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21.12.2011 / News / 0 Comments
The theft of Barbara Hepworth's wo Forms (Divided Circle) from Dulwich Park this week is the latest tragedy to hit public art, but there are other headaches too, as Miles Salter reports
It might never have happened. The Angel Of The North caused a major controversy when the idea for Antony Gormley's impressive figure was first suggested in 1994 at a cost of approximately £1m. A local campaign called"stop the statue:" made a big fuss, and, locally, the Angel even became something of a political football. "It took enormous courage from Gateshead council to go ahead with the project" says Robert Powell, creative director of consultancy Beam. "And now, it's regarded with enormous affection. The Angel has become a symbol of the north."
Public art has always been a tricky business. Public opinion, use of public funds and media contrariness are just some of the issues involved. And that's when cash is available. In late 2011, times are hard for the small industry of artists and consultants who make up the world of public art.
Rick Faulkner of North Yorkshire arts company Chrysalis says things are getting tougher. "There's been a slowdown in opportunities" says Faulkner. "Central government's allocation of finance through RDAs (Regional Development Agencies) has all gone. Expenditure on public art is much less than it was a few years ago. There are more artists and companies chasing fewer commissions."
Robert Powell agrees. "It's not been a great 18 months" he admits. "Cuts and local authority jitters over spending and pensions mean that art in public spaces has suffered a difficult period."
Does the lower number of commissions mean the overall quality of the product goes up? "Not necessarily" says Faulkner. "The commissioning body can still select the proposal that isn't very good." Faulkner says the number of submissions for public art briefs has decreased dramatically. "Three or four years ago, projects would get 30 applications. Now, they're getting 60 or 70. Chrysalis has less work than before. We've not made anybody redundant, but the mood music is a little quieter. In 2008 we had four or five big projects on the go. Now it's two."
Funding cuts have also impacted on local authorities. The decrease in large building proj- ects has also had an impact, says Gill Cooper, arts and culture officer for City of York Council.
"Public art has been put on ice" says Cooper, pointing to the fact that a number of local authority arts officers have been made redundant. "Nationally, there is less spent on public art because there are less building projects. Developers aren't building because of the market. A local example of this in York is the Terry's development which has been delayed. We always ask for 1% of total spend to be allocated for public art," says Cooper, but adds 'we rarely get it.'
"Councils are generally nervous about commission- ing work. There are pieces of research indicating the positive role public art plays on place making and the effect on people's welfare. But art is subjective, and often the public don't appreciate it. Newcastle quayside is a place where public art has been used really well and the com- munity are very appreciative of what's happened."
"Quite often local authorities don't have separate budgets for public art," says Cooper, "and rely on negotiations with developers and council. Deals can be quite complex, and there are regulations about parks, open spaces, sports and leisure. There's also an emphasis on affordable housing. Public art funds are not statutory, and that has always been the case. The local authority negotiates with planners over funding for public art. Developers' bottom line is always profit, so they will argue against making a contribution. There's always a justification of why it can't be done. Some developers are not confident in their ability to commission good public art. There's also a nervousness around knee-jerk public reaction."
Cooper is currently overseeing a public arts project to be sited in the new City of York Council Headquarters. The building project will cost £48.3m, with the artwork worth only £120,000. Cooper is adamant that the art on display in the building will be for everybody. The resulting art will be featured in the building's foyer.
"The work had to be on public display," she says. "A civic building represents the public face of the council for anybody who visits us. Public art is part of the building."
If the economic crisis wasn't enough to worry any- body in the public art sphere, there's also the spectre of theft. As metals are stripped from church roofs and other buildings, thieves also target sculpture, thinking that it will yield large amounts of valuable metal (often, they are mistaken). Blackpool Council has been forced to remove public artwork to safeguard it following two major thefts in July and August. Three of four lead-based figures were taken from a local park where they had stood since 1926. A fortnight later, a section of one of two statues designed by Sir Peter Blake was stolen from the promenade. The remaining artworks are now in a secure compound. The council says they will be replaced with replicas. Blackpool is not alone.
However, it's not all bad news. Robert Powell points to more collaboration and experimentation within public
arts which makes it a great area to be involved in. "In terms of artists' practice it's a very exciting time" says Powell. "It's far bigger than sculpture. We're seeing more use of new media and performance. In terms of opportunities the recession is having an effect. When it comes to developers' budgets the public art is one of the first things to be cut. The number of opportunities is less than usual." Powell points to the opportunities that a recession presents, for example in Bradford, at a site to be occupied by a supermarket. The shop was postponed and local arts groups proposed to do a project. There are other causes for celebration, like Anthony McCall's ambitious Column, a corkscrew of mist which will rise up from Liverpool as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. However, such projects are in the minority. Rick Saunders says that, for most artists and companies involved in public art, belts will stay tight for some time. "These are difficult times" he says. "And it's going to be that way for a while. It'll be at least five years before anything changes."
The Hepworth bronze, Two Forms (Divided Circle), had stood in Dulwich Park for 40 years until Onday night when thieves took it in the latest in a series of thefts of public art made of marketable metal. It was made in 1969 and bought by the Greater London Council in 1970, transferred to Southwark Council when the GLC was abolished in 1985."The theft of public art and metal is becoming a sickening epidemic" said Peter John, leader of Southwark Council which has offered £W1000 reward for its return. "I would ask the Met police and their metal-theft taskforce to investigate this theft as a matter of urgency and would ask anyone with any information about the whereabouts of the sculpture to contact us or the police."
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