Art in public spaces

The combination of art and architecture has always been a controversial subject – and never more so than in the context of public buildings. Art by its very nature is subjective, and there are those who argue that our public spaces and buildings should be plain, functional – and inexpensive. In fact, it is a common misconception that art in public spaces is funded by the public.

In reality, the finance for many projects comes from the private sector or charitable institutions. As an artist, it is fairly obvious which side of the fence I sit on – but there are some pretty convincing arguments to support the inclusion of art in public architecture. As a stained glass artist, I have been commissioned to work on a range of public buildings from modern medical centres through to historical educational establishments. Each project brings different challenges. Yet all have benefited from the inclusion of pieces of art, both aesthetically and in more practical terms.

Paying the price for the 1970s
You don’t have to travel very far in the UK before encountering the ubiquitous, drab town centre. Property developers and architects have to accept some responsibility for developing so many of the carbon copy concrete facades that sprang up throughout the 1970s and 1980s which still plague our public spaces. Even today, in an attempt to learn from the mistakes of the past, the ‘decorative’ elements added to public spaces tend to be of the cheapest materials with little regard to their appropriateness or the quality of design. The art in question is all too frequently so generic and bland that its location could be interchanged with any hospital or shopping centre – thereby missing a vital opportunity to develop a sense of uniqueness, and more importantly, a sense of place.

Research carried out into the use of art in public spaces has yielded some interesting results. For example, the Enhancing the Healing Environment programme launched by the King’s Fund has found that bringing art into the acute hospital environment has a positive effect on patients, including promoting a greater sense of ownership, reducing incidents of aggressive behaviour from patients and generally creating a more therapeutic and healing environment. Similarly, public spaces and buildings in town centres benefit from the introduction of quality art through stimulating the local economy and attracting businesses and residents. It can also promote a greater sense of community and ownership, which in turn ensures that buildings and places are treated more respectfully. Art can also be instrumental in developing tourism and visitor numbers, as well as increasing the use of public spaces.

Making a change for the better
The argument for introducing a higher standard of artistic design in public buildings is compelling – quite simply, we can do better. So what can be done to change things and bring art into the design of our public environments? First and foremost, property developers need to commission the very best artists working in public art to develop pieces of art which have been given the due care and attention to detail they deserve. Good art takes time to develop it has to be carefully considered, well designed and thought provoking. We also need to look elsewhere for inspiration. I believe that the best art to be found in public spaces is almost always the boldest and bravest. The Baptistery window by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens at Coventry Cathedral is a perfect example of how scale and colour can combine to create an inspiring result which can move the observer – irrespective of whether they have a religious faith.

Indeed, the use of art in religious buildings is probably more readily accepted than in most other public buildings such as the library or the doctor’s surgery – but it shouldn’t be. We live in an increasingly secular society and could argue that our place of worship in 2010 is not the church on a Sunday morning, but the shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon. So it is in places such as these that architecture and art have the potential to really influence.

Combining classic and contemporary
One of my recent projects was to design and make an artwork for the John Rylands University Library in Manchester. As the original neo-Gothic Library building designed by Basil Champneys, it is heralded as one of the finest libraries in the world, it was important to get it right. This commission came about as a result of winning first prize in an international competition and demonstrates the University’s commitment to developing public art in its environment.

In the world of design, the idea of appointing an architect, designer or artist via a competition is quite commonly used – similar in some ways to the tendering process used in other industries. In this particular example, the panel of judges looked at examples of many artists’ work, short listed four and paid for their time to develop their ideas. In doing this, the steering committee were ensuring there was a far better chance of the final artwork being of the highest standard.
 
Making a difference
Art doesn’t have to be confined to historical libraries or church buildings. The use of art can inspire, uplift and create a sense of community and place where it is most needed: in the hospital ward, the school hall, the public library, the shopping centre. Good art can make a difference. The way in which we express ourselves collectively through our environments, the choices we make in terms of our architectural surroundings, the standards by which we commission our public art, all have an impact on the quality of our everyday lives. Well commissioned artwork can play a key role in creating a sense of place; it can help to define the character of a building or a space, and it brings a heightened sense of quality to the surroundings.

All too often we put up with monotony or bad art because that’s all we’re given. But there are convincing reasons to change and I would urge planners and developers to raise their game in terms of how and why they place art in their buildings, and to more clearly understand the profound effect a carefully chosen piece of art can bring to a space. Ultimately, everybody wins.