TTC: Public Art — Apathy or Abuse?

[salsa]

Downsview station.

 

[junctionist]

The TTC shouldn't allow advertising to be plastered over public art. The sequence of blue rectangles in that area at Downsview Station is a work of public art called Sliding Pi by Arlene Stamp.

 

[cplchanb]

Well tbh given their financial plight, they'll take any form of income even it means sacrificing an art piece

 

[W. K. Lis]

Well tbh given their financial plight, they'll take any form of income even it means sacrificing an art piece

Even with funds from advertising, the TTC is still underfunded.

 

[DSC]

Well tbh given their financial plight, they'll take any form of income even it means sacrificing an art piece

They should not do this and I just emailed Chris Upfold - I suspect that whoever sells the ads does not realise it's 'art'.

 

[TransitBart]

The TTC shouldn't allow advertising to be plastered over public art. The sequence of blue rectangles in that area at Downsview Station is a work of public art called Sliding Pi by Arlene Stamp.

This is a noble and in every way correct statement.

However, here is another take.

Once I lived in a house with a tiled mosaic in the tub. It was rectangular and nice, but probably not art although similar in design - and colour - to this.

This piece is quite subtle. It's not as clear as the floral mosaics at DuPont for example that this is fine art. If you blink you could miss it kinda like taking Barnett Newman's 'Voice of Fire' as a stripe painted on the wall. I want to bet that someone approached the ad folks at the TTC and asked for the space and not realizing it was a commissioned piece, they sold the space.

 

[junctionist]

The TTC should know their art collection well enough to avoid these kinds of situations. Public art shouldn't be covered over. Taxpayer money paid for that abstract tile mural so that the public could enjoy it.

 

[Skeezix]

The TTC should know their art collection well enough to avoid these kinds of situations. Public art shouldn't be covered over. Taxpayer money paid for that abstract tile mural so that the public could enjoy it.

Agreed. This is the same agency that let Hayden's Arc En Ciel at Yorkdale station literally rot, even though it would have initially been inexpensive and straightforward to fix it. I'm sure that the sale of this ad space was inadvertent, but it is nonetheless embarrassing, and it gives us insight in the TTC's continued inability to manage and protect the public art with which it has been entrusted.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Agreed. This is the same agency that let Hayden's Arc En Ciel at Yorkdale station literally rot, however, even though it would have initially been inexpensive and straightforward to fix it. I'm sure that the sale of this ad space was inadvertent, but it is nonetheless embarrassing, and it gives us insight in the TTC's continued inability to manage and protect the public art with which it has been entrusted.

I am of the mind that it is less inadvertent but indifferent - background art (meh) vs. ad revenues - we know which one TTC will pick.

Just look at how they managed to basically let wrap-ads dominate entire subway stations to the detriment of wayfinding (there was an example posted of Union - I figure they think it is okay because the signage is still there, albeit lost in all the visual noise) - it tells you all you needed to know about their priorities.

Oh look, we have a brand new wayfinding manual - let's violate it all with full height ads! They should just use the labour for that document to fund not putting the ad up - it would have done more.

AoD

 

[DSC]

They should not do this and I just emailed Chris Upfold - I suspect that whoever sells the ads does not realise its 'art'.

and here is the response ...

" Know what you’re saying and we try our best to avoid covering art. This is such a big wall though it’s as much architectural finish as it is art.
We’ll keep a close eye but money is money…

Chris"

 

[Skeezix]

Wow. That's disappointing.

I guess TTC hasn't learned anything in the two decades since it destroyed Arc en Ciel.

 

[sixrings]

Well tbh given their financial plight, they'll take any form of income even it means sacrificing an art piece

I thought a couple years ago someone figured out the advertising dollars were so low that they could charge every rider a nickel and they would be able to ride the rocket advertisement free. maybe i am wrong about that but I believe we severely over estimate how much we actually make for selling our souls.

 

[Skeezix]

I thought a couple years ago someone figured out the advertising dollars were so low that they could charge every rider a nickel and they would be able to ride the rocket advertisement free. maybe i am wrong about that but I believe we severely over estimate how much we actually make for selling our souls.

I had the same recollection earlier today - but I didn't have time to try to find the information.

Even if they do raise a good amount of revenue, I wonder how crucial *this* particular space is. Yes, it's a highly visible spot, but I suspect a combination of other spaces in the system, at locations that are *not* covering public art, could bring in the same money.

 

[smallspy]

Wow. That's disappointing.

I guess TTC hasn't learned anything in the two decades since it destroyed Arc en Ciel.

And what advertising dollars could they get out of Arc en Ciel?

Don't get me wrong - what they did wasn't right with either. But there's a very different perspective at play here. At at the least, they are not likely to damage the artwork by putting those ads on it.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[cplchanb]

I had the same recollection earlier today - but I didn't have time to try to find the information.

Even if they do raise a good amount of revenue, I wonder how crucial *this* particular space is. Yes, it's a highly visible spot, but I suspect a combination of other spaces in the system, at locations that are *not* covering public art, could bring in the same money.

which then brings to question if were so pinched for dollars why is TTC budgeting so much on gargantuan public art to begin with in every thing they do? It has no source of revenue. Now if it was something like a display set up by ROM with signs
encouraging them to visit thats different, but it was mentioned above, some art pieces are so subtle that 90% of the people who pass by dont notice nor care.