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Fishbones on the riverbank in Mackay.....
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Cheers, Brad. -
That's an interesting piece. The apparent random nature of the placement gives pause for thought-----------------------------------------------------
Question everything ~ Christopher Hitchins -
Totally lost on me
.... no doubt worth many dollars ...... maybe if there was some order to the chaos .... 
Barb
"If you change the way you look at things ........ the things you look at change"Comment
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It lost a great many locals too Barb. The Mayor at the time spent many millions on various artworks to be positioned about the place, this one is mild compared to some more bizarre ones further along the river. The council still carries the debt from it all, as well as the next mayor who also tried to leave her mark with some similar things. There must be a few rich artists around the area now. -
Geez - it must have been a big fish! I think all state governments are guilty of ridiculous wast - they seem to have no concept of as to the value of tax payers money. This seems to be just one more example. It's the same here in the west. I think I'll take a few shots when I'm out again. You might have started something here Ironwood.
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Leaves me cold, (not your photography). Seems to be the wrong installation in the wrong place. Sitting in grass surrounded by all those other structural elements just diminishes it imho.
Couldn't they have found a better/less cluttered spot?
I guess there is a logical reason/justification for it, which someone will soon post
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Fiona Foley was the artist responsible.Originally posted by Alan View PostLeaves me cold, (not your photography). Seems to be the wrong installation in the wrong place. Sitting in grass surrounded by all those other structural elements just diminishes it imho.
Couldn't they have found a better/less cluttered spot?
I guess there is a logical reason/justification for it, which someone will soon post
There is a fair bit of reading if you google "fish bones Mackay", but to save the trouble here is one article that gives a brief writeup on the artwork that was commissioned at the time.
The fishbones are mentioned on pages 3 & 4.
http://www.artspacemackay.com.au/__d...Foley_text.pdfCheers, Brad.Comment
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They are strange, curious and unexpected.. maybe that is all some art really needs to be.Comment
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Just to give a bit of perspective of where this is sitting, my first 3 photos are possibly a bit misleading. In this photo, I am standing under the shelter thats in the background in photo #1.
The Pioneer River runs through the middle of Mackay.
Cheers, Brad.Comment
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It can be quite tricky justifying the artwork in settings like this where so much is happening. I can see why the context is also important. Mind you.... those fish bones in one of the inland dried up salt lakes would be quite spectacular.Comment
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Here's the thing. Art is a thing. Public art is just that; its in the public space. A full time artist in Australia earns on average $35 000/year. Most artists have another job to support their creativity. The public official who decides on what is purchased, if anything, is just that: a public official, elected by the community to act on their behalf. Artwork is purchased by committees made up of council members and members of the public. Anyone can attend such committee meetings and make a vocal or written contribution. More than often, the art work is purchased through grants which partly fund the purchase. These grants are offered through state and federal funding. Such funding is allocated at budget time. We vote for these people with the knowledge that this is their responsibility. They advocate for and support all forms of art thought out Australia. This support enhances out culture, adds to out experiences and supports the artist. Photography as an art is included in this endeavour. As with photography, whether we like a piece or not is irrelevant to its production. That's the artists business. The choice off work is deliberated after submissions, considerations, critical determinations and impact on placement. It is possible for anyone to submit work when submissions are called for. Often a theme is suggested and the artist will make an interpretation of the theme, sketch the ideas, make a model and submit the ideas with an extensive presentation. Is fine not to like something but don't make rash assumptions about how the process is determined and how much money any individual makes.Comment
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No need to make rash assumptions, a quick google reveals the artist in question was paid $2,000,000 ( 2 million dollars ) to create this and a few other artworks positioned around the city, wholly funded by the Mackay City Council ( ratepayers ? )
http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/...street/371729/ -
As it was paid for by the local ratepayers, I think they are certainly entitled to question whether they got value for money here.
The mayor that decided to spend this money put the council about $45 million into the red while he was in office, I think the locals are entitled to be a bit peeved off about that too. -
Fiona Foley is a pretty prestigious artist. $2m is a bargain since half will disappear in tax, a fair slab in the cost of construction and a reasonable rate for the hours involved. And that's for SIX items. Cheaper by the half dozen.
We all work for a living, I assume. The better we get the more we can charge. Ms Foley has done the hard yards. If you get that well known and good at your job you too can charge through the nose for your photos. Or is that going to happen?
As for the mayor, well, he's your mayor. He didn't just appear on a space ship one evening and take over.
Besides, I've heard on good authority that Queenslanders wouldn't know a bit of art if they fell over it. I've seen a few items on display in different places. Big pineapples, big cows, big testicles, all of which must have cost something unless someone is giving them away.
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Fiona Foley is indeed a prestigous artist but it does not automatically follow that this is a quality work. And if half disappears in tax she needs to find a new accountant. Seriously.
I cringe whenever I see those horrific big pineapples and the like. Is that the best we can do as a nation? So I commend the council for the decision to move away from the pineapple theme but agree with Alan's comment of "wrong installation in the wrong place"
Even Bob Dylan writes bad songs, something he freely admits.-----------------------------------------------------
Question everything ~ Christopher HitchinsComment
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""Fiona Foley is a pretty prestigious artist. $2m is a bargain since half will disappear in tax, a fair slab in the cost of construction and a reasonable rate for the hours involved. And that's for SIX items. Cheaper by the half dozen.
We all work for a living, I assume. The better we get the more we can charge. Ms Foley has done the hard yards. If you get that well known and good at your job you too can charge through the nose for your photos. Or is that going to happen?
As for the mayor, well, he's your mayor. He didn't just appear on a space ship one evening and take over.
Besides, I've heard on good authority that Queenslanders wouldn't know a bit of art if they fell over it. I've seen a few items on display in different places. Big pineapples, big cows, big testicles, all of which must have cost something unless someone is giving them away.""
Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and no, the mayor that paid the 2 mill didnt arrive in a spaceship, he arrived in a stretch limo.
As for the big pineapples and big gonads and such, I am sure Queensland isnt the only state with tacky monuments.Cheers, Brad.Comment
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Well it got some comment going.. so it must be art.Comment
, yes, needs a really large seagull added to the mix now.
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