2."Broken Obelisk represents more than one broken system: public art is another."

Um, not because it lacks a sense of evil (that'd be a bunch of pseudointellectual crap that thought there) but because most of it is fucking shitty ugly crap. That's why it's public: no one else would buy it.
A broken up fighter jet hanging from a ceailing, yeah lots of us would go spend $300,000 for that masterpiece. OR automobiles racing hanging from a ceiling, way to go SAM $4 million for that one. Or slbas of concrete in Myrtle Edwards Annexed, Adjacent what-ever. Even that Circle of Death thing they liked to skateboard on is totally crappy public art.

Some bureaucrat buys some art with money that's not hers/his and this is supposed to produce wonders like the patronage of L. de Medici?

And btw WTF with this sense of evil re1uirement. "The Night Cafe" has a sense of evil? "Water Lillies"? The Elgin Marbles? WTF??

I suspect the real reason that such conceptual pieces are so popular as public art is because they are perceived as being devoid of overt meaning, and are thus inoccuous. A sculpture that depicted the assassination of Dr. King, for example, would offend a lot of people and potentially cost the public official who decided to fund it their job.

This kind of art is a nice way to pretend to present relevant content without offending anybody.

hate on red square, not the best thing in it.

@3 -- man are you right...that Rothko Chapel is wonderful, and it's only steps away from the de Menil Museum.

"That's why it's public: no one else would buy it."
-- Factually wrong.

"A broken up fighter jet hanging from a ceailing, yeah lots of us would go spend $300,000 for that masterpiece."
-- Irrelevant.

"automobiles racing hanging from a ceiling, way to go SAM $4 million for that one."
-- This is a valid artistic criticism how? And SAM is considered public art how?

"Some bureaucrat buys some art with money that's not hers/his and this is supposed to produce wonders like the patronage of L. de Medici?"
-- Specious.

"And btw WTF with this sense of evil re1uirement. 'The Night Cafe' has a sense of evil? 'Water Lillies'? The Elgin Marbles? WTF??"
-- Misguided, misinformed and willfully stupid. No one is saying all art must have a sense of evil to be interesting. The quote is referring to public art, not to impressionist painting.

I also agree there is far too much facile art out there today. It is a massive trend.
Maybe too many people grew up drawing pictures that their mothers put on the fridge door all the while saying "honey that is great". All those scribbles and attempts to please and get positive encouragement never got any real criticism as the kid got older and we have ended up with adults basically doing fridge art expecting everyone to love it but being incapable of understanding why it is hated. Which we have every right to do if justified.
It is too idilic to think everything can be acceptable as art and too narrow minded not to try to accept everything and redefine boundaries all the time. A paradox.

Though I'd argue that skill is still relevant in more conceptual and contemporary art.

It didn't strike me that PC was arguing that, however.

If it were up to the public, they'd have a water slide or something useful there.

HAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAAAAHAHAAA!!!!!!

Something "useful" like a WATER SLIDE? Really?

HA HAHAHA AHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!

Whew...

Wow.