I will admit, the Cow Parade in Chicago a few years ago was kind of fun, and a unique idea for public art. But since then, every other major city has done the same thing, but with a different animal - frogs in Erie, fish in Baltimore, donkeys and elephants in D.C. This year, they’re doing it again in D.C., but with pandas.
Note to all cities: if you’re considering funding public art, do something actually unique, not a retread of what 50 other cities have done before. There are only so many times you can paint a different fiberglass animal in tie-dye colors and have it still be interesting, and that number was reached several years ago. Saying you’re doing fiberglass bears instead of cows doesn’t make you unique! So stop with the animals already!
Los Angeles did a series of angels a few years back. No parade, but they were placed in various locations throughout downtown. They were absolutley beautiful - each one told a story. They really beautified downtown.
I’ve had the privilege of living in four or five cities that have hosted such events. This year, Central Pennsylvania, where I live now, is hosting the Cow Parade.
Although I’ve seen three different Cow Parades, each one has been different. Sure, there are only so many ways a cow can be posed, but in each city, no two cows have been alike, and many cows have reflected the culture of the city in which they were located.
In any event, I like these events. It’s nice to be able to take a walk and look at all the different statues. It livens up a familiar scene and adds some color to it.
Sorry you don’t like this, but de gustibus nil disputandum.
Depends on the animal. We had gators a few years ago, and not naturally posed ones, either. They were all standing up and wearing hats or something. Hideous! But Ocala did horses, which I thought were pretty. (The ones I saw, anyway.)
Cows would be good. I could get into some crazy cow art!
We had sea turtles. I particularly recall one painted as Mr. Spock. My life was not made better by the experience.
Regrettably, public art councils are afraid of controversy. They decorate the public area with art paid for by public money, and heaven forbid it turn out to be something that people feel like they need to talk about afterwards! Fiberglass animals are neutral, friendly items, easily recognizable as public art, and have proven to be a thing that the greatest number of people respond to positively and without criticism.
My favorite “heart” sculpture in SF is the massive, black granite lump in front of the Bank of America tower, I don’t know if it’s called this anymore but it used to be known colloquially as the “banker’s heart”.
Pittsburgh had dinosaurs; a friend sent me a series of pictures of the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood dinosaur and I thought it was adorable.
But I think it’s silly, really, to think that these installations are anything other than an interesting use of money. They don’t drive tourism or promote business, they just exist. They collect dirt, they attract the attention of idiots who think destroying things that aren’t theirs to destroy is fun, then they’re taken away. Gee, how exciting. :rolleyes:
Every single one of you need to count your lucky stars. At least fish, frogs, elephants, dinosaurs, etc. can be anthropomorphized. In Indianapolis we had Indy racecars. How many fiberglass cars with US flags painted on them can one city take*?
*Apparently, the answer to this question is 82.
[QUOTE=Munch]
Every single one of you need to count your lucky stars. At least fish, frogs, elephants, dinosaurs, etc. can be anthropomorphized. In Indianapolis we had Indy racecars. How many fiberglass cars with US flags painted on them can one city take*?
My personal ‘favorite’ was the one in the middle of IUPUI. The school’s mascot is the jaguar (4 legged, not 4 wheeled), so this one had to have leopard’s spots. Whenever I saw it from behind and above (the view from one of the building walkways), I could swear someone dumped an oversized and extremely tacky couch in the courtyard.
And then there’s Norfolk VA and the mermaid statue…
Kansas City did the Cow Parade a few years ago. Then they had fiberglass bears everywhere, which wasn’t as successful. Probably because they were hideous.
My town has done carousel horses, bears, and baby giraffes. It’s midly entertaining, like when you’re waiting to get a table at a restaurant and you have to wait outside for 20 minutes or whatever, and you can look at the animal for a minute or two. On second though, it’s not that entertaining, but I don’t care either way.
Evidently, three dimensions is just too challenging for us. Columbia, SC has done palmetto trees and doors.
Some of the doors were very interesting, though, and I think maybe they auctioned them off after the “display” or whatever was over? I’m not sure, I rely on my mother to keep me up with that sort of thing.
