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Friday, June 20, 2008

Orange Traffic Cones, Lawn Chairs, and Storage Boxes

posted by on June 20 at 15:57 PM

Dennis Oppenheim’s giant orange traffic cones are not the only new thing at the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Up today are two new benches by Roy McMakin: a regular-sized green lawn chair made not of green plastic but of painted bronze, and a squat object that looks like a cardboard storage box but is made of steel with porcelain enamel. They stand next to a (concrete) bench that is a work of art called Bench that had been sitting there for months already, but it is possible that nobody realized it was a work of art, because it was a bench.

McMakin-1.JPG

RSS icon Comments

1

It's only a matter of time before there is a used condom made out of papier mache'd dollar bills and a Big Bear 40oz made of the glass of the Sistine Chapel.

Posted by Ari Spool | June 20, 2008 4:08 PM
2

So are people supposed to touch and sit on these things, and if not, what sadistic bastard installed them?

Posted by Greg | June 20, 2008 4:09 PM
3

Some body is going to trip on that box and break their neck... (Either that or try to kick it and break their foot.)

This could be fun.... I'll be the random guy sitting on the bench asking random passers by to pick up and bring me my box as soon as I can figure out a believable context.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2008 4:09 PM
4

@3 have a cast on. I think that would be enough context.

Posted by vooodooo84 | June 20, 2008 4:13 PM
5

If I am in a park and there's a bench, I don't care if it is a work of art. I'm sitting on it.

Posted by elswinger | June 20, 2008 4:17 PM
6

Judging by the worn grass in front, I think people are actually using the bench.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | June 20, 2008 4:21 PM
7

@4

Excellent... The plan comes together...

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2008 4:23 PM
8

Ha! I totally sat on that bench. It was pretty uncomfortable, so I figured it must be a work of art even though I didn't see a sign.

Posted by Kalakalot | June 20, 2008 4:23 PM
9

Bench is easily the best piece at the Park. imho.

Posted by blank12357 | June 20, 2008 4:50 PM
10

when are we all going to realize that this is just really stupid shit?

Posted by menelaus22 | June 20, 2008 5:10 PM
11

@10

I'm there already... Waiting for the rest of you to catch up.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2008 5:15 PM
12

They had it taped off yesterday with Yellow Caution Tape ... must have been when they were installing the File Box and chair

Posted by Gordon Werner | June 20, 2008 5:49 PM
13

i'm going to take a 100% real shit on top of that box. it's my statement on the value of the sculpture park.

see you never, seattle...

Posted by kinkos | June 20, 2008 5:50 PM
14

Our title is URBAN SEATTLE - feces on box - from the minds of SLOG

spray it with pLastic

public art with human rekoning

and the peril of the homeless or the drunken who ate top many prunes early in the evening

I like it, glue a newspaper and cheap old style reading glasses to the bench

and subtle touch, dog crap right next to the bench, Dan's poodle maybe

and, FINALLY, a good use for the do not touch sign

Posted by Barry | June 20, 2008 6:48 PM
15

@13: Now that's the kind of inspired creativity I can get behind.

Posted by Greg | June 20, 2008 7:13 PM
16

I wonder if anyone thinks of the giant traffic cones as art instead of Dept of Transportation equipment for Hummers...

Posted by RainMan | June 20, 2008 8:48 PM
17

@1--I think thats the new SuttonBeresCuller piece!

Posted by FOulMoUth | June 20, 2008 8:59 PM
18

Bench is super duper comfy. As far as concrete benches go.

Posted by Big Sven | June 20, 2008 10:47 PM
19

Just what I would want to see on my day off in the park- an office file box. Awesome. So relaxing!

Posted by Cattymaran | June 21, 2008 2:02 AM
20

OK already! Everyday objects as art!
Marcel Duchamp, Warhol, Oldenburg
I get it
At least create something using Plastic Lawn Chairs as a medium like a whale or something. Oh right that has been done already.

Posted by -B- | June 21, 2008 11:09 AM
21

I'm all for somebody crapping all over that "art."

For legal purposes, you can get the same point across/disturb innocent passers-by with fake, "novelty" turds, and not get in as much trouble with the law. On the other hand, if you don't do it for real, Chuck Berry might not visit your city.

Posted by CP | June 21, 2008 8:25 PM
22

Jon Shirley's Microsoft moolah can buy a lot of plastic dog crap. This is what happens when old white people, who don't like other old, white people (SAM board members), give $25 million to start a public dumping ground for their art collection. We're a bunch of ingrates.

Posted by WenG | June 22, 2008 1:44 AM

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