Sigmund Freud once said, “Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.”
Clearly, Freud never sat in on a Richmond city council debate on public art, including the current one which is all about flowers.
At Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Harold Steves, chair of the city’s parks and recreation committee, derided yet another developer-funded public art proposal, while calling on the city to put local artists first.
At issue this time is a $437,500 public art piece named Flower Tree, by South Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, being proposed by Richmond’s public art planner Eric Fiss for the planned Hollybridge Way Plaza along the Fraser River’s middle arm.
The fibre-reinforced plastic flowers would sit perched on top of a nine metre steel frame that resembles a stump.
“In my opinion, this is ‘plump’ art, not real art. It really bothers me that a big plastic ball with colourful stuff in it is going to be worth darn near a half million dollars. That’s going to be there forever as art in a very public place,” said Steves.
“I’d much sooner see art like Fisherman’s Needle. That’s done by local artists and it’s art that has meaning — meaning to the community, whether it’s an event or an emotional thing or whatever,” he added, before council voted the proposal down in a 6-3 decision.
Steves has questioned the public art process before, stating “we should disband the civic art fund and put it into affordable housing.”
Under existing city policy, developers are asked to donate $0.60 per square foot of building space in rezoned developments, for public art.
The flower piece would have been a voluntary contribution ($550,000 including administrative fees) by developer Aspac as part of the River Green development expansion, east of the Richmond Oval.
Steves said if artwork is to be placed on city property then councillors should have input prior to the art being tabled at council. Flower Tree, for instance, was pre-approved by the city’s Public Art Advisory Committee — consisting of three art experts, a local resident and the developer’s landscape architect — then put forth to council by Fiss.
The city is reviewing the public art process, according to Fiss, who noted Aspac now has the option to put the art on its own property or give the Public Art Program cash.
Coun. Carol Day also questioned the local character and meaning of the art, noting award-winning Choi had similar flower projects around the world.
“If it’s a version of what’s in Taiwan, what makes it original to Richmond?” asked Day.
Fiss said the flowers would be native to British Columbia.
Fiss’ report noted Flower Tree beat out other submissions from local artists.
Coun. Chak Au said he didn’t see the relationship between the art and the city’s guiding principles, which include connectivity to the community and/or local history.
Couns. Ken Johnston and Linda McPhail both said they respect the process (of council). Johnston said the artwork was akin to a “plastic alien space ship that’s landed,” but still voted for the proposal while “holding my nose.”
McPhail on the other hand couldn’t.
“I struggle with this . . . It is obvious there needs to be a review of the public art process,” she said.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie did not comment on the art and voted for the proposal.
Coun. Alexa Loo also voted in favour of the art, saying it evoked a romantic mood for walks along the dyke.
“I guess I find myself in the minority,” she said.
Couns. Dang and McNulty also opposed it
