covered it earlier – like maybe when he was putting it up – so people would have known what it was.