Interesting how the final price of the ‘art’ was just under the total budget for artworks. I wonder how that happened?
This is why I have microplastics in my balls.
There shouldn’t be less money for public art, but there should be better return on investment. Artists deserve to be paid fairly but how are 3 plastic sculptures $300,000
$300,000 likely includes:
- the cost to source the raw materials
- factory to manufacture the parts
- studio/warehouse to assemble the pieces
- delivery to site (flat bed truck and crane)
- and whatever is left contributes to the hourly wage
I’m not saying $300,000 is not unreasonable, but things cost money especially post-covid.
I understand, I’m in the industry. They greedily asked for too much and now they are getting blowback that is going to ruin it for artists in the future.
We don’t know how much profit the artist and their employees actually made.
How much did it cost to just deliver them? That’s a trucking company and crane, and anything that’s going to live out in public means stronger material, secure installation and longer lifespan, than a sculpture in a climate controlled museum with guards and do not touch signs.
Public art is more expensive just to build. Sometimes it also needs insuring and maintenance too. This is just mostly, “I don’t get it so I don’t like it” bullshit.
Insurance! I had a feeling I was missing another big line item.
I’ve been a contractor on some public art projects where everyone who works on it gets paid but the artist who gets their name on the work and the line on their CV.
Charles Blanc and Tristan Surtees have done enough public pieces that their costing is probably fairly dialed in. But considering how long a project like this takes from proposal to installation, they are not getting rich on it.
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It’s not really my style, like a lot of public art. Still, 300k is fucking nothing on a nothing burger. I’d applaude this rock made out of 90s school floor linoleum. Rather they spent it on this then ripping out bike lanes.
Definitely not “nothing”, and we should hold things to account.
I do like that they’re made with plastic waste, though. I love upcycling projects.
“So 118 families, their entire property tax bills went to building large plastic rocks instead of providing services that people want in the city,” Haubrich said.
I understand it sounds more shocking when only 118 people pay for something. But let’s be realistic here, what was the cost for the average tax payer?
That caught my eye also, so yeah a quick search said the population of the town is 316,000 people so a little less than dollar per person in the city.
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I wish they talked about paying for things with “Families’ Taxes” when it’s a tunnel no one wanted, or the cost to have blue license plates for a hot minute
Were there other propositions? Was there a call for tenders or a vote of some sort? Maybe the locals love the idea? After all, there are other silly things in the prairies, even giant hoes…
Unfortunately, it isn’t real…
I’m a local, this is stupid and embarrassing.
I would be too. I also think the weather will damage them, and they will be targets for petty vandalism.
Cool work, I like it. Gage Haubrich sounds like a bore.
I love upcycling I do much rather do that then throwing stuff away, I also understand that most plastic cannot be recycled any further than it is. But upcycling plastic waste is a pass for me, sure they are cool looking pieces but out of plastic?
It’s better than the plastic sitting in a landfill or the ocean. What else are we supposed to do with the plastic waste we already have?
Should’ve made a Hatsune Miku smh|
Seems like they are getting their money’s worth with this free advertising.
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If only rocks were so damn rare we wouldn’t have needed to use plastic!
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