art

Today, I feel like ventilating some of my frustrations about art.
Not so long ago two new pieces of art appeared in the city landscape to 'cheer up' daily life. One of which got plenty of (negative) attention, the other one of which almost appeared unnoticed.
The piece that got lots of attention was an expensive thing, made by a local artist everyone seems to think is overpriced an overrated, and it was placed in the middle of a big square. It's called 'Totem' and it's a blowup of a bug on a needle. As it was a gift from the university to the city, placed opposite the university library in which there is a book by the artists grandfather about... bugs, I think this is quite funny. Moreover, the giant bug does cheer up my life on a daily basis. It thoroughly improves the view from my office on the third floor, especially at night, when it is beautifully lit. But many people seem to find a dead bug in clear view disgusting, especially when it is pearced upon a giant needle with its legs pointing upward. Seriously, I don't see what's wrong with that. Bugs are not an endangered species and if we keep fucking up the planet they'll soon be creatures left on it, so quit the 'mother earth' thing, please!
What those nagging mother earth-freaks don't complain about, and what I think is much worse (and have to look at every day as well) is some coloured plastic installation some arty farty fancy nancy international artist put in MY PARK! Ok, it's not my park, but it's the ONLY decent park we've got. It' a beautiful park and I'm a lucky person that my daily route between home and the office goes straight through it. But did they really have to screw it up completely be scattering fake coloured plastic window things all over it? Different colours. FLUORESCENT colours. PLASTIC. IN THE PARK, which is the only bit of nature left in the city centre. It's like they won't let you forget you're in a city - "hey, there might be some trees here, but look at all the coloured plastic fake stuff, haha, you can't run away from the city here!"
What's worse: it's a permanent installation. The first permanent installation by this particular artist, the newspaper said, which is not surprising because I can't imagine any city council being stupid enought to think people were not going to dig their park being ruined.
Apparently they weren't to wrong about it. No mother earth freaks shouting this time.
So the council, nor the motherearthfreaks in this city have brains - but the vandals do, however. They've been smart enought to let the plastic windows alone. Seems like they're thinking: "yeah, well, this park is vandalized enough as it is." And a plastic window looks better than a broken plastic window, I guess.
So thank you, vandals and good luck on getting that bug! I'll be waving at you from the third floor...