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A
Manifesto
We are sculptors whose work is mostly in the public realm. Our projects
integrate art in architecture, and we have an interest in expanding
the role that artists can play in the creation of our public and private
spaces. The processes by which we create art are time-consuming and
labor-intensive, holdovers from ages in which handmade objects were
more common than they are today. This way of working often seems at
odds with a world that is increasingly virtual in nature, and a culture
in which more and more of our experiences as human beings are mediated
rather than directly felt through lived experience. In many ways, it
is the very strangeness of our work at this moment in time which compels
us to continue it - when fewer and fewer places feel real and particular,
it is important to us to create spaces which are specific, intentional,
and handmade. Our goal as artists is to create places which are unique
to their geographies and histories, and meaningful to the people for
which they are built.
The best public spaces respond to the needs of the people to which they
belong, retain their functionality over time, and are built with high
quality materials selected to last and age beautifully. Practices which
create a sense of ownership of the space by a community, encourage people
to participate in the public realm, and foster a sense of public safety
must be an integral part of the design process. Pedestrians must be
provided with good paths, light at night, and a level of activity which
permits people to be in the space without fear for their personal safety.
Good public spaces tend to include a variety of uses designed to bring
people together at many times of the day and night for different, but
compatible, activities.
Too often, art in public spaces is relegated to the periphery of the
design process, resulting in the incorporation of works which read as
afterthought or addenda to a site. In some instances, artwork is divorced
from essential considerations of site and end-user needs, resulting
in the creation of inhospitable urban spaces which do not serve the
people for which they were built.
As artists, we are driven to design humane and meaningful spaces - to
create places which matter to their communities now, and are worth saving
for the future. Artwork can and should be used as a tool to help create
functional, lively and vital urban spaces. Good public spaces and good
public artworks respect their users, articulate community values, capture
the unique qualities of a place, encourage human interaction and play,
foster civic life, and reward exploration. The best public artwork is
timeless in character, and brings a spirit of delight to civic life.
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