Giant Oranges 32

In between hearing of our Oranges being rolled, andhere in LA a famous mural being painted over, I wentover my notes from my previous work at SPARC. Thattime prepared me start doing public art at a certainlevel, and may have prepared me even further sincemuch of the discussion was about preserving art,interpreting intent, destruction of art and theprocess of communicating public response.Already it's clear that we have strong support of theCity willing to display the "show of force", and thepeople whom the art intended to reach by now beingvery aware of the work itself. As for the destructionof work; it can only be said that ignorance is notonly of bored youth, but as seen here in Los Angeles,overzealous developers.The artists show of force may be to participate inevents that give opportunity to discuss the work - notjust for self promotion - but to advocate what publicart can really be for a city. A reflection of aregion creating site specific narrative. If we focuson this, we can avoid the next natural step that seemsto happen in Riverside and that is taking an eventwith the original intent of heritage and identity andmake it overly commercial. The Orange Blossom Festivalis an example of something that's lost it's originalpurpose, except for the Arts Grove that still feelsvery unique.If we can keep the intent of this body of work from agroup of artists, maybe we can be seen not just as"pioneers" of a public art in Riverside that wentbeyond statues, but showing how this forum can be morethan civic billboards. And if we do, our work maysurpass other cities forms of painting iconic figuresand hence get additional legal protection. As I knewsince my days at SPARC, and was recently restated bythe Los Angeles Times Art Critic Christopher KnightTuesday in response to Kent Twitchell's mural beinglost:"Federal and state laws prohibit the intentional ruinof a work of art. The Visual Artists Rights Act waspassed by Congress 'to prevent any destruction of awork of recognized stature,' according to the 1990bill. The precedent-setting California ArtPreservation Act makes it a crime to 'intentionallycommit, or authorize the intentional commission of,any physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, ordestruction of a work of fine art.' "I like the idea of being in the charter group of artists and administrators who put forth the intent tomake this body of work truly public art.Congratulations to the charter members. The Orange 32.