Art and Money
I am a big fan of art. I feel that art is an expression of a person’s emotion or message into a piece of canvas, stone, metal, wood or paper. I have seen amazing artwork from Leonardo DeVinci, Salvadore Dali and I.M.Pei. I understand how art influences the perceptions of a place but I have to wonder, where do we draw the line?
Take for example the Bean. Chicago is a wonderful city full of art and culture. The Art Institute has the Lions proudly standing in front. Art is reflected in the architecture with the Tribune building, the Wrigley building and so many others. Buckingham Fountain is magnificent during the summer. But let’s talk about this bean.
The bean is a shiny stainless steel structure measuring 33 feet high, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long. Even if the jolly green giant ate this bean, he would have a week long fart. Why a bean? Why a giant fart creator? It was really meant to be called “cloud gate” because 80 percent of it's surface reflects the sky. One of my many problems with this is, I am not 34 feet tall. However, it looks like a giant bean and everyone calls it “the bean.” It is very pretty in a bubble wrap, tin foil…ohhhhh…shiny….kind of way.
How much did the newest landmark cost the city? Hang onto you belt buckles…$11,500,000.00 and it was delivered LATE. Granted this may have been a gift from SBC, but it was $11.5 Million anyhow. You know, if I delivered something late, I would be taken into the lobby and duct taped to the ceiling. But that’s not all boys and girls, there is operating costs for the structure that just stands there. $300,000 has been earmarked for day-to-day operating expense which is paid by city tax payers.
There are about 7,000 homeless people in Chicago. There are 765,742 Cook County people living below the $9,645 poverty line. That is 14.5% of the population.
This brings me to my point (as I almost always have one). Doesn’t London, Paris, Chicago, Dallas, Louisville, or Berkley Springs, West Virginia need one of my famous sculptures? I would be willing to charge them only half a bean for my original artwork. My masterpiece would reflect ingenuity, diversity, bonding and resilience. It is recognized by millions of people across the globe as a token of rebuilding and restructuring.
I offer to the cities of the world “The Duct Tape.” It would be large…and round.
This will be a 75 foot sculpture of duct tape made entirely of real duct tape! My landmark will bring visitors from all over the world. It is yours for only $5.75 Million. My operating expense will only be $150,000. So, call, write, bribe, blackmail or sleep with your mayor. In return, I will take all of the extra money and build about 50 Habitat for Humanity houses and provide a $25,000 per year job for 6 people to “operate” the monster roll of duct tape.
:EDIT: I was just informed by a co-worker that under the "gift" is another $30 million is structural support additions because the bean's weight was not accounted for when the underground garage was created. The tax payer footed that bill. I guess that is like building a National Archives in Washington, DC and not taking into account the weight of the books
Take for example the Bean. Chicago is a wonderful city full of art and culture. The Art Institute has the Lions proudly standing in front. Art is reflected in the architecture with the Tribune building, the Wrigley building and so many others. Buckingham Fountain is magnificent during the summer. But let’s talk about this bean.The bean is a shiny stainless steel structure measuring 33 feet high, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long. Even if the jolly green giant ate this bean, he would have a week long fart. Why a bean? Why a giant fart creator? It was really meant to be called “cloud gate” because 80 percent of it's surface reflects the sky. One of my many problems with this is, I am not 34 feet tall. However, it looks like a giant bean and everyone calls it “the bean.” It is very pretty in a bubble wrap, tin foil…ohhhhh…shiny….kind of way.
How much did the newest landmark cost the city? Hang onto you belt buckles…$11,500,000.00 and it was delivered LATE. Granted this may have been a gift from SBC, but it was $11.5 Million anyhow. You know, if I delivered something late, I would be taken into the lobby and duct taped to the ceiling. But that’s not all boys and girls, there is operating costs for the structure that just stands there. $300,000 has been earmarked for day-to-day operating expense which is paid by city tax payers.
There are about 7,000 homeless people in Chicago. There are 765,742 Cook County people living below the $9,645 poverty line. That is 14.5% of the population.
This brings me to my point (as I almost always have one). Doesn’t London, Paris, Chicago, Dallas, Louisville, or Berkley Springs, West Virginia need one of my famous sculptures? I would be willing to charge them only half a bean for my original artwork. My masterpiece would reflect ingenuity, diversity, bonding and resilience. It is recognized by millions of people across the globe as a token of rebuilding and restructuring.
I offer to the cities of the world “The Duct Tape.” It would be large…and round.
This will be a 75 foot sculpture of duct tape made entirely of real duct tape! My landmark will bring visitors from all over the world. It is yours for only $5.75 Million. My operating expense will only be $150,000. So, call, write, bribe, blackmail or sleep with your mayor. In return, I will take all of the extra money and build about 50 Habitat for Humanity houses and provide a $25,000 per year job for 6 people to “operate” the monster roll of duct tape.
:EDIT: I was just informed by a co-worker that under the "gift" is another $30 million is structural support additions because the bean's weight was not accounted for when the underground garage was created. The tax payer footed that bill. I guess that is like building a National Archives in Washington, DC and not taking into account the weight of the books
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