Huge -- What do you think?

[rickb]

A. Wasil, a sculptor here in San Diego has been working for years on getting this sculpture commisioned. The concept is quite impressive. I'd love to see it happen. Just saw his website so I thought I'd pass it on.
And check out the animation.

http://www.spiritoftheseas.org/images/index_02.jpg

http://www.spiritoftheseas.org/

"Eight years in the planning
The largest cast bronze sculpture in the world
The entrance is 5 stories tall
The fountain is 200 feet long and 50 feet wide
The top of Neptune's head is 50 feet above the water. If he stood up, he would be over 100 feet tall, larger than the Statue of Liberty
Each whale is 50 feet long and weighs over 10 tons
The 5 whales represent each city that the Port of San Diego serves: San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and Coronado
The surrounding plaza area will be the home to numerous sculptures of "denizens of the deep", sea animals, including a herd of 7 foot tall bronze Sea Horses with saddles, representing the seven seas and continents.
100 bronze low relief sculptures will depict myths and legends of the world from all cultures"

RB
http://www.richardbecker.com

[JAZ]

Very impressive scale and the animation is a fabulous tool in helping potential funding sources visualize the finished project. This is a very ambitious undertaking, that's for sure.

[fritchie]

Ambitious project, and this visualization is an excellent way to sell the idea.

[ALH]

Two things catch my interest in this project (apart from the incredible scale of course).

The first is the hubris to go out and hunt funds for art. This is a difficult but valuable option for artists and I hope it is successful - it would be encouraging.

The second thing is the question of scale. Is it true that a n y t h i n g would be great at that scale, an otter, four lemons, Aphrodite rising, Dave eating cereal? I'm not just being a jerk here, I have produced public work that relied on the scale factor - so I'm really curious what you think - does overwhelming scale overwhelm all other factors in a public sculpture's overwhelming success?

[Araich]

Forgive me, but I think it is awful. If it was to be sited local to me, I would vote against it.

[anne (bxl)]

impressive but so kitch! not for me either.....

[sculptorsam]

I read an article about this project a while back. I don't remember many particulars, but one little tidbit stood out. In trying to get the work through the various planning boards required to approve the work, he already had to concede to certain "artistic" changes. Apparently, some disagreed with having the dolphins tethered with harnesses. Something about animal rights I believe. I guess he said he could remove the harnesses if they were a problem. Just one of the many absurd issues that arise when trying to create a work in public.

But for the design? Not for me either. It would be a monstrosity. But in this country, monstrosities have always had their place!

Sam

[jwebb]

A monstrosity. As to ALH's question about scale, I think this idea illustrates the answer: Huge and bad is just bad and, unfortunately, huge.

[ALH]

Canada just can not compete.

[Araich]

Canada and Australia are said to have much in common (aside from the climate) - here is yet further proof.

[Araich]

I should add that I do recognise the talent and skill in such a project and the amazing personality needed to conceive and propose such a work.
But it's content, so detached from the world in which we live, is akin to the giant clam.

[ALH]

That’s it, I'm visiting Australia!

[waveshop]

I agree with most of you that this is just plain "Gafwaw!". But, for me the reason was of the imediate thoughts running through my head when I looked at this.

Neptune harnessing three Orcas (killer whales), this size, In San Diego??? In a park? Lets see...
USA's Military dominence of the seas?
USA's dominence as the World police?
Male America could but a boot in your ass any time we want???
Our troops are born killers but we have them under control?
etc.etc.etc.

The Military brass would prob. love to have this.
The General Public. I doubt it.

Now I personaly would dig seeing it out in some hidden harbor beside a Isolated Island like Todos Santos ( off the California coast ). You could only see it from a boat. No water fountains, it would be installed at sea level and the natural ebb and flow of the waves would do the splashing up. Even better if it could be seen from the famous big wave spot at Todos. Now that, to me, would be the "The Spirit of the Sea"

[Roy]

I love the image, but wonder about the scale. The image is very sculptural in my mind. It has classic power, motion and grace. It would be a wonderful place for local sculptor to show their works. There are many wonderful images of sea creatures and coral settings. Sea horses have very interesting texures

[JAZ]

This whole thread is the funniest thing I've read for a long time. I had avoided sharing my thoughts for fear of offending someone. I can see I needn't have worried about that.
All this sculpture needs is a counterpart - the evil octopus woman from The Little Mermaid, perhaps? (Sorry, I forget her name.)

[sculptorsam]

Ursala!

And I might be with Waveshop... perhaps context would improve this work. Hell, would anyone like Heizer's Double Negative if it was downtown NY? Rome Lives indeed.

Sam

[garyallenbrown]

I think it's horrible, it should be 3" tall and sold at the SanDiego gift shop at the airport.



The Animation while showing considerable computer skills, has the depth of concept of a tacky industrial film.



Gary

[jwebb]

"Context". Yeah, that's the ticket. Putting the thing deep under water would be a great improvement.

[ALH]

I've gone ahead and created a test to explore the question I posed earlier. Impressive! What do you think?

[Araich]

Let's not forget that this is someones art, and that our good humor could potentially be read as mean spirited.

Perhaps I'll open a second more general thread on how: Big art is not necessarily good art. (http://sculpture.net/community/showthread.php?p=3496#post3496)

[rickb]

Whoa, some interesting comments and fun pics. Thanks RH for the latest comment -- I know a lot of this is in good fun -- and do I detect some possible-commission-envy?? A is a talented, hard-working, serious sculptor who is trying to pull off a very big project. I think more power to him.

One of my favorite places in the world is Trevi fountain, so I'd like to see something like it in the US. Ahh, maybe I'll do a big water monument someday.......

Rick

http://www.richardbecker.com

[fritchie]

I have to admit I've been a little disappointed with the overall response here. I didn't care much for the piece or concept, but the world is filled with equally outlandish work. This is my first chance to respond. (I know much of the comment was in fun.) In figurative work alone, how about the Statue of Liberty, or Mount Rushmore? And I suspect many large cities have on display nonfigurative work that is less than stellar.

[sculptorsam]

I like Mount Rushmore, always have. When I was young my dad and I went a fair bit further than we should have to get a closer look and got reprimanded by a park ranger. Good memory. My only problem with it is the new remodeling of the guest/amphitheater/gift shop area. It used to be a nice, quaint attraction where the mountain was the main thing. Now it is too slick and commercial with an offensively large gift shop.


Sam

[jwebb]

Yes, I agree. Both the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore are good sculptures, in my opinion, in addition to huge. Lincoln Memorial, also. Maybe because they were part of my earliest recognitions about what's "good" and "bad" in sculpture. They have very strong composition, simplicity of design and execution, beautiful materials, "character". I stopped at Rushmore on a frantic 3 day coast to coast drive back in the '60's, and it's a great memory. That was prior to the visitor's center you describe, and I loved the accessability of it. I also like the film footage they show all the time on cable tv about its making, the involvement of the workmen, etc. In fact, I'd have no problem with this five story high bronze in So. Cal., if it had a spark of life and/or originality in it.

[waveshop]

For certain, I was not poking in fun. The only way this piece could do itself justice is out in the water at sea level. Out in San Diago harbor, for that matter. The base would be just below the surface. No running pumps for a water fountain, No gift shop for the tourys. How cool it would be to see a couple of harbor seals hanging out on it! The staff would be a great lighted marker for it, so a boat wouldn't bump into it in the night.

There is no spirit of the Sea if this is sitting on land. That is how I see it.

[fritchie]

Yes, I agree. Both the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore are good sculptures, in my opinion, in addition to huge. Lincoln Memorial, also. Maybe because they were part of my earliest recognitions about what's "good" and "bad" in sculpture.

I put the Lincoln Memorial in a different category, and I've seen both it and the SOL in person, though I've never been to Rushmore. I have seen the US Confederate equivalent, Stone Mountain in Atlanta, which is a medium relief carving on a similar scale, blasted out of the surface of a huge granite “mountain”, possibly a geological pluton. I do think Stone Mountain qualifies as good public art, so maybe I’m wrong about Rushmore. The scale and outdoor environment work well together with SM.

However, I see the Statue of Liberty primarily as a symbol, not a sculpture. Obviously this is a matter of personal evaluation, but I find it dull as sculpture. It was a French gift to the U. S. as a reminder of the two countries’ shared commitment to Liberty. Obviously I value it as a gift and as a symbol, but I don’t value it as art. In other words, it never would inspire me to do anything similar.

[sculptorsam]

I've actually seen Stone Mountain as well as Mount Rushmore. In my opinion, Rushmore is head and shoulders above Stone Mountain. Rushmore has a much stronger presence, probably due to a better natural context that tend to "reveal" the work in a single moment because it is obscured by trees, etc. As I recall, you can approach Stone Mountain from a distance and see the work grow as you approach it. It is impossible to "approach" Rushmore in the same way. It's not there, and then it just IS.

Sam

[rderr.com]

if it had a spark of life and/or originality in it.

That is the rub isn't it. Not size or theme

Art is provocation. Always

bob

[waveshop]

Rushmore has a much stronger presence, probably due to a better natural context that tend to "reveal" the work in a single moment because it is obscured by trees, etc. As I recall, you can approach Stone Mountain from a distance and see the work grow as you approach it. It is impossible to "approach" Rushmore in the same way. It's not there, and then it just IS.

Sam

And this was the point I was trying to make about the Neptune sculpture out in the harbor, or even better, in a cove at some state park Island off the Cali coast.

The thing will cause traffic accidents where it is planned for with that size in mind, in my opinion.