As promised in the post about Nepean Point, here is a photo of the controversial sculpture One Hundred Foot Line by New York artist Roxy Paine. Part of the controversy, aside from the regular complaining about the National Gallery of Canada spending money on art by non-Canadian artists, was a series of complaints by a certain Ottawa Citizen columnist that At 10 storeys, it screams and distracts from the star structures of that area, the Parliament Buildings. It is completely out of context.
As for "out of context", nearly any photo of the Line from Nepean Point shows a number of other vertical interventions far less attractive (though admittedly less expensive) than the sculpture:
I think it looks pretty good, actually. It pretty much dominates the skyline but there's nothing else of visual interest in this direction from which it might distract. At any other angle (i.e. at ground level), the only thing you can see beyond it is trees and sky. And on a day like this one, it quite effectively disappears into the sky as though it went all the way up to the clouds.
It's not so bad from the ground, and I've seen sone pretty stunning photos. But from the river I agree strongly with the Ottawa Citizen columnist. It looks very out of place. I was prepared to like it until I saw it from that vantage point.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to see the 100 foot line from the Quebec side of the river.
ReplyDeleteI actually had forgot about it until I was behind the Parliament Buildings a few weeks ago, where you can see it really well.
ReplyDeleteI think it adds to the hill, even if it is not as interactive as Maman is.
Standing right under it is pretty amazing, skylines aside, though.
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