Just wanted to follow-up on a post I did awhile ago about the monumental sculpture by Paul Conrad “Chain Reaction”.
In a 6 to 1 decsion on Feb 24, 2014, the Santa Monica City Council approved a measure to save and restore the artwork, which had been deemed unsafe. Large public support for the sculpture and the raising of over $100,000 towards the cost of its restoration, convinced the city leaders to supporft the effort by providing the addition funds needed and committing to the long-term survival of the classic anti-war public art work.
The city will create an non-visually obstructive barrier ( such as a ‘peace garden’) around the sculpture, to assure that the public cannot neither injure themselves, or dfamge the artwork.
This is a true victory for grassroots organziang and public involvement in both city governance as well as the public art it displays.
Congratulations! What wonderful news! I have thought much about the Military Industrial Complex lately. The term comes from the 20th century of course, but I assure you the thing existed in the 16th. It would be interesting to count the number of sculptures and public monuments that glorify war and conquest, vs the number that critique it. It is reassuring to see at least this one piece of critique survive.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4672606