What is public art?

Public art is a reflection of how we see the world – the artist’s response to our time and place combined with our own sense of who we are.

 Tourism Development  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has been a popular short break destination for many years.  Recently the Council has aspired to attract new audiences, who spend more in the town over a longer period of time. 

Public art has been shown elsewhere to contribute to identity, generate tourist opportunities, attract new visitors, and increase the length of the tourist season.  

An ambitious public art programme linked to the town’s commitment to innovation would develop the profile of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council as an exciting quality destination. 

Southend should commission landmark works by artists, projects which interpret and promote ‘hidden Southend’, and major temporary commissions linked to the tourist season. 

The development of a ‘critical mass’ of projects linked to regeneration of the town centre, seafront and residential neighbourhoods, will contribute to the development of Southend’s cultural profile.

Why public art?

Public art is a part of our public history, part of our evolving culture and our collective memory. It reflects and reveals our society and adds meaning to our cities. As artists respond to our times, they reflect their inner vision to the outside world, and they create a chronicle of our public experience.

One way or another all public art works, no matter how grand, seem to fall foul of at least some members of the public.

Economic and Social Development  

Southend has been identified as ‘a cultural and intellectual hub’ in the Thames Gateway Strategy.   

The commissioning of public art could contribute to the development of the cultural profile of the Borough and encouraging economic development, corporate relocation, the creation of new jobs and housing, and support for the local creative industries. 

The establishment of a robust Borough-wide policy promoting public art could enhance building and land values, and has the potential to maximize public benefit from private investment. 

Local people are a focus of this strategy and it is important to create opportunities in which they can participate and can become involved in decision making about the design and use of their environment.

I love to see art pieces in public spaces – they often liven up a place and generate conversation. Below are a few interesting installations found in the U.S. and Europe, both permanent and temporary, in quite a range of styles and materials.

Public art is not an art “form.” Its size can be huge or small. It can tower fifty feet high or call attention to the paving beneath your feet. Its shape can be abstract or realistic (or both), and it may be cast, carved, built, assembled, or painted. It can be site-specific or stand in contrast to its surroundings. What distinguishes public art is the unique association of how it is made, where it is, and what it means. Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions. Placed in public sites, this art is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression. Public art is a reflection of how we see the world – the artist’s response to our time and place combined with our own sense of who we are.

Who is the “public” for public art?

In a diverse society, all art cannot appeal to all people, nor should it be expected to do so. Art attracts attention; that is what it is supposed to do. Is it any wonder, then, that public art causes controversy? Varied popular opinion is inevitable, and it is a healthy sign that the public environment is acknowledged rather than ignored. To some degree, every public art project is an interactive process involving artists, architects, design professionals, community residents, civic leaders, politicians, approval agencies, funding agencies, and construction teams. The challenge of this communal process is to enhance rather than limit the artist’s involvement.

What is the “art” of public art?

As our society and its modes of expression evolve, so will our definitions of public art. Materials and methods change to reflect our contemporary culture. The process, guided by professional expertise and public involvement, should seek out the most imaginative and productive affinity between artist and community. Likewise, artists must bring to the work their artistic integrity, creativity, and skill. What is needed is a commitment to invention, boldness, and cooperation – not compromise.