Paphos Life

cyprusgrump wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:59 am Call me old fashioned, "YOU'RE OLD FASHIONED!" but you surely shouldn't need to have 'art' explained to you...?

If you really need to be told it is the Greek letter 'P' it isn't doing its job...

Surely Art in any form is due to interpretation by the beholder?

I like them. Well done Paphos. The pictures in the blog are great. Thanks Dominic.

cyprusgrump wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:59 am Call me old fashioned, "YOU'RE OLD FASHIONED!" but you surely shouldn't need to have 'art' explained to you...?

If you really need to be told it is the Greek letter 'P' it isn't doing its job...

I wonder what you think the "job" might be? All kinds of art exists in a multitude of media some of which are clear and obvious, others benefiting from interpretation and explanation. There are many examples of paintings going back hundreds of years that benefit from new interpretation and reveal hidden meanings and depths. Would those be rejected as poor if their meaning was not obvious? The same applies to sculpture, music, photography, film, theatre, architecture and literature. Shakespeare's plays were introduced to many of us at school and would have been far less meaningful without explanation.

I think a more relevant complaint would be a lack of explanation which would increase enjoyment and understanding of the artist's intention.

Pete

The blog is up now:

https://www.paphoslife.com/blog/paphos_pi

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:02 pm The blog is up now:

https://www.paphoslife.com/blog/paphos_pi

Good pictures. Thanks for that. One small point: they are sculptures not statues.

Pete

PeteandSylvi wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:55 pm

cyprusgrump wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:59 am Call me old fashioned, "YOU'RE OLD FASHIONED!" but you surely shouldn't need to have 'art' explained to you...?

If you really need to be told it is the Greek letter 'P' it isn't doing its job...

I wonder what you think the "job" might be? All kinds of art exists in a multitude of media some of which are clear and obvious, others benefiting from interpretation and explanation. There are many examples of paintings going back hundreds of years that benefit from new interpretation and reveal hidden meanings and depths. Would those be rejected as poor if their meaning was not obvious? The same applies to sculpture, music, photography, film, theatre, architecture and literature. Shakespeare's plays were introduced to many of us at school and would have been far less meaningful without explanation.

I think a more relevant complaint would be a lack of explanation which would increase enjoyment and understanding of the artist's intention.

Pete

I'm sure I have a very old fashioned view on 'art'...

For me, I drove into Pafos for shopping and at the end of the motorway there is this 'thing' which i looked at and thought, "what the hell is that meant to be?"... and if I didn't live here and have access to an amazing number of websites I'd still be none the wiser...

Now, if I'd got to the end of the motorway and there was a sculpture of Aphrodite and a big sign saying, 'Pafos 2017 city of culture' or whatever it would have made sense and a connection...

Sometimes I think that artists over-think these thing and I wonder how many people looking at the 'thing' at the end of the motorway will have any idea (or care) what it is...? In which case we might have been better off spending the money on the hospital or picking up rubbish or something...

The sculptures are not just there for the City of Culture year though. And how many other works of art / sculptures / statues / commemorative busts have big signs next to them so that car drivers can fully understand their meaning?

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 5:53 pm The sculptures are not just there for the City of Culture year though. And how many other works of art / sculptures / statues / commemorative busts have big signs next to them so that car drivers can fully understand their meaning?

I would have thought that 'drive by' sculptures that you are never going to stop and explore should have some explicit meaning or message - otherwise what is the point...?

Visitors to Pafos are going to drive past and say, "oh look, a big rusty thing"...

But people will stop and explore some of them! Not the one on the main motorway roundabout, but lots of them are on footpaths in built up areas.

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:13 pm But people will stop and explore some of them! Not the one on the main motorway roundabout, but lots of them are on footpaths in built up areas.

Meh...

So the point of the drive-by ones is...?

To annoy you.

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:51 pmTo annoy you.

Well worth the money then!

Yes, and all you need to do is drive up the "suitable for all vehicles" road to Aphrodite's Falls and see a huge one there anyway.

Thank you Dominic.
Now I understand what they represent, I think they look great, and certainly support the City of culture.

PeteandSylvi wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:29 pm

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:02 pm The blog is up now:

https://www.paphoslife.com/blog/paphos_pi

Good pictures. Thanks for that. One small point: they are sculptures not statues.

Pete

Told you I was a philistine!

Weird, crude and ugly sums up ny first impression.....

Dee

Interesting, something new, nice was my first impression and indeed people will talk about them and will definitely recognize them very soon. But in the end, it's all a matter of taste. Some will like them, some won't.

Sorry this new structure just doesn't do it for me! I have driven past several of them and the design doesn't grow on me. That rusty girder type bit of the design looks as if it is made of a left over building rsj!

Surely there must have been other more attractive designs which could have said "wecome to Paphos" ?
Dee

In fairness driving by you don't see the lighthouse design and I will be interested to see what that looks like lit up at night too? I like them.

Am I the only one who doesn't like them? My previous posts have done a disappearing act!
I think that the money used could have produced something much more in keeping which would be welcoming visitors to Paphos 2017.

Dee