Public Art

The definition of public art is any painting or sculpture designed to be displayed in public open space or art that is envisaged as part of the life of the community in which it is sited. The second part of the definition is what interested me more. Public art had to be something that was integrated into our communities and represents the ideals of the community. I decided that this would be my theme, exploring how this definition played out in different communities. I found that in general the public art in the communities I studied did indeed represent the qualities and ideals of that community. What I found interesting was that I did not require extensive amounts of context for me to understand those values; instead I built the community around the public art through understanding it. And I could also clearly see the integration of the public art in the lives of the people living there. Many sat by the public art, if not admiring the aesthetic appeal then just appreciating the environment that public art creates.