What do we mean by public? We form the public. We are the public.
In being public we are not being private.
Adapting from Raymond Williams text on "PRIVATE", p.242, "Keywords", Fontana Press, London, 1976.
"Public" might seem a conventional opposition to private soldier, private member, private parts or private house, education, view, theatre, hotel, club, property…anti privilege.
What is "private" engagement in an artist's run(public) space that is not for private enterprise, profit or advantage
Where do artist's egos sit in relation to the organisation and presentation of artwork in public?
What do art things do for the public?
What should we as public know?
What need we be introduced to that we as members of public are missing?
What does public sculpture do? How do things work?
What is and isn't public sculpture?
Introducing people to Systems of thinking and working rather than structures?
A liminal to art? Art that has difficulty being recognised as art. Only the word art may connect it.
But isn't removing the word art self defeating?
Art and conversation.
Art and discussion.
Public demystification of sense.
Where does the conversation lie between the Organisers of Discussion, Group Selection, self promotion, political positioning) and Anish Kapoor ( The Public star.)
We have the boundary challenges and the anonymous action.
But…although perhaps produced in a spirit…can it be received in the spirit of its production?
Where do the shifts from private to public lie?
Presentation?
here are a few questions that trouble me.
Thoughts:
Where do artist’s egos sit in relation to the organisation and presentation of a public work?
Why should a public care what an individual artist has to say?
What is public engagement?
What public engages with sculpture ? How does this work? Why should it be needed?
What is and isn’t public engagement? To ignore is a choice. (This is what Beuys couldn’t get round.)
Where do discussions lie between a Stephen Willetts work (Organiser of Discussion and Group Direction), a Banksy ( anonymous (?) self promotion of self and personal political positioning) and Anish Kapoor ( ? Public star.) and A curated art festival like Documenta.
The liminal Art that has difficulty being recognised as art. Only the self contextualisation and word may connect it. E.g. Sweeping a room.
We have boundary challenges of the likes of Superflex and the anonymous action offered.
That’s it for now.
