Last Chance To See 600 sq mi: Hidden
Missed Connections: Gefilte Fish...and "Chain Connections"
H-Town Rock
Rock Talk, Vol. IX
Discovery Green, the unfortunately named park under construction in downtown Houston, has gained its first high-profile piece of artwork: Jean Dubuffet's Monument au Fantôme, which has stood in front of 1100 Louisiana for 25 years. Dan Duncan, the pipeline tycoon who owns the skyscraper, has donated the sculpture to the park, where it will sit along Avenida de las Americas across from the George R. Brown Convention Center.
"It's a fantastic piece of art," park director Guy Hagstette said, adding that the sculpture "will be an icon in the park and an icon in the city." Dubuffet created Monument between 1969 and 1971 as part of his Hourloupe series; the steel-and-fiberglass piece consists of seven abstract forms meant to represent an imaginary city. Developer Gerald Hines and architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill selected the sculpture specifically for the plaza at 1100 Louisiana because it was proportioned specifically for the building — so, naturally, moving it is the only thing to do. Hines brought the sculpture to Houston in 1983. "It set some precedent about art in public spaces," the developer said in a 2004 interview. "I think it put pressure on others to think about that."
Houstonians have been thinking about Monument for years: Though many people jokingly call it the "wrecked Metro bus" because of the sculpture's abstract forms and red, white and blue color scheme, the piece has become a downtown landmark. Fantome Tower, the group that owns 1100 Louisiana, will make a one-time cash donation to Discovery Green to cover the cost of restoration, relocation and ongoing maintenance of the sculpture; though that amount hasn't been determined yet, the gift of the sculpture itself is valued at more than $1 million. "I think [the park] will be a very sympathetic site for the sculpture," Wynne Phelan, conservation director for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, said.
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If you are a fan of art, public art or this sculpture in particular DO NOT wander into the comments section at the Chronicle article. You have been warned.
I don't know why, but it always seems to me that only angry people post to the Chroncile forums. This particular article garnered some particularly hateful vitriol. I like to think we are a pretty cosmopolitan city, but then I read garbage like that, and wonder from which trailer park they crawled out from. Sheesh!
The comments are going to TURN me into an angry Chronicle poster. :-)
Since the Internet became this free form of expression for all, I have struggled with two sides of my personality. The much stronger side that wishes to throttle the narrow-minded, self-righteous nimrods who use the Internet to spout their ignorant views, and my weaker side that blows them off as the senseless fools that they are.
Of course, there is a third side that is just as much a blowhard as the worst offenders, but he doesn't exist! :)
SO WHAT'S NEXT? WILL ALL THE WONDERFUL SCULPTURES IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON MIGRATE TO THAT PARK -WITH THE EXCEPTION OF "VIRTUOSO"- MAY THAT UGLY (DRUG) ATTICKS PIECE OF CRAP SLIDE DOWN INTO THE BAYOU. IT WOULD BE COOL- MIRO,DUBUFFET,NETTLESON,ETC. ALL IN ONE PARK. IN FACT DON'T STOP THERE- LET'S MOVE MECOM FOUNTAIN THERE ,TOO
Why the Chronicle started allowing comments on everything is beyond me. Of course, 95% of people who read the Chron online are reasonable people, but only the other 5% comment.
Actually, the idea of moving all our public art into Discovery Green seems like a very Houston thing to do — sorta like we've moved all our historic houses into Sam Houston Park. It makes seeing the things so much easier.
None of that pesky walking from place to place.
Ah GEEZ! Bad, BAD idea! Now people will have to make a special trip to see it. It's perfect where it is.
And I agree wholeheartedly with "guest" about "Virtuoso."