The Blocking – A Photographic Response

I received a creative response from a WisconsinNative reader and photographer to a question in my last post regarding art in Milwaukee. Marty Knippel sent me a photograph to make his point regarding the steel orange sculpture, The Calling, and its potential conflict with the extra-ordinary view of Calatrava’s architectural sculpture known to most Milwaukeeans as the Milwaukee Art Museum.

In his photograph titled The Blocking, Marty gives his succinct opinion. Behind his close-up photograph of the sculpture, The Calling, are the barely visible wings of the Art Museum.

What do you think?

The Calling – An Art Debate in Milwaukee

Another one of my visits to Milwaukee produced some photos of one of the cities’ main and oldest streets, Wisconsin Avenue. This huge sculpture is at the top of the street near Lake Michigan, and stands across the street from the Milwaukee Art Museum. When it was erected by American sculptor Mark di Suvero in 1982, it overlooked the street and set off a nearby blue building, and also complemented the blue/green shadings of Lake Michigan.

Since the construction of Santiago Calatrava’s addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2001, opponents have occasionally asked that the steel orange sculpture be re-located. Critics claim ‘The Calling’ – which most Milwaukeeans refer to as ‘The Sunburst’ – blocks the view of Calatrava’s movable winged ‘architectural sculpture.’ Some suggest that the industrial sculpture be moved to a sculpture garden on the museum’s site. Others recommend its movement be pushed even further east – about 500 feet further east – which would drop it square under the surface of Lake Michigan! Still others are content to have it remain where it is. Here’s a view of the entire sculpture and also a panoramic view of the sculpture and the nearby city buildings downtown hear the Lake.

Such is the life of a piece of public street art – always up for a strongly contested and opinionated debate. And that is good. People are looking, evaluating, thinking about the art they see in their environment. They are making efforts to decide whether or not they like individual pieces, even whether they are willing to call what they see art – which is entirely within their rights.

People debating art. I think the very idea is a great thing.

Bo Mackison is a Madison photographer and writer who loves visiting the different regions of Wisconsin, camera and pencil in hand. She loves to talk to people who passionately discuss their viewpoints about public art. See her gallery at Seeded Earth Photography for other Wisconsin photos.