What Is Public Art?

“Creativity takes courage.”

-Henri Matisse, 1869 – 1954

What is public art?  Public art has several defining characteristics, including its purposeful creation for a large audience and its intentional placement in an area where it will be seen.  Perhaps most importantly, however, is the message that public art sends.  According to Cher Krause Knight, “these artworks reinforced the agendas of those under whose aegia they were constructed: ranging from countless portraits of ancient rulers, designed to bolster confidence and spire loyalty; to massive pieces of street furniture, like triumphal arches proclaiming the military prowess of particular regimes.”[1]  In the modern era, public art has also been created for “the service of the people,” giving voices to the voiceless and representing public opinion.[2] 

 What makes public art controversial?  As Harriet F. Senie and Sally Webster write, “public art gathers the issues of its times and addresses a larger audience.”[3]  The issues represented by the artwork are controversial and thus the artwork representing these issues garners a variety of interpretations and opinions.  Sometimes, the artist’s intent is very clear and it is easy to decipher how the artist intended the artwork to be understood; however, often the artwork is left to be interpreted in the eye of the viewer. 

 One of the earliest examples of controversial public art dates back to French sculptor  Auguste Rodin, born in 1840.  Rodin was commissioned to create a sculpture in honor of novelist Honoré de Balzac.  Rodin depicted Balzac draped in a simple rope with disheveled hair and sunken features, head thrown back as if in the midst of an “inner vision” while also showcasing the “mystery of artistic creation.”[4]  Rodin was highly criticized for this sculpture because it did not portray Balzac’s physical appearance but rather his perceived artistic personality.  An example of controversial artwork in the United States is Tilted Arc, designed by Richard Serra and commissioned by the United State’s Art-in-Architecture Program.  Tilted Arc, placed in Federal Plaza in New York City in 1981, was a 120-foot long wall of curving steel meant to move with the viewer, changing both his or her perception of the sculpture and the environment.[5]  Tilted Arc was highly criticized for its disruptive nature in the plaza, the exact reason for which it was conceived.  A trial was held, and eventually the artwork was taken down.  Tilted Arc brought up important questions of funding for public art projects, as well how much an artist can express his or her opinions in a piece of artwork made to be displayed in a public place.

These questions are still prevalent today, as public art still exists, perhaps in larger numbers now than ever before.  Take a look around and you will see public artwork everywhere, in the form of war memorials, sculptures in city centers, and anonymous installations by street artists like Banksy.  Public art, more than any other kind of artwork, is created to make viewers think about its meaning, and what issues or opinions it is trying to portray.  We invite you to explore the questions and ideas surrounding the meaning of public art in our exhibition, Controversial Public Art.