'I wish I could explain': installation art at Norton Community Park

artsblue 100x100By Pepper Parr

October 14th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The city invests a considerable amount of money in public art and throughout each year contests are held that allow artists to pitch their ideas for what is referred to as “installation” art; something that is not permanent and is often work that can be interacted with.

The city announced seven installation art locations that were to be launched along with Culture Days which took place late in September.

A communications glitch got in the way of our publishing and promoting these events. The Senior Manager Strategic Communications prevented us from talking to the Manager of Cultural Services for some clarification.

The answers the Senior Manager Strategic Communications gave us were not clear and we didn’t have the time to do the back and forth that was required to get clear answers.

Cobalt Connects, the Hamilton based organization that manages the selection of artist’s process made what appears now available and we share it with you.

With information that is clear we can now share with you what the city made possible.

These installations were available on September 27 and will be on display until October 27, 2019. There are seven Temporary Art Installations.  These artists transformed spaces across Burlington with temporary public art installations. By placing art in unexpected spaces such as parks and community centres, the Public Art Lab brings contemporary art to new audiences. All installations are free of charge! The Public Art Lab is produced by the City of Burlington’s public art program.

The art is pretty well distributed throughout the city – except for Aldershot – they got stiffed.

Art Norton image

The wish might get you thinking – which is the point of it all.

The installation at the Norton Community Park is called Typographic Fencing; something that  defines space and prompts conversation by creating large-scale text in areas where it is not expected— around the edges of parking lots, near ravines, off divided highways, around a fenced-in playground.

These temporary installations are woven out of flagging-tape, a simple, inexpensive material used to mark boundaries. Squares in chain-link or vertical-bar fences become pixels on a screen or canvas, the medium for messages. The messages are installed anonymously and removed without ceremony. By transforming large-text into large questions, aim to spark a dialogue.

Lambchop is a street artist and designer based in the American South, specializing in permanent and ephemeral public installations investigating the relationship between place, typography, and interaction. Lambchop’s work has been exhibited internationally and recognized with a Communication Arts Award, a Society of Typographic Arts “STA 100” Award, has been featured through DesignMilk, NotCot and SHFT.

More on this artist at: cargocollective.com/lambchop

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

1 comment to ‘I wish I could explain’: installation art at Norton Community Park

  • Stephen White

    I make no claim to being an art connaisseur but wouldn’t it make more sense and be more logical to provide local artists who actually reside in this community with a venue to showcase their artistic endeavours and talents? Do we really have to import works from someone who lives in the U.S.? Don’t we have enough struggling and talent artists here who are deserving of our support?

    If taxpayers have to foot the bill for this “stuff” (not sure I’d call it art, but I guess that’s in the eyes of the beholder) I’d sooner support local artists rather than exporting taxpayer dollars to someone with no connection to the community.