Perth Voice Interactive

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Artists outraged

April 11, 2013

‘Really damning’

THE $59,800 Chinese sculpture Vincent city council will buy instead of a local work is one of a series of eight, despite a council policy that it not buy a “mass-produced nor ‘off-the-shelf’ piece”.

Mayor Alannah MacTiernan says a series of eight doesn’t count: “Many great Nolan works of art come in a series,” she says.

But a national artists’ advocacy group has slammed the purchase. National Association for the Visual Arts executive director Tamara Winikoff describes the process surrounding the purchase as, “a case of mismanagement”.

The council had originally commissioned local artist Matt McVeigh to create a $30,000 abstract sculpture for Bulwer Street that reflected the multicultural area.

After receiving a $5000 advance Mr McVeigh discovered his concept was not sturdy enough. The council didn’t like redesigns he submitted, with Ms MacTiernan describing the piece as, “a very stock standard piece of municipal art and we’re trying to do something a bit better”.

The council then bought Games by Chinese artist Chen Wen Ling on the recommendation of Ms MacTiernan and Cr John Carey, after they’d seen it displayed at the Cottesloe Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.

“Not only do they seem to be breaking their contract with [McVeigh], but [Games] doesn’t meet their own guidelines,” Ms Winikoff told the Voice.

“It goes back to the basic principle of ‘what’s the purpose of public art’.

“This is an acquisition on behalf of the community and in that regard what you would expect is it would be a piece that would have some meaning and some significance to that place.”

Ms MacTiernan says the council did nothing wrong and it had been “very disappointed” when Mr McVeigh said he couldn’t build the piece he’d designed.

“He came back and said ‘no I can’t do that work, I have to make this’, what was ultimately a completely different piece of work. What he has come back with has only the most tangential similarity to the piece commissioned.

“It’s not our intention to pursue him for breach of contract but it’s quite possible that it would be open to us.”

She says the city’s Australian-Chinese population gives the Chen piece relevance.

Ms Winikoff says losing a contract—and having work publicly described as “a very stock standard piece of municipal art”—damages an artist’s reputation: “That’s a really damning public statement to make about any artist.”

by DAVID BELL

Posted in news

6 responses to “Artists outraged”

Jennie Nayton

April 12, 2013

This is rather unfortunate and I feel for Matt McViegh. Obviousy Ms MacTiernan and Cr John Carey felt that Chen Wen Wing’s was a better work, but what who knows what Mr McViegh could have come up with for double the money. A $30 000 commisson is completely different to a $60 000 commission. Unfortunately with the costs of
fabrication and installation $30 000 is actually a very small commisson which really limits the options in terms of materials, fabrication and finishes. I have no problems with councils purchasing an international artists work but to suddenly drop any artist mid commission to buy anothers artists work which is twice the price is unacceptable and highly unprofessional, Mr McViegh has been treated very poorly indeed.

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takkas

April 12, 2013

“She says the city’s Australian-Chinese population gives the Chen piece relevance”… hey, don’t make us the scapegoats. I’m Australian Chinese and it has no relevance to me.

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zoë

April 12, 2013

Generally, I would expect, if the board was displeased with a re-design, their best bet is to consult with the artist as to how both of their needs might be met better.

In a state where we are actually making a mining fortune (from the minerals that “belong” to all west Australians), where the budget for the arts and west Aussie artists is constantly cut, I don’t understand why people wonder why young people go out and glass each other in the face on Friday nights…

They’re bored, get it? And even if they chose to do something more constructive and beneficial for their state and city, chances are, if they did, they wouldn’t be paid or appreciated for it. Artists have bills and rent to pay too… We are here to entertain and inspire you, but we can’t survive on thin air! If you want magic from us, put up the finance for it, stop betraying our interests; otherwise, get used to having to import your creative genius as well as everything else, and get prepare for a quickening in the dumbing down of our local hopefuls, to the point that we all just become consumers rather than doers and makers.

Shame mactiernan – If you love your city (and your seat) put some gumption and money behind our local industries (including our creatives) and try supporting your constituents. It’s the only way you will be remembered really… By making useful longterm investments in the people your SERVE.

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Andrea Williams

April 12, 2013

I really feel for the local artist for being treated very poorly, it was unacceptable and unprofessional from the Council. What chance do artists have when honouring a contract and being commissioned to do public artwork, what is to be done according to an artist’s brief and changing it to suit them? If it’s a cultural themed artwork then send out an EOI if that’s what the council wants, saves everyone’s time, money and energy to other work to be commissioned and honoured by both parties!

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Joe

April 16, 2013

Typical and not suprising move by the of the CIty of Vincent. They do the same with local street artists by offering minimal and below average budgets for large walls. Then the council will fly over more well know street artists and pay them over $10,000 for art work.

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imjam

April 18, 2013

It is a very sad state of affairs when a local and very talented artist has been robbed of the opportunity to showcase his work because the Council decided on the safer bet of buying an art piece from a well known Artist from overseas. How does that help local artists or for that matter the Australian Economy? Not only did the artist loose out on the commission but the fabricator and the builder installing the work did too. That’s the bigger picture. Maybe we should ask Dick Smith to bottle up Public Art and put a label on it saying ‘Made in Australia’ to help the Town of Vincent make the right choice!!!

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