When one hears the term “Public Art,” a variety of images may come to mind from historic bronze statues standing in city parks to contemporary murals and site-specific installations, actions, interventions, and landscape and environmental artwork. Public Art, however, reaches beyond the encapsulated spaces of galleries and museums and exists as an accessible and participatory sphere within which culture is both shaped and experienced by the public at large. This type of art can be commissioned by government agencies, private companies, communities or even individuals. The art varies in form and function, but most share a common denominator of engaging the public and representing a community’s ethos.
By definition, Public Art is art created for the public to access in public spaces and often functions as a medium of social or political propaganda. It can also aesthetically beautify or represent local history and culture and encourage community pride in a neighborhood. Moreover, it can act as an educational tool for youth or serve as a means of elucidating complex issues facing society.
Many artists dedicate their entire careers to creating Public Art, whether by commission or of their own volition. Examples include Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland and Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, who spent much of their lives on this type of work. Similarly, contemporary street and graffiti artist Banksy has become known for his large-scale projects in public space that draw attention to social and economic injustices.
In addition to its ability to engage the public, the most important attribute of Public Art is that it is accessible by all. Public Art can be as simple as a commissioned statue of a beloved community leader or a mural in the local neighborhood. More often, it takes the form of integrated architectural or landscape architecture, sculpture, memorials, a public park, outdoor performance, community art or digital new media.
The most important aspect of public art is that it has the potential to reach an audience wider than the gallery or museum-going community. Its emancipatory potential allows for the democratisation of culture and the emergence of a sense of collective identity and responsibility.
For example, a sculpture of two leopards perched on branches at the top of a water source tank in Tikli village, Haryana in India by artist Hunny Mor is aimed at spreading awareness about co-habitation with wild animals and conservation in rural areas. Other works have addressed ecological and gentrification issues, such as Joseph Beuys’s 7000 Oaks or Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield with Crows (1982).
Public art is a broad category that can encompass an almost unlimited number of forms, and it can be temporary or permanent, interactive or non-interactive. The defining characteristic of public art, however, is that it is designed to endure in a harsh and largely unprotected environment. Unlike a piece in a private collection or a museum, it must be built to withstand the elements and the test of time, and must go through an official process for deaccession if sold or removed at all.