Comments on: Coming Up: Greater Horrors, an interview with Anthony Discenza

By: Frank Lostaunau

Frank Lostaunau — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:59:19 +0000

I been had this feeling that the karma kops have been on strike for years and think that they don’t care about stolen art. packy…where did you say your art is stashed…address please, muchas gracias amigo!

By: Stephanie Syjuco

Stephanie Syjuco — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:19:01 +0000

I agree with Packard when it comes to artworks that take advantage of guerilla tactics of display or are slipped into a system that’s transitional in some way. But commissioned permanent works like the McGee tiles that Renny cites are a city-funded project in which the public is the shared audience and shares in collective ownership. We should be able to appreciate it without having to worry about theft. Worse is the idea that individuals would pry them off to own a little bit of Barry’s work or even try to sell them. I know there is a possibility that this could happen with any publicly placed work and to a certain extent is to be expected, but i hope the karma police catch up to these folks at some point.

By: Packard Jennings

Packard Jennings — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:48:32 +0000

It’s a shame when this type of public work gets defaced or stolen, but it’s the nature of the work. It should be considered ephemeral and enjoyed while it lasts. In a field that is obsessed with archival, the temporary nature adds a beauty to the work and the gesture.

By: Renny Pritikin

Renny Pritikin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:24:33 +0000

I hesitate to take this off on a real tangent, but I learned recently that all of Barry McGee’s hundreds of tiles that were put up on bus ramps in the Sunset District (N Judah line) have been stolen. This was an SF Arts Commission project that was installed in the late 90s and were fine until the tipping point was reached and the word got out fairly recently. So the question has to do with control of public space, greed, nature of public art, et al, that both projects touch on.

By: Stephanie Syjuco

Stephanie Syjuco — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:05:39 +0000

I’m a fan of this project as an extension of Tony’s practice — it’s been great to see up in public. I wonder if there will be any fallout from being attributed to a specific artist, however… I’m always curious about anonymity vs. attribution and how this may change the perception of the work. I’m crossing my fingers that the “right” people don’t see this post and suddenly poof! the signs are gone.

By: Joseph del Pesco

Joseph del Pesco — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:50:09 +0000

Yes, this is the only site for the project. Anthony answers that it’s mainly due to the proximity of his gallery, Catherine Clark, where he has access to an eight foot ladder, and in an alley because he can install the signs without attracting too much attention. In a sense it’s an extension of the gallery’s program, albeit a peripheral one.

By: Dominic

Dominic — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:33:19 +0000

As Joseph knows, I work in the SFMOMA Minna St Annex, so I have seen the signs all the while. Am I right in thinking this alley has been the only site in San Francisco for the project? If so, why this site?