Sculpture redefines "Endowment for the Arts"

Sarasota Herald-Tribune ^ | 5/13/04 | Mitra

[hemogoblin]

BRADENTON -- A decade ago city officials set the stage for an artists colony near downtown.

They created a special zoning category for the artists, allowing them to sell art out of their homes. They offered grants that helped the artists renovate houses and paint them in bold colors.

But now it seems an artist has gone beyond the bright paint and moderate designs in Village of the Arts, and it's making some city leaders uncomfortable.

Mark Runnals erected a shiny piece of metal work, "The Loss of Innocence," in front of his 12th Avenue bungalow. The 10-foot-high aluminum sculpture is a leafy tree with hanging fruit.

No one really noticed that the fruit resembled genitalia until city workers snapped some photos while out on a survey last week.

[hemogoblin]

"Oh they won't let us show it at the beach, friends ... "

- Shel Silverstein

[Red Badger]

If you lay down with dogs, you get fleas.
I assume the "art" was well "endowed"..............

[blanknoone]

The vast majority of current art is the antithesis of what art is.

[Cicero]

Art used to be about truth and beauty. But ever since Andy Warhol it's been about notoriety and celebrity, by any means necessary. This stuff is as empty-headed and meaningless as the latest Hollywood star or Democrat politician.

[sully777]

There is an "artist section" that sprang up in my local big city. It's located near the major university and features antique stores, interior design offices, floral arrangement businesses, body piercing, gay bars--all the stereotypical artist fare.