One day seminar with artists from Cork City given by Cliodhna Shaffrey and Sarah Searson at the National Sculpture Factory Cork and supported by the Visual Artists Ireland, full days presentation material

1. Public Art Practice Cliodhna Shaffrey Sarah Searson The National sculpture Factory Cork November 2009

2. Outline for the Day 10.30 – 11.05 How is works - with a focus on the % for Art Scheme 11.05 – 11.30 Definitions and possibilities – art in the public Break 11.45 – 1.30 About commission Aishling Prior video Lunch 2.30 – 3.30 Managing a commission - Theresa Nanigian video 3.30 -3.45 Public Art.ie - website 3.45 -4.30 Discussion

4. Per Cent for Art –Local Authorities; government bodies; Regeneration Schemes: Structured Arts Council European Funding Local Authorities More ad hoc and self generated Organisations and Agencies Arts Events and Festivals Off-site projects of galleries and museums

5. Common per cent opportunities Local Authority – Housing, Roads (), Major engineering works Education – Colleges, Schools Heath Sector –Hospitals and health care More occasionally – Marine, Defence on a much more ad hoc basis

6. The per cent for art scheme

7. Per cent for art - some very basics Capital developments

8. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food may grant or support infrasture for Agriculture, food, fishery and forestry sector Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism Supporting and working with the formation of national policy for public art – both through the arts council and the Dept Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Dormant Accounts Board, Western Development Commission, ÚdarÁs na Gaeltachta, Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge Programmes include ClÁr, Leader, Interreg, Rapid Department of Defence additions to building, new developments. Army, Navy, Air Corps, Civil Defence Department of Finance - may have an important role in the future of the scheme – however it is important to note that effectively it is an index linked process Department of Education and Science Primary, Secondary, and third level education resources

9. Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Department of Foreign Affairs Department of Health and Children Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform Department of the Taoiseach Department of Transport public art commissions most popularly know through the NRA (National Roads Authority) Department of Social and Family Affairs Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Largely funds Local Authorities (schemes arise through Housing, Water/Waste, Transport, and other Capital Developments)

10. Public art panel – Mayo County Council Programmatic approach to public art - Ballymun Direct commissioning – Office of Public Works Procurement procedures - Dept of Defence Mix of these What tends to drive these approaches Familiarity with the process, Having expertise and confidence Budgets Range or of concerns – from a desire for engagement with an artist to a sense of entitlement

11. Key process and committees – and the background people SPC – Special Policy Committee Local Area Committee Council Meeting Public art working group Public art selection group Selection Panels Community Representations Political Representation Artistic Representation Area expertise eg an architect, engineer or other associated person – such as head of school

12. Agency, Department or Organisation funded for Capital development Usually there will be a lead – if there is no expertise or its not coming in at a high level, with back-up of policy or clear direction it is easy for the process to be swamped Department in charge of project development (eg the housing dept) As the project plans - location, time-line, and projected budgets are draw up. The local authority will contact the department of the environment (funding the capital development) They will request funding of the housing scheme at this very early stage a member of the project staff informs the government dept of their intention to drawn down a per cent (capped) for art This means that a public art administrator or manager can plan for a new work or works if they intend to pool (merge) the monies from a few schemes Commissioning a work can now be planned for

13. Per cent of the total project amount Draw down from Government Dept Relates to individual project and person taking responsibility within a particular dept Organisational process working groups, policy and selection

14. Government Dept – funding for capital – and including a public art application Dependencies on goodwill and interest Problematic here – time and expertise

15. Benefits of pooling or programs Coordination needed to pool finance Pooling – allows larger budgets for individual projects Or a programmatic approach where a ranges of scale and types of work are taken on – this may also mean that there will be an investment in professional support Pooling makes a rational for specialised public art positions or personal Makes better use of committees and gives better overall project support

16. Where is the funding going Publications Launches Project management costs Some Staff costs Project budgets Other expertise Selection committees Mediation Education and Outreach Evaluations Trends....

17. Personnel to draw down the finance – track and receipt correct budget amount Not systemised or Often contested at dept levels More usual practice within the LA Lack of awareness No arts expertise Architect driven Engineer driven Word of mouth Ethos and higher ownership when driven from the grass roots Not looking for advice Committee (ised) hesitant less confident – not understanding context and processes Defined and direct through structured curatorial programmes

18. Public Art w orkshop session 4 th November 2009 National Sculpture Factory Cork

19. Richard Serra Tilted Arc, NY, 1981. Removed and Destroyed after a court ruling

20. The Tilted Arc, decision prompts general questions about public art, an increasingly controversial subject through the late 1980s and early 1990s in the U.S. and abroad. The role of government funding, an artist's rights to his or her work, the role of the public in determining the value of a work of art, and whether public art should be judged by its popularity are all heatedly debated. Serra's career continues to flourish, despite the controversy. "I don't think it is the function of art to be pleasing," he comments at the time. "Art is not democratic. It is not for the people." Other works by Serra are in the permanent collection of museums around the world.

22. DEFINITIONS/ POSSIBILITIES While all art should be considered ‘public art’, in general, we have come to understand this term to refer to artworks that are located within the public domain – outside of the traditional arts institution, such as the gallery, theatre or concert hall. A critical feature of public art is understood as the interrelationship between the artist and the artwork, the context (location – site, place) and the public (people, audience /participants) and the commissioner/client.

23. artist context (place/people) commissioner artwork

24. Patricia C. Phillips, former editor of Artforum Magazine writes:– 'public art excludes no media, materials, process or form, the work can be permanent or temporary, it can be commissioned through funding programmes, such as the percent for art scheme or initiated by artists requiring no sanction. With a broadening concept of public – it can happen almost anytime, with anyone and virtually anywhere…even in galleries, museums and private settings. Public art is always art'.

25. A public artwork can mean any work of art in any media created or placed in a context where an engagement (active or passive) with a public ( small or large) is anticipated. The work may or may not be site specific. (Mary McCarthy)

26. intention it is art because I say it is art Arthur Dando You can do anything you want if you can defend it Thomas Lawson Dean of UCLA CalArts, USA

27. I never know why everything gets broken down into categories (eg. public) ...art is art! Dorothy Cross

28. Francis Alys describes the project, which involved the coordinated action of hundreds of volunteers on the arid dunes of Ventanilla, an area on the outskirts of Lima dotted with the makeshift shelters of a shantytown, as an attempt to interject a "social allegory" Into the cultural conversation that is Peru. Herein lies its peculiar strength: His work never tells any story in particular but rather crystallizes an image that demands storytelling as an active interpretive process. One day a mountain moved four inches. So begins a tale that we, the audience, must tell. The stories that are told become the work the event itself becomes almost mythical

29. Sean Lynch Peregrine Falcons visit Moyross, 2008

30. It is not the job of art to reach consensus across different 'publics'. Dominic Thorpe

31. The Skoghall Konsthall, 2000 Skoghall, Sweden Skoghall is a small community in search of an identity. Up until now, its identity has been strongly identified as a Paper Mill town. In fact, most of Skoghall has been built by the Paper Mill, including most of the housing and the church. It is time for Skoghall to present to Sweden and to the world a new image, a contemporary image of progress and culture, beyond being a dormitory for the Paper Mill workers. An image of creativity and actuality. An image of a dynamic and progressive place where culture is created, not only consumed. A living culture is one that creates.

32. no longer synonymous with public sculpture Site-specific art is no longer constituted by its physical or spatial aspects, limited by its geographical location, or architectural setting, instead it can become network of social relations, a discursive site, one delineated by a field of knowledge, intellectual exchange or cultural debate . Miwon Kwon . one place after another MIT press

33. Project Mongrel, Cork, 2005 Organised by a group of artists and architects whose proposal was to stretch wire across Patrick Street, Cork.

34. Clodagh Emoe Mystical Anarchism An experimental project exploring an alternative model to engage with theoretical enquiry using a transdisciplinary approach. Rather than coordinating a lecture in an academic context, Mystical Anarchism sought to create a more open discourse. The philosopher Simon Critchley accepted an invitation to talk about his examination of political resistance maintained by millenarian movements developed in his publication, Infinitely Demanding: Ethics of Commitment, Politics of Resistance, 2007. Mystical Anarchism deals with his recent enquiry into the interstitial esoteric activities of the 13th Century Beguine nuns and The Movement of the Free Spirit.

35. People and Place

36. Meril Ukeles Landerman Touch Sanitation A seminal project where the artists become part of the NY sanitation dept. A voluntary residency that works with, supports and embraces the sanitation workers. Landerman’s residency lasted over 20 years beginning in 1973 and finishing in 1993 with a major work recylcing plant at Fish Kills Statton Island, NY

37. Seamus Nolan’s Hotel Ballymun, 2007 was made in close collaboration with a number of people, designers, furniture makers, artists and locals.

38. Jackie Sumell a=aght

40. Rhona Byrne’s Umbrella Project, Dublin – a walk, a book and a film

41. addressing issues of ownership and value

43. Rick Lowes’ Project Row Houses, Texas – fully embedded in an African-American community who Lowe works with to renivate these shot-gun houses. P RH began in 1993 as a result of discussions among African-American artists who wanted to establish a positive, creative presence in their own community. Artist and community activist Rick Lowe spearheaded the pursuit of this vision when he discovered the abandoned 1 1/2 block site of twenty-two shotgun-style houses in Houston’s Third Ward .http://projectrowhouses.org/about/

44. Beauty

45. Aideen Barry and Anne fFrench’s Hetrotopic Glitch, Kinsale Arts Week, 20008

47. Andrew Kearney at Pump House, Ballymun – turning this building into an icon through winter months.

48. Sculpture

50. CRITICAL DEBATES RAISED you’re asked to do something on the margin: you don’t get the main space, you’re put in the corner. Vito Acconci Essentialising communities ( Miwon Kwon) Confining art to set agendas Artist as Ethnographer ( Hal Foster/ Miwon Kwon ) Exploitation of participants. Grant Kestler / Miwon Kwon Education and improvement over solidarity Censorship Clare Dorothy How does public art confront darker or more painful complicated considerations and not miss opportunities to act in solidarity? Grant Kester Whose history is represented? The lure of the local ( Lucy Lippard) nostalgic versions of place. Gentrification , displacement, cleaning up and the drive for marketing of place - Malcolm Miles/ Roselyn Deutche/ Rebecca Solnit/ Ed Soja

51. Grant Kester writes of a a very different image of the artist; - one defined in terms of open-ness, of listening and a willingness to accept dependence and intersubjective vulnerability. Simon Sheike there is no ideal generalized spectator, people will encounter art with their own specific backgrounds, experiences and intentionalities Simon Sheike, In the Place of the Public Sphere? Or, the World in Fragments: http://www.republicart.net/disc/publicum/sheikh03_en.htm

52. Types of Practice & Levels of Engagement/ Ways of Working Artists who make work with little/no involvement of others except for technical expertise. Artists who invite participation Artists who embed themselves within the social fabric of a city or place. Artists who work from a collaborative basis – effecting a kind of social sculpture. Artists who act as investigators/ researchers/ anthropologists observing, mapping or tracking aspects of place or communities. From Clare Dorothy – Curating in the wrong place, where have all the penguines gone?

54. ABOUT COMMISSIONING

56. Working in the public realm has obvious benefits to artists. Presenting an art project to a wide public audience - some of whom may not necessarily visit gallery spaces - can provide openings for new interpretations of work and ideas. However working beyond the possible comfort zone of a traditional gallery or exhibition space also brings distinct challenges. Some of these are outlined here under the premise that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Annette Moloney

57. The National Guidelines for the Per Cent for Art Scheme, 2004. Setting out the operational procedures for those implementing the percent for art scheme. They offer baseline advice for the commissioning of art in the contexts of capital construction projects and set out important guiding principles in the process such as: TIME RESEARCH DIALOGUE RELATIONSHIPS (the artist, the commissioner and the public). POOLING OF FUNDS - to increase budgets Recognition of the role of Selection Panels and Criteria. Different commissioning possibilities – open, limited, direct and purchase.

58. REVIEW CURRENT REVIEW – INCLUDES AN INTERDEPARMENTAL GROUP AND WILL SEE A MOVE TOWARDS GREATER FLEXIBILITY. SPECIALISATION AND CURATION AND VISION FOR THE COMMISSION – with OPENNESS AROUND ARTISTS’ BRIEFS AND THE DESIRE FOR LESS DIRECTIVE COMMISSIONING AND BUILT IN TIME FOR RESEARCH. less building less capital programmes less funding less commissions = conservative, safer responses, track records, less experimentation desire for more solid responses? But

59. There are many different approaches to consider dependant on the brief. Different Commissions seek or call for different responses.

60. UNDERSTAND HOW YOU LIKE TO WORK - WHAT YOU ENJOY IN YOUR PRACTICE WHAT ARE THE INTENTIONS FOR YOUR WORK AND CONSIDER YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES & PUSH YOUR AMBITIONS. BE CRITICAL ASK FOR PEER FEEDBACK AND CONSIDER WORKABILITY OF YOUR IDEAS.

61. Sean Taylor’s 100 Paces Collins Barracks Dublin – the artists turned the commission brief to suit him

62. Whose Agenda? The artist? The public? The Commissioner? The Context? Your responsibilities as an artist is to yourself But in public art commissions it is also likely to be to To others To the place To the context To the commissioner T he anwser might be in your practice how it relates to your proposal and the intentions in the work HOW WILL IT COMMUNICATE

63. Who is this for? Get a sense of the commissioner / award and the client/comissioner. Is this Commission for me? Am I ready for this Award? What are they looking for?

64. READ THE BRIEF or/and CHECK OUT THE COMMISSIONING ORGANISATION’S CULTURE HOW FLEXIBLE OR FIRM ARE THEY?

65. RESPONDING TO A COMMISSION It is tempting to apply because there is money on offer, but only do so if you feel that the commission / public art project is appropriate to your practise and you have good ideas. Do not compromise your artistic practice when making proposals (especially for public art commissions) by changing what you are and what you do for the sake of gaining an opportunity. Many public art commissions require a context specific element (reflecting the community of place and interest) and generic projects – i.e. producing work which could happen anywhere at anytime have less chance of being successful. The key is to find a connection between your work and practice to the context be it the people, geography, nature of the place, identity, fiction, etc Collaborative practise – working with other artists or across artform / or with communities can prove very fulfilling. These require specialist expertise and approaches to working. Consider working with other experts both artistic and others depending on the commission

67. Christine Mackey’s Riverworks re-tracing the travelogue of Mrs Owenson through Sligo Landscape and around the Dorley River with a subversive and ecological agenda. Year long project commissioned by Sligo County Council

69. What do I need to do to realise this commission? Can I build Research Time in as part of the application? Do I need Another’s input – a mentor or specialist? Are there ethical questions underpinning my approach? Am I up for a Challenge? Are there other projects, artists, or works that inspire me ? how does this material works?

70. IDEAS What is interesting to explore artistically + your working method + CONTEXT + Brief = IDEAS Research & Response Situation/ Context Site Place People Client/Commissioner Budget/ expectation Use/uselessness Materials Form Structure Installation Presentation Duration Present/ Future

76. WRITING PROPOSALS AND DEVELOPING IDEAS

77. READ THE BRIEF CAREFULLY Give yourself TIME Make a Visual Map (plot out / Visualise) Structure your proposal based on what is required. Write clearly, intelligently and in a way that best communicates your ideas quickly. The opening statement / paragraph is critical Imagine who will be reading it. Try not to be too dense. Footnotes can help. Do not be afraid of simple language or short sentences and keep paragraphs short. Write in a style that takes cognisance of arts language. Don’t Dumb Down . Don’t Be Obtuse Use font size that is legible and if possible 1.5 spacing or more. Don’t be afraid – personality can come through – so can humour or mystery but best in a way that seems natural and close to your ideas rather than self conscious or clumsy and awkward.

78. Get someone else (a peer / another artist) to read your proposal If you hate writing – get someone else to write for you but check everything. REMEMBER - WRITING IS A PROCESS Ideas Come in this Process Clarity emerges when you write and helps structure your thoughts, ideas occur. Check all requirements – what you have been asked for. Edit your material well, especially reference to your recent/past work – Keep the shit detector fully functioning. Do not submit more than you are asked for. Do not submit too little to allow fair assessment Make it joyful, easy to move through, thoughtful and clear

79. Visual Material is Critical How you PRESENT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT (make or break). Check what you are asked for Note the difference between presentation of previous work and presentation of ideas for your proposal

80. Previous work. Make a selection of your best work and images. Eight to ten images of work or projects is likely to be sufficient. Make sure that this includes some of your most recent work. Label images clearly and/or provide a text document giving further information – title, date, short description of context and content. Submission requirements might specify how material should be received -e.g. photographic print or on CD or slide. But usually you have the option to choose the best way to present your material. You can use software or other publishers’ programmes to combine text and visuals. Video clips should be circa 1 minute with a second copy of complete work (full duration) enclosed. A selection of printed material – catalogues, posters, booklets, programmes and reviews provide another level of back up material and again should be carefully selected and limited. References to websites can be given but don't expect assessors to look them up.

81. The visualisation of your proposal can win you a commission. Unless otherwise stated, it can be in any form to suit your proposal and practice and you should have scope to be both creative and clear here. Your proposal might include sketches, overlays, drawings, notes, photoshoped images, maquettes, CD, DVD etc Powerpoint presentations can be effective in organising digital slides. Photoshop can be great for visualisation of work Label and title images throughout with small text – easy to read. DVD’s /video installations specify presentation preference for viewing Consider binding or putting material into a folder to support its flow and also to hold all together. Label all material and use text to further articulate.

82. Choose visual method to suit your ideas and make as clear but also aesthetically interesting as possible- software programmes, sketches, drawings, sample material, scanned images etc…. Powerpoint presentations can be effective in organising digital slides. Photoshop can be great for visualisation of work Label and title images throughout with small text – easy to read. With DVD’s / installations explain installation/ presentation and line of description Be inventive with image, layout, font, colours and manipulations and also remain clear and easy to view and read. Present material in folder or in a way that allows easy movement through the material of image, text and other materials

83. W r i t I n g a P r o p o s a l/ HEADINGS Title: Description: About your proposal/ concepts and thoughts behind it, research methodologies. what you want to do, what it will involve, theoretical underpinning of concepts. Context: The context for this work – social, physical, geographic, multi-sited, virtual etc. Research & Development People (this might be collaborators or other expertise) Audience/ Participants Costs: Materials / Media – Location: Mediation Documentation Evaluation Networks / future possibilities for the project. Maintenance (outlne as required) Technical details (specific as required). Timeframe Visuals might intersperse with your text in a way that makes it more lively and engaging.

85. artists statements Take time: Be honest: Write, Read, EDIT, refine, Reread and ask someone else to read offers insights is an important currency for your practice. Communicate and highlight properties and qualities of your work/practice It can run from 500 words to a tightly edited 70 word. It should be clearly informative about the conceptual elements of your work

87. Considering binding proposals or make sure that the material holds well together. DO NOT OVERLOAD

94. sources of information about public art and opportunities Publicart.ie Your local arts officer Arts Council VAI – e-bulletin The web / Amazon Libraries with Art sections – NCAD, Crawford school of art Galleries and Museums and their bookshops National Sculpture Factory Crawford Gallery book shop Project Arts Centre’s Bookshop Hugh Lane Gallery Bookshop RHA Bookshop Gallery of Photography Four Bookshop

95. Public Art w orkshop session 4 th November 2009 National Sculpture Factory Cork

96. Richard Serra Tilted Arc, NY, 1981. Removed and Destroyed after a court ruling

97. The Tilted Arc, decision prompts general questions about public art, an increasingly controversial subject through the late 1980s and early 1990s in the U.S. and abroad. The role of government funding, an artist's rights to his or her work, the role of the public in determining the value of a work of art, and whether public art should be judged by its popularity are all heatedly debated. Serra's career continues to flourish, despite the controversy. "I don't think it is the function of art to be pleasing," he comments at the time. "Art is not democratic. It is not for the people." Other works by Serra are in the permanent collection of museums around the world.

99. DEFINITIONS/ POSSIBILITIES While all art should be considered ‘public art’, in general, we have come to understand this term to refer to artworks that are located within the public domain – outside of the traditional arts institution, such as the gallery, theatre or concert hall. A critical feature of public art is understood as the interrelationship between the artist and the artwork, the context (location – site, place) and the public (people, audience /participants) and the commissioner/client.

100. artist context (place/people) commissioner artwork

101. Patricia C. Phillips, former editor of Artforum Magazine writes:– 'public art excludes no media, materials, process or form, the work can be permanent or temporary, it can be commissioned through funding programmes, such as the percent for art scheme or initiated by artists requiring no sanction. With a broadening concept of public – it can happen almost anytime, with anyone and virtually anywhere…even in galleries, museums and private settings. Public art is always art'.

102. A public artwork can mean any work of art in any media created or placed in a context where an engagement (active or passive) with a public ( small or large) is anticipated. The work may or may not be site specific. (Mary McCarthy)

103. intention it is art because I say it is art Arthur Dando You can do anything you want if you can defend it Thomas Lawson Dean of UCLA CalArts, USA

104. I never know why everything gets broken down into categories (eg. public) ...art is art! Dorothy Cross

105. Francis Alys describes the project, which involved the coordinated action of hundreds of volunteers on the arid dunes of Ventanilla, an area on the outskirts of Lima dotted with the makeshift shelters of a shantytown, as an attempt to interject a "social allegory" Into the cultural conversation that is Peru. Herein lies its peculiar strength: His work never tells any story in particular but rather crystallizes an image that demands storytelling as an active interpretive process. One day a mountain moved four inches. So begins a tale that we, the audience, must tell. The stories that are told become the work the event itself becomes almost mythical

106. Sean Lynch Peregrine Falcons visit Moyross, 2008

107. It is not the job of art to reach consensus across different 'publics'. Dominic Thorpe

108. The Skoghall Konsthall, 2000 Skoghall, Sweden Skoghall is a small community in search of an identity. Up until now, its identity has been strongly identified as a Paper Mill town. In fact, most of Skoghall has been built by the Paper Mill, including most of the housing and the church. It is time for Skoghall to present to Sweden and to the world a new image, a contemporary image of progress and culture, beyond being a dormitory for the Paper Mill workers. An image of creativity and actuality. An image of a dynamic and progressive place where culture is created, not only consumed. A living culture is one that creates.

109. no longer synonymous with public sculpture Site-specific art is no longer constituted by its physical or spatial aspects, limited by its geographical location, or architectural setting, instead it can become network of social relations, a discursive site, one delineated by a field of knowledge, intellectual exchange or cultural debate . Miwon Kwon . one place after another MIT press

110. Project Mongrel, Cork, 2005 Organised by a group of artists and architects whose proposal was to stretch wire across Patrick Street, Cork.

111. Clodagh Emoe Mystical Anarchism An experimental project exploring an alternative model to engage with theoretical enquiry using a transdisciplinary approach. Rather than coordinating a lecture in an academic context, Mystical Anarchism sought to create a more open discourse. The philosopher Simon Critchley accepted an invitation to talk about his examination of political resistance maintained by millenarian movements developed in his publication, Infinitely Demanding: Ethics of Commitment, Politics of Resistance, 2007. Mystical Anarchism deals with his recent enquiry into the interstitial esoteric activities of the 13th Century Beguine nuns and The Movement of the Free Spirit.

112. People and Place

113. Meril Ukeles Landerman Touch Sanitation A seminal project where the artists become part of the NY sanitation dept. A voluntary residency that works with, supports and embraces the sanitation workers. Landerman’s residency lasted over 20 years beginning in 1973 and finishing in 1993 with a major work recylcing plant at Fish Kills Statton Island, NY

114. Seamus Nolan’s Hotel Ballymun, 2007 was made in close collaboration with a number of people, designers, furniture makers, artists and locals.

115. Jackie Sumell a=aght

117. Rhona Byrne’s Umbrella Project, Dublin – a walk, a book and a film

118. addressing issues of ownership and value

120. Rick Lowes’ Project Row Houses, Texas – fully embedded in an African-American community who Lowe works with to renivate these shot-gun houses. P RH began in 1993 as a result of discussions among African-American artists who wanted to establish a positive, creative presence in their own community. Artist and community activist Rick Lowe spearheaded the pursuit of this vision when he discovered the abandoned 1 1/2 block site of twenty-two shotgun-style houses in Houston’s Third Ward .http://projectrowhouses.org/about/

121. Beauty

122. Aideen Barry and Anne fFrench’s Hetrotopic Glitch, Kinsale Arts Week, 20008

124. Andrew Kearney at Pump House, Ballymun – turning this building into an icon through winter months.

125. Sculpture

127. CRITICAL DEBATES RAISED you’re asked to do something on the margin: you don’t get the main space, you’re put in the corner. Vito Acconci Essentialising communities ( Miwon Kwon) Confining art to set agendas Artist as Ethnographer ( Hal Foster/ Miwon Kwon ) Exploitation of participants. Grant Kestler / Miwon Kwon Education and improvement over solidarity Censorship Clare Dorothy How does public art confront darker or more painful complicated considerations and not miss opportunities to act in solidarity? Grant Kester Whose history is represented? The lure of the local ( Lucy Lippard) nostalgic versions of place. Gentrification , displacement, cleaning up and the drive for marketing of place - Malcolm Miles/ Roselyn Deutche/ Rebecca Solnit/ Ed Soja

128. Grant Kester writes of a a very different image of the artist; - one defined in terms of open-ness, of listening and a willingness to accept dependence and intersubjective vulnerability. Simon Sheike there is no ideal generalized spectator, people will encounter art with their own specific backgrounds, experiences and intentionalities Simon Sheike, In the Place of the Public Sphere? Or, the World in Fragments: http://www.republicart.net/disc/publicum/sheikh03_en.htm

129. Types of Practice & Levels of Engagement/ Ways of Working Artists who make work with little/no involvement of others except for technical expertise. Artists who invite participation Artists who embed themselves within the social fabric of a city or place. Artists who work from a collaborative basis – effecting a kind of social sculpture. Artists who act as investigators/ researchers/ anthropologists observing, mapping or tracking aspects of place or communities. From Clare Dorothy – Curating in the wrong place, where have all the penguines gone?

131. ABOUT COMMISSIONING

133. Working in the public realm has obvious benefits to artists. Presenting an art project to a wide public audience - some of whom may not necessarily visit gallery spaces - can provide openings for new interpretations of work and ideas. However working beyond the possible comfort zone of a traditional gallery or exhibition space also brings distinct challenges. Some of these are outlined here under the premise that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Annette Moloney

134. The National Guidelines for the Per Cent for Art Scheme, 2004. Setting out the operational procedures for those implementing the percent for art scheme. They offer baseline advice for the commissioning of art in the contexts of capital construction projects and set out important guiding principles in the process such as: TIME RESEARCH DIALOGUE RELATIONSHIPS (the artist, the commissioner and the public). POOLING OF FUNDS - to increase budgets Recognition of the role of Selection Panels and Criteria. Different commissioning possibilities – open, limited, direct and purchase.

135. REVIEW CURRENT REVIEW – INCLUDES AN INTERDEPARMENTAL GROUP AND WILL SEE A MOVE TOWARDS GREATER FLEXIBILITY. SPECIALISATION AND CURATION AND VISION FOR THE COMMISSION – with OPENNESS AROUND ARTISTS’ BRIEFS AND THE DESIRE FOR LESS DIRECTIVE COMMISSIONING AND BUILT IN TIME FOR RESEARCH. less building less capital programmes less funding less commissions = conservative, safer responses, track records, less experimentation desire for more solid responses? But

136. There are many different approaches to consider dependant on the brief. Different Commissions seek or call for different responses.

137. UNDERSTAND HOW YOU LIKE TO WORK - WHAT YOU ENJOY IN YOUR PRACTICE WHAT ARE THE INTENTIONS FOR YOUR WORK AND CONSIDER YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES & PUSH YOUR AMBITIONS. BE CRITICAL ASK FOR PEER FEEDBACK AND CONSIDER WORKABILITY OF YOUR IDEAS.

138. Sean Taylor’s 100 Paces Collins Barracks Dublin – the artists turned the commission brief to suit him

139. Whose Agenda? The artist? The public? The Commissioner? The Context? Your responsibilities as an artist is to yourself But in public art commissions it is also likely to be to To others To the place To the context To the commissioner T he anwser might be in your practice how it relates to your proposal and the intentions in the work HOW WILL IT COMMUNICATE

140. Who is this for? Get a sense of the commissioner / award and the client/comissioner. Is this Commission for me? Am I ready for this Award? What are they looking for?

141. READ THE BRIEF or/and CHECK OUT THE COMMISSIONING ORGANISATION’S CULTURE HOW FLEXIBLE OR FIRM ARE THEY?

142. RESPONDING TO A COMMISSION It is tempting to apply because there is money on offer, but only do so if you feel that the commission / public art project is appropriate to your practise and you have good ideas. Do not compromise your artistic practice when making proposals (especially for public art commissions) by changing what you are and what you do for the sake of gaining an opportunity. Many public art commissions require a context specific element (reflecting the community of place and interest) and generic projects – i.e. producing work which could happen anywhere at anytime have less chance of being successful. The key is to find a connection between your work and practice to the context be it the people, geography, nature of the place, identity, fiction, etc Collaborative practise – working with other artists or across artform / or with communities can prove very fulfilling. These require specialist expertise and approaches to working. Consider working with other experts both artistic and others depending on the commission

144. Christine Mackey’s Riverworks re-tracing the travelogue of Mrs Owenson through Sligo Landscape and around the Dorley River with a subversive and ecological agenda. Year long project commissioned by Sligo County Council

146. What do I need to do to realise this commission? Can I build Research Time in as part of the application? Do I need Another’s input – a mentor or specialist? Are there ethical questions underpinning my approach? Am I up for a Challenge? Are there other projects, artists, or works that inspire me ? how does this material works?

147. IDEAS What is interesting to explore artistically + your working method + CONTEXT + Brief = IDEAS Research & Response Situation/ Context Site Place People Client/Commissioner Budget/ expectation Use/uselessness Materials Form Structure Installation Presentation Duration Present/ Future

153. WRITING PROPOSALS AND DEVELOPING IDEAS

154. READ THE BRIEF CAREFULLY Give yourself TIME Make a Visual Map (plot out / Visualise) Structure your proposal based on what is required. Write clearly, intelligently and in a way that best communicates your ideas quickly. The opening statement / paragraph is critical Imagine who will be reading it. Try not to be too dense. Footnotes can help. Do not be afraid of simple language or short sentences and keep paragraphs short. Write in a style that takes cognisance of arts language. Don’t Dumb Down . Don’t Be Obtuse Use font size that is legible and if possible 1.5 spacing or more. Don’t be afraid – personality can come through – so can humour or mystery but best in a way that seems natural and close to your ideas rather than self conscious or clumsy and awkward.

155. Get someone else (a peer / another artist) to read your proposal If you hate writing – get someone else to write for you but check everything. REMEMBER - WRITING IS A PROCESS Ideas Come in this Process Clarity emerges when you write and helps structure your thoughts, ideas occur. Check all requirements – what you have been asked for. Edit your material well, especially reference to your recent/past work – Keep the shit detector fully functioning. Do not submit more than you are asked for. Do not submit too little to allow fair assessment Make it joyful, easy to move through, thoughtful and clear

156. Visual Material is Critical How you PRESENT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT (make or break). Check what you are asked for Note the difference between presentation of previous work and presentation of ideas for your proposal

157. Previous work. Make a selection of your best work and images. Eight to ten images of work or projects is likely to be sufficient. Make sure that this includes some of your most recent work. Label images clearly and/or provide a text document giving further information – title, date, short description of context and content. Submission requirements might specify how material should be received -e.g. photographic print or on CD or slide. But usually you have the option to choose the best way to present your material. You can use software or other publishers’ programmes to combine text and visuals. Video clips should be circa 1 minute with a second copy of complete work (full duration) enclosed. A selection of printed material – catalogues, posters, booklets, programmes and reviews provide another level of back up material and again should be carefully selected and limited. References to websites can be given but don't expect assessors to look them up.

158. The visualisation of your proposal can win you a commission. Unless otherwise stated, it can be in any form to suit your proposal and practice and you should have scope to be both creative and clear here. Your proposal might include sketches, overlays, drawings, notes, photoshoped images, maquettes, CD, DVD etc Powerpoint presentations can be effective in organising digital slides. Photoshop can be great for visualisation of work Label and title images throughout with small text – easy to read. DVD’s /video installations specify presentation preference for viewing Consider binding or putting material into a folder to support its flow and also to hold all together. Label all material and use text to further articulate.

159. Choose visual method to suit your ideas and make as clear but also aesthetically interesting as possible- software programmes, sketches, drawings, sample material, scanned images etc…. Powerpoint presentations can be effective in organising digital slides. Photoshop can be great for visualisation of work Label and title images throughout with small text – easy to read. With DVD’s / installations explain installation/ presentation and line of description Be inventive with image, layout, font, colours and manipulations and also remain clear and easy to view and read. Present material in folder or in a way that allows easy movement through the material of image, text and other materials

160. W r i t I n g a P r o p o s a l/ HEADINGS Title: Description: About your proposal/ concepts and thoughts behind it, research methodologies. what you want to do, what it will involve, theoretical underpinning of concepts. Context: The context for this work – social, physical, geographic, multi-sited, virtual etc. Research & Development People (this might be collaborators or other expertise) Audience/ Participants Costs: Materials / Media – Location: Mediation Documentation Evaluation Networks / future possibilities for the project. Maintenance (outlne as required) Technical details (specific as required). Timeframe Visuals might intersperse with your text in a way that makes it more lively and engaging.

162. artists statements Take time: Be honest: Write, Read, EDIT, refine, Reread and ask someone else to read offers insights is an important currency for your practice. Communicate and highlight properties and qualities of your work/practice It can run from 500 words to a tightly edited 70 word. It should be clearly informative about the conceptual elements of your work

164. Considering binding proposals or make sure that the material holds well together. DO NOT OVERLOAD

171. sources of information about public art and opportunities Publicart.ie Your local arts officer Arts Council VAI – e-bulletin The web / Amazon Libraries with Art sections – NCAD, Crawford school of art Galleries and Museums and their bookshops National Sculpture Factory Crawford Gallery book shop Project Arts Centre’s Bookshop Hugh Lane Gallery Bookshop RHA Bookshop Gallery of Photography Four Bookshop