New Genre Public Art and Term Paper

" "Public art" referred to sculptures occupying a public space that glorified one version of national history adhered to by members of the socially dominant group in society. The "cannon in the park" phenomena is an example of such art, in which America's military might and glory celebrated by its privileged members of society was put on artistic display in public spaces such as parks, plazas, shopping malls, and so on. In contrast to this, "art in public places" referred to artwork that sought to bring attention to the physical, visual, historical, and social properties of a particular site. This type of public art led to its burgeoning use in the seventies towards promoting social and historical concerns of groups traditionally under-represented in the art world, such as women and minorities.

The proliferation of "art in public places" led to artists in the eighties being encouraged by the NEA to participate in the choice and planning of sites in which to work. In 1982 for example, Visual Arts and Design programs allowed for visual artists and design professionals to collaborate in site development.Also by the eighties the NEA encouraged artists to consult with and educate the community about the artwork that was to be displayed within it, thus further causing public art to become socially engaged. By the late eighties, some recognition was awarded to new genre public art by the art establishment; conferences were held and literature was published describing this new art form. However, this recognition was not enough to allow such art to be fully accepted and appreciated by elitists in the field.

By the beginning of the nineties, the national recession and urban troubles….....