Commission
The Difference between Large and Small Commissions
Large Scale Commissions
What kinds of pressures would a practitioner have to deal with when working on a large-scale commission?
One kind of pressure a practitioner would have to deal with when working on a large-scale commission is that other people could provide a distracting when producing the piece. These could range from being in the public walking and climbing around areas where peace and concentration is needed or just the practitioner looking around to only be distracted by cars on the motorway nearby. Another pressure is getting tired due to the long commission process of a large scale objective. You might also have to pay for your own materials and that could cause troubles in certain times as sometimes these large-scale commissions don’t pay you weekly or monthly but for the end of the project.
Furthermore, you might have time, weather and injury on your hands as pressures as being a large-scale commission is it most likely going to be a long term progression for the practitioner, meaning go through all kinds of hard ship with seasonal weather changes, time being tough in certain areas to keep in demand and that change of potential injury, especially when high up, around 20 metres such as the Angel of The North Statue.
Is it easier for the practitioner if the commission allows freedom to work in any style?
It is and isn’t easier for a practitioner if the commission allows freedom to work in any style. It is in that you can work in a suitable environment or time that makes the practitioner work at this or hers best level as having that relaxing nature, typically you can get more done meaning just as good quality if not better, at a higher quantity. It is also easier because you can plan according you, thus saving time and you don’t feel under pressure with the freedom you’re giving. However, it isn’t easier as whilst working to a work style might work, it might be useful to create a large scale piece at the beginning of production but not be so good long term and that can cause many issues. This could be used to not correct weather conditions or even wrong type of materials. Finally, it can be a bit a both at the same time, the practitioner could be suited to one style and because they have the option of any style, they might feel interested in exploring different style and depending on how long they have been stuck working in a certain style, they might find adapting to take a while, but it’s probably quite unlikely a client would accept a practitioner that’s style doesn’t suit their needs and goes off to do their own, but it can work in that way regardless.
Britten’s ‘War Requiem’ includes settings of work by another artist, poet Wilfred Owen. What issues must an artist consider when working with existing material?
Issues that an artist might consider when working with existing material or taking an existing property such as Britten’s “War Requiem” including settings of work from another artist is that you will have to think hard and portray the original piece with the attention and respect it deserves. You might also need to get permission from the artists of the existing material by either speaking to them on the phone or just generally contacting them but it can be an issue if they have been dead, especially for many years as you’ll have to see whether or not the copyright they issued for that product as expired so you can use it. Additionally, you might face an issue whereby you want to keep intact what the original wanted to set out to do, what he or she wanted to achieve and be happy with its adaption or use in your piece of work.
What do you understand by the term ‘public art’?
What I understand by the term “public art” is that, in its simplest form is that it’s art that can be seen in the public eye and by its people but if I was to expand my understanding of the term “public art” I would say it’s art that isn’t closed off or monitored, typically, it can be destroyed at will if needs be and it’s more down to the public and it’s people to take of it and making sure it takes in take from people causing acts of vandalism. It’s artwork from the people too, when you go into art galleries, most of the images you see are done by “professionals”, public art isn’t as they don’t have to be masters of the art but anyone from all ages and backgrounds. Not only that, public art is meant to be something suitable for the public , Something suitable that isn’t too gruesome or grim to disturb people, especially young children.
The client for the ‘Angel of the North’ commission was Gateshead Council. Who were the target audience for the work?
The target audience for the commissioned work of “Angel of the North” for Gateshead Councils could’ve been two kinds of audience. The kind that Antony Gormley, the artist, set out to appeal to specifically or the audience that he couldn’t control whether they see it or not, for example people driving on the motorway. Antony Gormley wanted to focus on hope and fear at a painful time for the people of the north east, that was the artists intention, for the public to see it in different ways, some might’ve seen it as a work of art, others a sign, others a day out, but the most obvious of them all for the target audience would be Gateshead council themselves as if they didn’t approve of Antony’s prospect, they wouldn’t have given the development of the angel of the north statue in the first place.
What practical constraints would Gormley have had to take into consideration when designing and producing the sculpture?
Practical constraints Gormley would have to take into consideration when designing and producing the sculpture is that of religious constraints being that of an angel. Space would be another constraint as the statue would have been designing in a way to handle a statue 20 metres high and weighing several tonnes. The ground would have to be suitable; having an object falling weighing almost 20 tonnes would be a lot of danger if the ground wasn’t suitable and could risk lives. Animals and any wildlife in the area would either have to be monitored or at least considered, especially in any endangered species were around the area. People’s house nearby would be any constraint as well as the general public’s views and opinions, if they hated the statue with a passion, some could cause anarchy and perhaps burn or destroy the statue, meaning a lot of potential danger could inflict on the people. A decent distance from any near motorways would have to be a constraint to consider also as the sheer size of the statue could distract and cause drivers to crash if too up close, obstructing their vision.
‘The Angel of the North’ initially received very mixed reviews from the people of the north- east with many feeling it was a waste of money. It is now generally seen as a local landmark of which the people of the north-east can be proud. Why do you think this happened?
I feel that this the people of the north easts opinions and reviews of “The Angel of the North” changed due to several reasons. The statue was built to reflect hope on bad times but due to the stress of these bad times, people’s views change due to lack of income or other reasons and thus when perhaps the statue was first being build, people could have seen it as a waste of the tax payers money if any of was used in production or just a waste of money in general. Others in this time might’ve seen it as an element of “fake hope” and the least of their troubles but change is hard for some people, a concept, an idea or a product might not sink in straight away or be approved for the first time but over time could be. Art might’ve been seen differently at this time but as Art branches out of the North East with artists from the North East branching out to American, Europe and other areas, becoming more famous, art might’ve been more respected due that time and might’ve seen public art and large sculptures such as this not a bad thing to have in the North East of England.
Small Scale Commissions
What are the challenges of preparing a proposal for a site-specific commission?
The challenge of preparing a proposal for a site-specific commission is that if you have a bad track record with either the police or another organisation for doing similar work in public places without permission you might find yourself in a lot of trouble for not preparing that in your proposal as you’d be lying as a practitioner, an example of this would be street artist Banksy.
What kind of research would need to be done?
The kind of research that would have to be done is that you would need to figure out who you would need to contact for permission for these commissions. You would also need to make sure what type of materials could be used and which couldn’t due to technical and other reasons. Some pains and such can’t be used in the underground for example as they can be dangerous for people’s eyes and especially the driver causing a lot of trouble, panic and potential danger. You would need to make sure you’re not copying another artist piece by piece as they could get you into a lot of trouble, especially with copyright. Lastly, because you would be in a public area with lots of people around in some areas and not a lot in offers, you would have to consider when and where its best to produce your piece as some areas are just too crowded to work effectively.
If you were commissioning artwork for your own place of work, what would you include in the brief?
If I were to be commissioning artwork for my own place of work, I would include in my brief that my commission would be something small scale as I feel something large scale would take a lot of time and resources to build. I want to save resources, meaning it wouldn’t be something that uses a lot of materials and I would also like it to be cheap so I don’t lose too much money as well, but away from the more business side, I want it to be something creative and fun, typically some simple so I can easily get to grips with it and get going with some of the ideas being that of a poster a painting or even the decorating of walls in a bedroom.
What do you think of art on public transport? Have you noticed any examples in your region?
I have not noticed any examples of art on public transport but what I can say is my thoughts of art on public transport itself. In some regards it’s good as it can help people get out of trouble and express their creative talents and feelings but only so long as it’s allowed, otherwise it could cause trouble. It can further be good as it can lighten up an area, creative something appealing and mix in that needed added flavour but it’s not all good. It can be bad also as the artwork detailed could be controversial due to religion, race and other elements. Other projects could have been planned to taken place in areas and some of these materials these “street” artists use could take a while and prove difficult to take off certain areas, thus leading to a dilemma. Furthermore, even though the detail and the time of the art piece might shine through, something quite disturbing such as a dead person being hung in the public eye could be extremely unappealing, especially for small children and really put public art on public transport off the map for a lot of people and might even cause riots or protest if the art is strong enough to express such raw meanings and designs.
If you were asked to produce a commission for an underground or railway station what would be your first thoughts?
If I was asked to produce a commission for an underground or railway station, my first thoughts would be something that would be remembered by people, the public specifically. Something that would shock people and get their attention and make them thinks why certain elements of the piece were done. I would cater the piece to the environment and make suit, for example if it was located in the underground I would have a rapping hiding in the corner, with notes spreads across nearby walls, progressively increases in colour saturation with the power of music to show words and notes turning into colours, away from the black of darkness and into the colourful light.
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