But is it any good?
I myself am having a hard time coming to a decision on the piece. Some think that $165,000 is too much for an important piece of public art, but instead I’m wondering about the timing and implementation of this piece. Was the bridge designed without the artwork in mind? What kind of results would we have had if the three artists were brought on board earlier, working in a more integral way with the bridge designers? (And while we’re on the subject… Why don’t people appreciate the intrinsic beauty of a bridge itself anymore?)
Okay, comparing a pedestrian bridge in Cary, North Carolina to one of the most important structures in the industrial revolution isn’t really fair… However, it is fair (I think) to compare Cary’s attempts at civic art to Raleigh’s projects. Case in point, the shimmer wall on the new convention center. Surely a good Architect teamed up with a talented Artist could have come up with a more integral sculpture, allowing the art to feel less applied?
I’m afraid the answer is, “Yes, but not for under $156,000.” Hopefully the three pieces to be integrated into the new Walnut Street Park will really be something to write about.
