tensions

The National Association of Visual Artist's point to many issues involved in the area of public art commissioning in their code of practice
https://visualarts.net.au/media/uploads/files/CHAPTER_3Commissioning.pdf

'Many of the issues relating to Public Art Commissioning have remained constant
over at least the last two decades. These include the selection process, the use of
appropriate contracts, the insuring of public art work and practitioners, the
unauthorised use of practitioners’ intellectual property, moral rights and the disposal
or relocation of art works. But the context in which these issues is articulated has
become more complex as public art practice itself becomes more diverse and perhaps better integrated into urban and building design.'

other tensions;

aesthetics
There are elements of risk in community art practice or in a public art practice that involves community members. The risk is that the final artwork will not be aesthetic. Most public art commisions are made by an 'artist', often with assistance of architects, urban planners, designers and an engineer. The artist can solve other tensions with these experts, and at the same time keep control of the aesthetic of the artwork.

Working with others means that there is a risk about what the outcome will look like, the artists does not have time to get all of the others to design what they would contribute and then include it in her proposal. Also there is the risk that someone will not follow directions, or that something organically happens which neccessarily moves the project away form its first design. She also has to conjecture what the outcome might look like, whilst in reality the artwork would have more integrity and truth if it evolved organically, without being planned.
Community art practice also utilises community members as artists. It values the creativity of everyone, so it has less regard for the refined aesthetics of fine art practice. In other words the process and community involvement are valued first and aesthetics afterwards.

This diagram demonstrates an idea about the relationship between aesthetics and process. We cannot say that each community engaged project will automatically veer towards process over aesthetics, but that all of the projects bounce around in between. Whilst the artist might guess at the specific relationship that process and aesthetics will have to their project, if the community are involved as makers in the project, it is a fluid value and outcome. Different aspects will pull the project at different times towards each value. And then where the artwork finishes, its value as a process and as an aesthetic object will be critiqued differently by each viewer anyway.

I am always reminded of this when thinking about a particular project that I did, where in the end I had to radically change the design to accommodate and extra 200 artworks. It was a fantastic thing to get 200 more participants into the project, but where to fit them in the design. Where I had hoped for space, there was none. But very often someone will comment that it was one of the most beautiful projects that I made. I still hanker for the space, and can't look at the work from someone else's or a fresh point of view. But I was very happy with the process and that was what was most important to me. 

Lawrence Weiner in conversation with Gilda Williams described the word 'beauty' as 'one of the most horrible words in the world.'
'Its probably a word that has destroyed more lives and dreams than anything else.'
Its relationship with the idea of aesthetics, he goes on to explore,
'Well thats what we've had in art. We've had this breakdown because of the necessity of a commercial system, of a way to make a living. . . and the most expensive thing in the world is time. In order to have the time to make art you have to have shoes, art, something that you can sell, that you can trade for the time . . . and then we get into this diea of what is beautiful, what is fine art. What is better?
We're into the ame things that made you go into the artworld to break down the hierarchies that you were faced with and we immediatley impose it back on our appreciation of art.'
                                       (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KGx555onJI)

time and money
time equals money, money equals time


fame, value,

'A work of art has traditionally been seen as the artist's absolute property, a surrogate for and realization of his or her essential self. The artwork when exhibited and exchanged within the "free market" acquires its meaning and value.'    Mary Anne Staniszewski (1995,p104)

One of the dilemmas for public art is that the artwork also is seen to bring prestige to a municipality. So there is a cultural pressure to use artworks by famous or renowned artists. Artworks are often valued by their market value or the artist presenting proof on their c.v. that they are on their way towards being famous and valued. In this context,t here is not much room for community participants as artists. There is no glitter in saying that the locals made it. Also the work of a famous or renowned artist will have more value if it is entirely their work or at least advertised as that. If the artist engages the community, they become less of an author of the artwork.

staniszewski also points to the importance of the signature or the authenticity of the one artist who made the artwork as being inportant, and she refers to the alterego of this signature the tag or graffitti art where ht tag or signature becomes the image.

homogenisation of public space
? Democratic public space is frequently endowed with unified properties, but one of the problems of aiming for a homogenous public is the avoidance of difference. Philosopher Chantal Mouffe has argued instead for radical democracy, a form of democracy that is able to embrace conflict and passion.12 ( rendell, J 2009:19)