Whose Monument Where?

Brooke Marcy

 

Summery of Whose Monument Where? Public Art in Many-Cultures Society? by Judith F. Baca

 

 

Judith F. Baca’s essay, Whose Monument Where? Public Art in Many-Cultured Society, questions the role of public art and its relevance, perception, and responsibilities to today’s diverse and multicultural communities. In the past, public art has been seen as monuments glorifying a specific, often heroic, point in the development of history.  More recently, these monuments act as a reflection of the power and dominance of a corporate sponsor. Thus giving relevance to the individuals they represent and the artist who created them. Though these monuments represent great meaning for a few, they are often irrelevant to a large percentage of today’s population. Judith Baca points out that public art is perceived and interpreted differently depending on the viewer and she bring up the question, “what shall we choose to memorialize in our time?”

 

As developers turn landscapes into cityscapes, public art is used to beautify and bridge the gap between the developer and the public, creating a veiled unity and acting as a “false promise” of inclusion.  With the increasing development of public spaces, the definition of “public” does not pertain to everyone. “Homeless, vendors, adolescence, urban poor and people of color” are excluded from the term “public” and find themselves unwanted by developers, becoming displaced and segregated into communities living in the outer reaches.  Judith Baca uses Los Angles as an example of a city where developers have abused and exploited ethnic communities, creating a divided and scared society. She believes that artists can, through their art, help communities reclaim public spaces and bring back lost identity by giving them a unified voice.  In order to do this, it is necessary for the artist to remain aware of cultural differences and replace their own personal vision with a collective approach. She uses Christo’s work as an example of personal aesthetic sensibilities dictating a public art project as apposed to more inclusive and possibly more meaningful approach to public art.

 

Overtime the changing policies and stronger competition for the use of public spaces has resulted in new regulations and censorship.  Judith Baca uses the mural by Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros as an example of this change.  His work dealt with the difficulties facing Mexicans and Chicanos living in California during the 1930s. Though his mural is being carefully restored today, and remains a relevant topic, it is unlikely that the imagery used then would be permitted today.  Despite the new policies, murals remain an effective way for artist representing ethnic groups to reclaim public space. These murals act as public monuments reflecting the realities and struggles faced by ethnic communities, thus creating a more accurate history. 

 

The children of these communities have been greatly affected by these monuments, and wanting to make their own voices heard, have turned to the art of graffiti.  While working on the Great Wall project, Judith Baca has come in contact with many young graffiti artists.  She has seen firsthand the struggles between the graffiti artists and the opposing authorities, both sides claiming ownership over public spaces.  Unfortunately, she points out that it is the graffiti artist’s notion of beauty that often loses out in the end, taking its toll on the young artists.

 

With poverty increasing and the expanding division between the wealthy and poor, Judith Baca asks the question, “Whose story shall we tell?”   She believes that public artists living amongst ethnic communities have the responsibility of creating a voice for the people and act as a catalyst for change.  She feels artists need to assess their process in relationship to the outcome, and concentrate on what they want to say, keeping in mind how their work will effect” public memory.”   Public art in this capacity can begin a dialogue encompassing all communities and give representation to voices of hope.  Judith Baca sees this as “the most