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Fears over plans for public art
6:20am Tuesday 2nd December 2008
Comments (9)COUNCILLORS have raised concerns about the style of public art planned for Southend seafront.
Various works of art and lighting are planned as part of the City Beach improvement scheme, a £7million revamp funded by the Government.
But opposition councillors at the economic and environmental scrutiny meeting said they were worried about the type of lighting and art that will materialise.
Martin Terry (Ind, Westborough) said: “I am worried we are giving carte blanche to consultants. “ He said existing public art, such as £390,000 Lifelines, at the top of Pier Hill was “a piece of tut”.
It is supposed to be a display of moving coloured lights, linked to sensors to reflect the changing light and weather on the Southend seafront.
However, the artwork’s perspex case has been hit condenstation which means the display is permanently obscured.
Deputy council leader John Lamb (Con, West Leigh) said art was all a matter of personal taste.
He said: “We are not all going to agree on art, but we do need art.
“We are short in this town of public art.”
No plans for the style of the art have yet been agreed, he added.
Your Say YourEcho
152, Rochford says...
9:55am Tue 2 Dec 08
Snouter, Leigh says...
10:14am Tue 2 Dec 08
We do not "need" art and I'm sure we could all agree on that
OK art does add something to an area but it has to be good and not
Snouter, Leigh says...
12:02pm Tue 2 Dec 08
Rick Jones, Southend-on-Sea says...
1:27pm Tue 2 Dec 08
152 wrote:No the council did NOT pay for Lifelines it was EEDA or Thames Gateway.
They really paid £390000 for that barely noticable piece of cr4p called LifeLines? I have to see I think the wavy lines painted on Quantock are a better example of public art than that.
Bosniavet, Westcliff-on-Sea says...
2:48pm Tue 2 Dec 08
Rick Jones wrote:It still means someone did, & ultimately we, the public, have paid for it from local or national taxes.
152 wrote: They really paid £390000 for that barely noticable piece of cr4p called LifeLines? I have to see I think the wavy lines painted on Quantock are a better example of public art than that.No the council did NOT pay for Lifelines it was EEDA or Thames Gateway.
If the council have so much money to spare, maybe they could spend it on the Cliffs as the slippage is an eyesore.
Better public services are more important than art installations.
F Thompson, Westcliff says...
4:22pm Tue 2 Dec 08
Rick Jones, Southend-on-Sea says...
11:21pm Tue 2 Dec 08
F Thompson wrote:and watch the roots lift the stones causing a trip hazard, wait for some sap to trip and take the council to the cleaners for planting the trees that cuased the stones to lift that cuased the sap to fall that caused the sap to sue...
Forget public art shove in a few trees instead. It is the most concrete looking high street I have ever seen. Put some trees down the middle to break it up a bit!
SARFENDMAN, Rayleigh says...
7:07am Wed 3 Dec 08
Rick Jones wrote:What great PUBLIC ART! Lots of trees, lifting stones. I like this a lot. Fantastic idea! This could be a genuine contender for THE TURNER PRIZE.
F Thompson wrote: Forget public art shove in a few trees instead. It is the most concrete looking high street I have ever seen. Put some trees down the middle to break it up a bit!and watch the roots lift the stones causing a trip hazard, wait for some sap to trip and take the council to the cleaners for planting the trees that cuased the stones to lift that cuased the sap to fall that caused the sap to sue...
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SARFENDMAN, Rayleigh says...
7:21am Tue 2 Dec 08
Suggest they start there with a few imaginative ideas but probably beyond them.