Public art is any work of painting, sculpture, drawing or writing done by a creative mind in a public place. It is meant for the community or a wider society. Its significant purposes include telling a story- past, present, or even future. Public art, which always receives its funding from governments and NGOs, also has the responsibility to educate the society. This essay is going tackle its benefits and effects in the community (Cartiere, 2008).
There are several merits of public art in the community or even those found in the cities. For instance, sculptures and drawings create a feeling of consciousness and belonging (Coutts & Jokela, 2010). An example is the Liberty Statue that is associated with the US’s way of living. Public art also uplifts the name of a once forgotten neighborhood or society. In addition, drawings and sculptures teach the community especially on social and political issues.
An example is a painting depicting the dying of a mother hacked by a young man. This is meant to worry the conscience of a person who is admiring the piece of art. Furthermore, sculptures and writings in public educate the society on its past heroes and heroines in order to learn from them (Cartiere, 2008). Examples include the different Greek gods that represented a number of issues in the society of Greece. In addition, public art helps improve the beauty of the community through different types of paintings and murals.
There is also earning of foreign exchange when both local and domestic tourists come to view drawings and writings in the city and neighborhoods. In addition, sculptures and paintings enhance the environmental value of the city and make places of recreation look more humane. It also creates a domestic satisfaction and commercial pride of the city, therefore, attracting clients (Coutts & Jokela, 2010). Finally, public art creates jobs through employment of painters, sculptors and writers who ensure all the work of art is in place.
Public art like drawings and sculptures have an immense expression in terms of philosophy, population and culture. For instance, public art invokes the conscious and unconscious psychology of the society to help them reflect on social and political concerns (Davies, 2006). In addition, work of public art, for example, paintings reveal the world as it is and help the society in understanding life and existence. Furthermore, public art enables the community in expressing themselves to display inner emotions concerning feelings of love or hatred.
The population also influences the art they want in public. Either this can be through a sculpture or a painting, that expresses their preferences and tastes. In addition, it controls the thought process of the population and the way they perceive issues in the community.
It also communicates to the population and makes them a part of the government in making decisions affecting them (Coutts & Jokela, 2010). Furthermore, the ability of public art to achieve neutrality in representing both classes of the society is an effective way of expression.
Alternatively, public art affects the community in terms of culture in a number of ways. In terms of telling history, paintings, murals and drawings in the parks remind the society of its values and traditions. (Davies, 2006). Open art also glorifies a past when citizens see celebrated heroes and heroines in the form of sculptures and drawings. In addition, public art is known to express the hopes and fears of the community fostering a culture of understanding the society through work of art.
In conclusion, we can mention a few things. Public art as an entity belong to the citizens and should reflect their tastes and preferences. Here, we mean public arts like Liberty Statue in US and Eiffel Towers of Paris (Cartiere, 2008). There are also sculptures and historical drawings found in the old Rome that tell a history and pride of its people. Therefore, it is upon the governments and communities to preserve such art for coming generations.
References
Cartiere, C. (2008).The practice of public art. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.
Coutts, G. & Jokela, T. (2010). Art, community and environment: educational perspectives. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.
Davies, S. (2006).The philosophy of art. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.