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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

We Shall Have Fighter Jets

posted by on June 17 at 17:49 PM

I couldn’t make it to the public forum last week about Mike Ross’s controversial proposal to install a fighter-jet sculpture on Capitol Hill.

But Seattle artist Ellen Forney was there, and this is what she had to say about it:

It went really well—CHAC’s Lower Level was SRO (!for a public art forum!)—and most of the audience stayed until about 8 (the meeting was scheduled to end at 7:30, and anyone who wanted an un-awkward exit was given the chance). It was a thoughtful discussion, and most people were thumbs-up. (Yay!)

Forney also has work going up in the same Sound Transit station where Ross’s pink jets will be. Here’s an image of her proposal, and go here to her blog for more images, including video.

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RSS icon Comments

1

The Forney pieces are vastly superior to the jets.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | June 17, 2008 5:55 PM
2

If only Clay Bennett would buy this, er, stuff, and move it to OKC.

Posted by umvue | June 17, 2008 6:04 PM
3

$ale$ tax to $upport arti$t$ = da bomb!!


Let'$ pay for public artwork$ at every bu$ $top and every $treet corner, too!

what'$ the co$t, only 1% of a 3 or 4 billion$ project -- quite a rea$onable $um!

Posted by PC | June 17, 2008 6:36 PM
4

I gag as I say this but I kind of agree with PC.

Why are we being taxed millions of dollars for art that 90% of transit riders will never look at or appreciate?

I'm all for art; mostly the kind you find at the Getty, the Louvre, and the Hard Rock Cafe.

However, art that I have to look straight up at as I ride the escalator to Hell does not appeal to me (and as someone who rides a wheelchair and will be riding the pee stenched elevator) I will not get the benefit of said art.

Therefor, as a disabled-American, I do not want the tax dollars I don't have to pay to go for art in the subway stations.

Posted by elswinger | June 17, 2008 6:56 PM
5

#3, do you try to mislead people on purpose? It's sad how consistently wrong you are.

The budget for the entire University Link is $1.5 billion. Half of it comes from a federal grant, ie not sales tax.

The 1% is applied to construction costs, excluding tunneling costs.

One percent of your $3 billion figure is $30 million. Back in reality, the art budget for the Capitol Hill station is $550,000.

Posted by w7ngman | June 17, 2008 7:14 PM
6

Sorry, elswinger...but it doesn't work like that.

You don't get to only pay for the things you want to pay for... You don't get to only pay for the things you'll get use out of... You don't even get to only pay for things that you approve of...

Public art is one of those things that those who we have elected previously have, in decided is important and an element of the provided general good that government is entrusted to deliver.

It's one of the benefits of a representative democracy--giving everyone good things, whether or not each individual approves.

Of course, it is also up to our representative democracy that you get what you need and, in general, the things that you want...or you'll work to vote in people who will change things more in line with your tastes.

But, for now, we happen to live in an area where our elected officials happen to value the arts...and hooray for us now!

Posted by pgreyy | June 17, 2008 7:18 PM
7

Relax 4&5 - this money comes from the eastside car owners and MSFT sales tax-payers. Their surplus is covering the $16m for the U-Link art.

Posted by one percent for art | June 17, 2008 7:27 PM
8

Further...

Discrete artworks that celebrate the history, culture and people of the region are important and will be included in Sound Transit. However, the integration of art and architecture is essential because concerns regarding safety, operations, maintenance, vandalism, and pedestrian flow often preclude many of the opportunities for discrete art objects.

...

Following is a list of selected components that will be considered as possibilities for art or artistic enhancement.

A. Stations, P&R’s, Transit Centers

1. Canopy/roof/column design
2. Paving – platform, parking, crosswalks
3. Wall-vertical materials-finishes
4. Lighting – station or site. Attachments to standard light poles
5. Windscreens
6. Landscaping, stormwater design, artwork integrated into landscaping
7. Fencing
8. Bicycle racks/storage
9. Seating
10. Railings
11. Kiosks
12. Signage – design, attachments, additions
13. Trash receptacles
14. Site-specific, free-standing artwork that serves as marker or community identifier
15. Clocks
16. Tree grates
17. Community connections
18. Art on shelter surfaces, i.e. paint, tile, terrazzo, metal
19. Art in shelter glass, i.e. sandblasting, placement of artwork on translucent film between two panes of glass
20. Attachments to shelter roofs, i.e. wind vanes

B. Along the Right-of-Way

1. Power poles – color, attachments, design
2. Finishes/coverings for mechanical sheds/boxes
3. Signage/markers
4. Landscaping
5. Lighting
6. Paving
7. Murals on buildings along the alignment
8. Sound walls
9. Fencing

Unless you want a completely bland transit station with concrete walls and floors, I wouldn't bitch too much about the art budget.

Posted by w7ngman | June 17, 2008 7:30 PM
9

Art funding is basically required by Federal Transit. They say the minimum should be half of 1%. Sound Transit likely doubles that number to seem more appealing for FTA grants.

Is public art really that offensive?

Posted by bellevue & belmont | June 17, 2008 8:00 PM
10

It looks great. I wish it would get built faster.

Posted by tabletop_joe | June 17, 2008 8:54 PM
11

excited to get to see it in year 2016...only eight years away. but all snarkiness aside, the kissing fighter jets look amazing; if they turn out half as good as they looked in the little video i'll be elated

Posted by Cook | June 17, 2008 9:00 PM
12

Light rail construction is well under way! Soon the airport will get service, with Air-Conditioned vehicles. The headways will be minimal (rapid arrivals and departures). The cost will be dirt cheap! No other major West Coast metro region will goof on us anymore. Ride the wave.

Posted by We_Need_Real_Transit | June 17, 2008 10:11 PM
13

Fuck it. I love Forney's work and the jets too. I'd rather have a cool and interesting city filled with public art. Take away money from the sports stadiums and give it to artists.

Fuck yeah.

Posted by I'm a Nuclear Bomb | June 17, 2008 10:15 PM
14

I'm disappointed not to see her finger-in-the-hole fuck gesture, though. It's my favorite Seattle art piece of the past forty years or so.

Posted by Fnarf | June 17, 2008 10:19 PM
15

Move to the Soviet Union PC you boring fuck stain. At least go find something legitimate to bitch about. Seattle's 1% for the arts program has become a model for the whole nation and without it the world would be much more bland...

Posted by MadDog | June 17, 2008 11:02 PM
16

As long as the art continues to look like art in 5-10 years, and not like trash that the city has neglected to clean up, I am all for it.

Posted by Brad | June 18, 2008 8:33 AM
17

$30 million could put in some awesome overhead and at-level biomes - from elevated fish tanks to gardens, wetlands and tide pools.

That's non-controversial local art that's dynamic and immerse. The only downside: maintenance.

Posted by opticsdoug | June 18, 2008 8:56 AM
18

I'm still less than impressed with the ugly pink cut-up jet sections, but Ellen Forney's stuff looks great. I just wish there were some Big Fuckin' Hands in the station.

Posted by Greg | June 18, 2008 8:57 AM
19

I like the jets and the Ellen Forneys... Far and away better than most of our public art.

Posted by It's Mark Mitchell | June 18, 2008 8:59 AM
20

Ellen Forney sooooo deserves the status of Seattle icon, if she's not there already. Yay to her rightful graphical place in the Cap Hill ST station!

Posted by Jeff Stevens | June 18, 2008 9:30 AM
21

Decision to use Ellen Forney's art: A

Decision to use lazy-ass, poorly conceived, dully executed and not very appropriate art for the location it's meant from non-local artist: F

Posted by michael strangeways | June 18, 2008 9:47 AM
22

Those hands could be interpreted as doing a secret Hezbollah terrorist handshake! =P

Posted by Dingo Rossi | June 18, 2008 10:33 AM
23

The Capitol Hill Seattle blog is "doing a quick 'show of hands' to see what CHS readers think about the jet art proposed for the Capitol Hill light rail station. Let us know where you stand in the CHS light rail jet art survey. Survey closes Wednesday June 18th at 8p."

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2008/06/17/one-more-day-for-chs-jet-art-survey

Posted by Allison | June 18, 2008 10:56 AM
24

Ellen Forney's and Mike Ross's artwork is amazing! I can't wait for the station and artwork to be finished. I saw them do their demo of their artwork - and they are such talented creative people. I'm proud to live in such a rich and diverse area as Puget Sound. Ride the WAVE!

Posted by quintessentialfemale | June 18, 2008 11:23 AM
25

I know I have no say in how tax money is spent. I am a registered-voter of 26 years after all. I just with as a voter I would have some say over what art the city/county/state buys. I stress the word WISH.

Of the two, I prefer the planes, but I would like to see 5-10 other ideas and get to vote on which one I like best, and majority rules.

Posted by elswinger | June 18, 2008 12:50 PM
26

I'd like to see us use just one half per cent on "art" and use the other half per cent on not putting ugly advertisements over those lovely blue waves on the buses.

Posted by miriam | June 18, 2008 1:45 PM
27

@ comment 15

great piece of ignorance Fnarf:

Subway stations throughout the former USSR are renound for their unique artwork and craftsmanship. It's system's like DC that are know for their soviet uniformity.

Posted by Cosmonot | June 18, 2008 2:01 PM
28

@ comment 15

great piece of ignorance Fnarf:

Subway stations throughout the former USSR are renound for their unique artwork and craftsmanship. It's system's like DC that are know for their soviet uniformity.

Posted by Cosmonot | June 18, 2008 2:03 PM
29

I was at the same meeting and I remember most of the discussion was on the pink jets. I don't think people realize that military jets and work from a artist known for "fucking hands" graphic just might be a bit offensive to some in the public?

Posted by Capitol Hill Observer | June 19, 2008 9:01 AM
30

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31

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