ARTANGEL
December 13, 2008
Hey, Artangel is forming my case study for the essay and they’re pretty clever kids. This post is about what they do and how that is placed in the world of public art. Gonna touch on funding and all that jazz too, see what else I’ve found. Sorry if this just reads as reams of links, there’s just so much for your brainbox on the internet.
Most public art is council or initiative funded, one group that is a mecca for public art, making it their mission statement to produce “the best art, in the best possible conditions, Artangel has become part of the cultural debate, both in the UK and abroad.” Find them here: http://www.artangel.org.uk/
Artangel are fore-runners in the public art scene and their mission statement is as follows:-
Beyond the white walls of the gallery, the black box of the theatre or the darkened interior of the cinema, there are other forms of expression where the relationship between artist and place is of primary importance. This is a relationship which Artangel actively explores in events where context and content are often indistinguishable. An artist’s response to the qualities and conditions of a particular place is central to the development of a project. And finding the right place is an integral part of the commissioning process we undertake.
Their previous ventures include 2003′s ‘Ya Get Me’ by artist David Blandy, a ludicrously talented chap. Find him here: http://www.davidblandy.co.uk/ Blandy created a documentary with London’s 13-21 year olds. The purpose of this project was to involve inner city kidsin developing a slang dictionary of hip-hop phrases rhyming slang etc.
Another artist that used his work to form a dialogue with others was experimental music artist Scanner. http://www.scannerdot.com/sca_001.html. Scanner samples many of London’s sounds in his work, from night cleaners to mini-cab drivers, creating music based on these elements. The artist took his work to schools and engaged the students to take sound-bites and recordings from their lives and use themm to create projects of their own.
The purpose of these smaller, community based projects that are funded nationally, is to encourage a communication between artists and the general publi as a form of expression and this anonymous in nature. It engages a wider demographic. What do you guys think?
Owen Johnson
