Whale Mural and the Nature of Art

Where are your expensive out-of-town consultants who should be telling you not to use paint on south-facing walls, which will eventually deteriorate? (Murals were historically painted indoors or in shaded outdoor locations, but I guess history is not important to the committee.)

I am reviewing a restoration project in San Clemente. The project is a restoration of two Norman Kennedy murals. In a shaded location but outdoors, they have heen badly worn by salt air erosion and are only 55 years old. [Two thousand dollars] here or there for downtown graffiti-type murals is one thing, but are we supposed to waste $250,000 on the local climate?

What a wonderful elevating future our public art program holds in store for us. Mr. Clawson cites the $86,000 Wave Spout sculpture which used to be at the end of the pier as financial justification for the Wyland expenditure. Many art experts tried to dissuade the city from the Wave Spout, regarding location and aesthetic quality for the dollar. We were ignored and where is the Wave Spout now?

Is the plan to create in Ventura the biggest collection of white elephants, follies, commercially prompted crass imagery and sound bite art? Can’t you for once take a breath and study history, the nature of art in relationship to architecture, human scale, craft, beauty?

The saddest comment I have heard so far is from Clawson: “Wyland can paint the entire mural in seven days, and his fame would generate significant publicity for our community that no other artist could provide.”

This is very sad, Mr. Clawson. Your business sense should tell you that $35,714 pay per day is a bad precedent for the Ventura City Public Art program, and an unethical criterion for an intellectual arts community to base its production upon.

Seek further understanding of “fine art” and cultural evolution before you spend other people’s money. Currently, there is $800,000 in the growing public art fund. So, think before you act, and try to be more humble. Ask for professional assistance from people who have knowledge and experience in the field.

MICHAEL KELLY

Ventura

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When it comes to public art, it would seem that the citizenry or society should have its house in order before enamoring themselves with the baubles and gilded icons of the art world.

In view of the fact that we, as Southern Californian citizens, writhe from the sad state of affairs of not having enough money for libraries, schools, welfare or workfare, etc., yet think we have enough money for art, is patently absurd.

I think the idea of painting the freeway wall is a whale of an idea. I also think that it doesn’t need to be a painting of a whale. In fact, I think the city and concerned local artists could come to terms with a scaled-down version. A simple gradation of colors, somewhat replicating a rainbow, could have as positive a psychological effect as that of a pod of whales, and at a much less overall cost factor.

The dynamics of having an expensive “tourist draw” painting is such that, as the tourist heads northbound, if they do not exit at California Street, they don’t exit in Ventura for tourism. If they were headed southbound, they would have Seaward, Main or Victoria before they ran out of exits to exercise their tourism.

I realize that the monies in question are for art, not libraries or other social causes. But, I also realize that in essence, the monies belong to all and come out of the same purse, albeit a horse of a different color.

Therefore, I say, let us compromise. Let’s hire a local artist to paint a colorful gradation reminiscent of the beautiful San Buenaventura sunsets and sunrises.

With all the money that is left over, let’s have art in other locations. In fact, let’s buy art books. Besides, what may appear to be a whale of an idea for some will smell fishy to others.

ALLEN CARROZZA

Ojai

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Bring on the whales. As a five-year resident of the city of Ventura and longtime member of the Laguna Festival of the Arts foundation, I proudly support the possibility of a Wyland wall. What better way to depict what our community is all about!

I have been fortunate to visit several Wyland walls and have found them all quite beautiful and moving.

Ventura is a diamond in the rough. A world-renowned artist could put us on the “art scene map” and draw more art-loving tourists than 1,000 more thrift stores ever could! The wall will only help promote our local artists. What cheap advertisement for them. I say spend the money.

YVONNE M. SHORT

Ventura