At 12.16pm on Friday 9 August @JackJHutchinson tweeted: “My short news article for @an_artnews on #ArtEverywhere appears to have kicked off a fair bit of debate…”
Over 100 tweets engaged artists, curators and writers in a discussion about whether the Art Everywhere project, which sees art displayed on billboards and posters across the UK until 25 August, is the best way to view the selected artworks, and whether or not it constitutes good public art.
The Artist Taxi Driver @chunkymark bluntly stated his position: “Oh my dear fucking god this kind of art is fucked.” Emily Speed @speedina tweeted a simple “dislike”, elaborating that it was “just pictures of art – not art. Also, the choices seem to be very safe – result of people choosing what they know?” Axel Bottenberg @xelb0ttenberG responded with: “The result of people choosing what they liked. We arty folk can’t constantly tell people what to like.”
Commenting via the Twitter tag #ArtEverywhere, Laura Davidson @LauraELDavidson said: “It’s a ‘nice’ idea and by that I mean: gimmick.” @sweetsorsour reiterated this sentiment: “Feels gimmicky, self-congratulatory and so a tad patronising to me. Just wondering why now, what for?” David Sinclair @Davids1965 begged to differ: ”It’s a fantastic project. Isn’t it better than looking at an advertising campaign for an over priced car?”
@KalaInstitute focused on the innovations the project brings: “Curious about the image recognition and augmented reality Blippar tech. Each physical poster will be interactive.” Meanwhile, @irishetchings saw value in Art Everywhere’s public nature: “Any additional opportunity to view art can only be a good thing, even if it’s not perfect.”
“Wallpaper/biscuit tins spring to mind, I don’t see how this presents the work in any context at all. For anyone,” argued @SandraCrisp, conceding in a second tweet that: “ …If it was specially commissioned work then that would be a different matter.” Neil Armstrong @NarmstrongArt agreed: “Yep indeedy – hate to be a killjoy, but it could have been a really positive commissioning process,” said the a-n blogger.
Well-curated hoardings?
Tabish Khan @LondonArtCritic asked: “Can you curate a hoarding? They are purposefully located to give you a quick fix.” He continued: “Can fine art be digested like street art on a building? I’d rather see the original in a gallery.”
Both a-n’s Director Susan Jones @SusanJonesArts and Sarah McAdam @sk_mcadam offered up examples of thoughtfully commissioned hoardings. Drawing from material in a-n’s archives, Jones tweeted: “As in Helen Chadwick’s Wreath to Pleasure BBC billboard commission in 1992. She said: ‘I want to make a very intimate image extremely public….’ #anarchive”
“IMO this a well curated hoarding. A quick fix but very engaging!” responded McAdam, advocating Ross Sinclair’s artwork for this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival as a good example of audience-engaged public art commissioning. The project takes its lead from the festival’s ‘Parlay’ theme, provoking a discussion by presenting various sides of Edinburgh that most festival visitors may not usually get to see. Sinclair’s billboards are just some of the 43,000 different artworks, including beer mats, postcards and signs, that form part of his project and are guilefully sited throughout the city.
Also picking up on Art Everywhere’s claim to being the world’s largest gallery, Suzanna Raymond @Srfirehorseart observed: “Milton Keynes already has #arteverywhere, with over 220 Public Artworks.”
(Dis)service to art?
Another tweet from @LauraELDavidson was a reminder of recent art cuts that have disproportionately affected organisations that directly commission and support artists: “Personally, I want spending to be on arts organisation and artists & not on the reiteration of old masters on billboards.”
Alistair Gentry @AlistairGentry made a similar point in hashtag verse: “#deadartistseverywhere #sameoldlivingartistseverywhere“
Also via the twitter hashtag, Em @civetta conveyed the mixed feelings towards Art Everywhere, an endeavour that appears to both widen art’s reach and limit its scope: “#arteverywhere‘s selection of works is more interesting than it might have been. Not just “old masters,” she tweeted, adding: “Unhelpful of #arteverywhere to claim ‘we can’t get the average guy in the street to go into a gallery’. Also untrue.”
Follow the debate @an_artnews and contribute your thoughts via #arteverywhere.
