Cultural Rhetoric of the purpose of Public Art


Where is the writing about public art in particular reference to its cultural practice in our place ( that is Melbourne) ?
In our current culture what is it and where is it practised?
Looking at council policies can give an insight into how a particular fields of practice sees itself. It also gives us an idea of how public art might be valued and defined by local people. This has to be read with a grain of salt because public art policies are developed within a culturl practice and in relationship with other policies. They gradually evolve, they look to each other for their developmeental changes. Also policies are bound by political correctness, the outcomes of the policies, the actual artworks that are made and placed in public space might be a completely different field of values.
Again other values that persist in culture about public art comissioned by councils could be found in people's statements about the works, the things said in opening speeches, newspaper articles and local feedback.

After a permanent public artwork is situated in space for a few years it has a new value and definition which has evolved from the people who see it on a regular basis. How the locals feel about the artwork and what meaning it derives for them changes over time and no matter what the intentioned meaning of the artwork was, it will become a different meaning and importance for the community.



 Most Councils have a public art policy or are developing one. Councils undertake the commissioning of public art and this is one way in which it is developed.
Other ways of producing public art is that individual organisations commission public art. These include, clubs such as the Retired Servicemen's League, schools, and the owners of new buildings.
It must be said that Individual organisations do not usually have policies to guide them and usually the public art that they commission has a very specific purpose.

We can however look at the text used in Public art policies of Councils to give us an indication of how public art is defined and what its role is in the current cultural climate. This means that I am giving it some weight as being a reflector of how we value and define it. How does our culture think about public art?
The limitations are of course that what is written in a council policy has a specific role to play. It is to guide in the commissioning of public artworks by a council. It does not refer to Contemporary theory in Public art or instances of public art that emerge from communities upward without council guidance and control.  It contains (to our delight) indications of the tensions and problems of the commissioning practice.

*please note that not all of these resource links will stay active as organisations continually redraft and post policies an adapt their websites. All quotes are in red text.

The other reason we can look at Council public art policy as a guide to the culture of public art practice is that Councils increasingly control what happens in public space. Hobsons Bay policy sheds light on this when in 4.3 Community Proposals for Public Artworks that are not identified in the Public Art Strategy, it says that;
People or groups offering to donate a public artwork and or fund a public artwork are
required to present a written proposal
 and that:
Proposals will be assessed on a case by case basis, using the guidelines stipulated in the policy and a recommendation will be put forward to Council
for approval. 
http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/files/49c39cb3-a26c-49f6-baad-a06800999db7/Public_Art_Policy_21_February_2012-1.pdf  January 2015
In this policy Hobson's Bay are proposing that they have the right to control any work in their area deemed public art. It gives us an impetus to take very seriously what is said in Council Policies as it seems they are the ones in control of public space.






What is public art?


P U R P O S E 

from: http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/documents/Public_Art_Policy_final_v3.pdf   January 2015
The purpose of this policy is to:
• Promote a greater understanding of the contribution of public art in the development of
a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable city.
• Establish principles to govern the development and management of public art within
the municipality.
• Guide Council and other stakeholders in integrating high-quality public art works into
significant projects and developments such as master plans, streetscape upgrades,
and activity centre renewal projects.




Bayside City Council
 Bayside is one of Melbourne’s most liveable areas, consequently Bayside City Council plays an
active role in supporting and enhancing an innovative, dynamic community. This will
be achieved by commissioning major site specific artworks in line with Council budget.
From this we can read that the purpose is to support and enhance and innovative dynamic community.

The Bayside City council have also said that the policy should, ' . . . guide Council and other stakeholders in integrating high-quality public art works into significant projects and developments such as master plans, streetscape upgrades, and activity centre renewal projects. 

Hobson's Bay
2. WHY HAVE PUBLIC ART
Public art can deliver many benefits to the City; it contributes to strong feelings of identity,
ownership and pride within a community, and contributes to the positioning of the City as a
centre of cultural excellence, both through the commissioning and promotion of public art.
Public art
· Can bring a sense of wellbeing and belonging to a community.
· Can highlight significant historical, cultural, environmental and social aspects of an
area.
· Enhances the cultural tourism and visitor appeal of the city.
· Creates landmarks in the urban environment that define spaces, act as wayfinding
devices and become natural gathering places.
· Revitalises and renews an area and can activate a space, providing social and
economic benefits.
· Encourages interaction with a space or facility
· Improves the visual amenity and quality of public spaces. 

 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The policy aims to support the management of a public art collection that represents
excellence and innovation and has significance to the cultural, social and environmental
characteristics of Hobsons Bay. It is consistent with objectives in the Council Plan 2009 -
2013 and the Hobsons Bay Arts and Culture Plan.
The Public Art Policy is designed to:
· Ensure the highest aesthetic standards are met in the commissioning of artworks
across the city.
· Ensure the integrity of the existing collection is maintained and enhanced through
strategic commissioning standards and practice and through community consultation.
· Ensure there is diversity in the types of artworks that are commissioned across the
municipality, and reflecting the cultural diversity and richness of our community.
· Express Hobsons Bay’s image as a centre for excellence and innovation.
· Avoid the siting and commissioning of art works in areas that have not been identified
as key sites for public art or that don’t meet the stated vision and objectives of the
Council.
http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/files/49c39cb3-a26c-49f6-baad-a06800999db7/Public_Art_Policy_21_February_2012-1.pdf  January 2015

quality


community engagement
creating a dialogue with the community ( Bayside City Council)


5.6 Community Engagement
Council will initiate and implement programs to engage with the community in relation
to public art within the municipality. Community members will be encouraged to
connect with and broaden their understanding of existing art works through
complementary exhibitions, seminars and other activities. Community engagement
plans will be prepared for all new public art projects. Where possible, Council will
consider the use of temporary or ephemeral public art projects as a means of creating
a dialogue with the community in relation to a change process or a proposed project. 



The Hobson's Bay policy acknowledges that one of the commissioning processes could be;
· As an outcome of a Council community art project which involves a professional artist
creating an art work in collaboration with the local community.
http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/files/49c39cb3-a26c-49f6-baad-a06800999db7/Public_Art_Policy_21_February_2012-1.pdf  January 2015




place
5.1 Quality and Context
Public art will be of high quality and will respond to the selected public site.

Permanent Vs Ephemeral

from Darebin
While permanent works clearly need to be constructed of lasting materials, public art of a temporary or ephemeral nature includes works using such things as video, sound, projection or live performance.


questioning and understanding our society (bayside city council)

I have included the word ephemeral as it is the opposite of permanent. Public artworks are either permanent or ephemeral. Permanent and ephemeral works can share some aspects but the difference between them can be seen to be diametrically oppositional in some ways. 

Local artists will be encouraged to activate the public domain through temporary and
ephemeral art projects and activities. Temporary and ephemeral projects create an
ongoing dialogue about society and public space. Council recognises that supporting
playful, thoughtful arts projects is a valuable way of questioning and understanding our
society. 
from: http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/documents/Public_Art_Policy_final_v3.pdf   January 2015

Work exhibited within a public space that has a shorter life span, for example, temporary
murals, projections, multimedia projects, billboard projects; as a guide, where the life span
varies from 1 day to 2 years. 
Criteria


Bayside City Council
• Relevance to the objectives, actions and principles of this Public Art Policy;
• Standards of excellence and innovation;
• Relevance and appropriateness of the work to the proposed site;
• Consistency with current planning, heritage and environmental policies;
• Consideration of public safety and the public’s access to and use of the public domain;
• Consideration of maintenance and durability requirements;
• Evidence of funding source (if not Council) and a satisfactory budget; and
• Non-duplication of monuments commemorating the same or similar events. 
from: http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/documents/Public_Art_Policy_final_v3.pdf   January 2015


considerations
We could also call these tensions.

Site

10.1 Historical and Environmental Considerations
The siting of all public artworks will be assessed based on the following considerations:
· Heritage Overlay
· Environmental impact
· Culturally significant sites
· Urban design framework
· Municipal Strategic Statement 
http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/files/49c39cb3-a26c-49f6-baad-a06800999db7/Public_Art_Policy_21_February_2012-1.pdf  January 2015


....................................................................................................................................
LIST OF PUBLIC ART POLICIES

bayside
 http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/documents/Public_Art_Policy_final_v3.pdf   January 2015

Darebin - public arts strategy 2006 - 2015
http://www.darebinarts.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Beyond-FIDO-Darebin-City-Council-Public-Art-Strategy.pdf

hobson's bay
http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/files/49c39cb3-a26c-49f6-baad-a06800999db7/Public_Art_Policy_21_February_2012-1.pdf  January 2015





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