Carter, Sculpture as Public Art

One of sculpture's most important features is its public nature--"Public art in the public sphere."

Different from architecture because it does not compartmentalize space for functional purposes.

Audience does not have choice to experience it or not...
-it persists in fixed and determined space
-accessible to all people using the environment

The concept of "public space implies also a public sphere."
-Problem with the terms 'public' and 'public sphere'--dependent on political and local settings
i.e. public sphere::monarchy=property ownership under control of the reigning monarch
public sphere::democracy=ownership and access reside in the hands of the people, or a representative government acting on their behalf

Democratic perspective includes several segments of society, such as classes, media influence, interest groups, political parties, govn't bureaucracies, and the legal system.
-Competing interests of the segments lead to different requirements for public sculpture
-ex: Sculptures of former communist leaders in Russia or Sadaam Hussein in Iraq that are now toppled.
-Public art will be called upon to serve various audiences within the public sphere

Distinction must be drawn between public and private sphere.
-Private=sphere of individuals and families, ex: family/individual portrait, etc.
-Public=sphere in which all stakeholders in a community have an interest and are entitled to a "say," either directly or by proxy, ex: US Congress or other govn't agency commissions a scultpture to honor veterans of a war.

Must look at the role of the artist in public sculpture.
-The sculptor who is commissioned to make public sculpture is acting in the name of the community
Often, an important role is to mythologize history.
Also, the aim may be to foster unity by idealizing shared sentiments or an area of common agreement. i.e. Sculptures featuring national heroes used as means of social control to instill patriotism/national unity
-However, in an age of anti-heroism, a different approach is called for.
Ex: The Vietnam Memorial necessarily had to address coflicting sentiments regarding an unpopular war. Despite initial public outcry, the Memorial is now a symbol of "national mourning and reconciliation," as well as a "critical parody," reversing the usual role of war monuments. The Memorial has obviously satisfied the needs of many diverse groups "resulting in a stream of visitors who often participate...by leaving gifts..."

The critical function of public sculpture is increasingly important
-In the critical function, public sculpture is a type of symbolic intervention that treats history, politics, and society, often forcing a reexamination of painful moments in history.
-SEE FIRST FULL PARAGRAPH OF PAGE 19 OF CARTER ARTICLE FOR EXAMPLE!

Incidents of public outcry against public sculpture raise broad questions about the artist's role.
-"Should artists simply absorb and represent the views of the community in non-controversial ways" or do they "assume the position of social critic and proceed accordingly?"
-In an increasingly diverse and idealogical society, sculptors who become spokesman/commentators for the community have a more difficult task before them.
-Do artists posess the necessary knowledge and qualifications to dispense "truth"? Are they immune to the influence of govn't that may try to use them as instruments of propaganda?
-The circumstances call for a rethinking of the processes guiding public sculpture.
Public sculpture is not about artists working in isolation, but about a collaborative work of art between artist, govn't and society at large. SEE FIRST FULL PARAGRAPH OF PAGE 20 OF CARTER ARTICLE FOR EXAMPLE.

An approach that addresses the need for community participation is demonstrated by Joesph Beuy's social sculpture that signaled a major shift in thinking about public sculpture with his 7000 Oaks work in Germany. SEE ARTICLE FOR DESCRIPTION.
The process of Beuy's sculpture extends the process toward community involvement where their participation in effect becomes part of the sculpture.

There is a final issue--What is the relation of public sculpture to mass art?
Initially, some features are demonstrated as defined by Noel Carroll: it is produced for, and consumed by, many people and brings aestheric experience to a mass audience; it is class indifferent; is readily accessible with minimum effort to large numbers of people. Moreover, public sculpture, in its most successful forms at least, shares with mass art a distrust of avant garde.
Public sculpture is different from all forms of mass art, as defined by Carroll, in that it is one singular work of art, as opposed to cds, movies, tv shows, etc, that are mass distributed.
Public sculpture fails to satisfy Carroll's requirements of being a miltiple instance or type artwork ...distributed by mass technology.

SEE LAST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE FOR SUMMARY.

--Not gonna lie, this one was awesome. I was on the edge of my f#@kin seat!...