Pointless roadside art.

colm_mcm

AtomicHorror wrote: »

I like the big ball at Naas. My kids are fascinated by it. By contrast, the flower/windmill things on the M7 and the coloured cage thing at Citywest don't even register with them. That's a good test in my view.

Did I hear a story of the Big Ball breaking lose and rolling across the road some years back, or was that just a very obvious dream my lazy-ass subconscious came up with?

That was a recurring April 1st story in the Leinster Leader around 10 years ago alright.

Plopsu

retalivity wrote: »

Also, the guy on the horse outside boyle is pretty cool and striking from the road

When it snows, he must look like the Night King :eek:

.......

sunshinew wrote: »

It's not really 1% though...it's 1% on projects up to 2.5 million and then it reduces after that. The highest limit is around €64,000 no matter how big the capital project budget is. You wouldn't build an extension on your house for that and creating large outdoor durable artworks is expensive.
If anything I think we should be bolder and bigger in our public art. Think of certain sculptures that have become tourist attractions -The angel of the north/Christ the Redeemer/Fearless girl. I think public art enlivens a country and can show off its cultural identity and tell a story. (Love that feather sculpture in Cork symbolising the Choctaw generosity to the Irish famine relief effort).
Some of it is crap though, and I think the problem with the percent for art scheme is it results in lots of little mediocre art projects being produced by local councils, whereas if we pooled the resources strategically, maybe we could make some really great transformative artwork or something more engaging like Gaudi's Park Guell in Barcelona. Ireland's pretty crap at any type of planning like this though...

+1

Another problem with it is that some of it ends up being "art by committee" which never works.

Not on a roadside but a large piece of public art that I like is Agnes Conway
"Dreaming about The Celestial Mountain", its in Marlay Park.

This is it when they were installing it, it looks much better now.

BuboBubo

wexandproud wrote: »

don't tell me you've never seen the ostrich ... get all the circles in line as you go towards wexford

Ostrich? Seriously! I think you're messing tbh

Melodeon

Ha! Portlaoise laughs in the face of the pathetic efforts of other places!
Behold the awesomeness of the 'Stacks of Turf' on M7 J17 (Portlaoise South, the junction for Abbeyleix and the old Cork road):

North bound.


South bound.


They started off as fine big tall stacks of turf, symbolising a major local traditional industry, but time and weather combined to shrink and/or melt the turf, reducing the smaller stacks to little brown mounds and the tall ones on metal frames just fell apart leaving the framework behind.
There have been a few attempts over the years to refurbish the installation, but it now appears to be being left for nature to take its course.

ednwireland

i always liked th fact that they did it in france when i used to drive the roads there years ago so i actually like the road art (even though it is pointless.

theres a great one on the motorway between liverpool and warrington called the dream

Odyssey 2005

Duffryman wrote: »

It's actually up to one per cent - https://publicart.ie/main/commissioning/funding/per-cent-for-art-scheme/

Think it's a horrendous waste of money myself. Could provide extra facilities for local communities instead. Maybe a playground or a riverside walk or upgraded community hall or sports facilities or the like.

Are you for real.?. The motoring fraternity is paying the majority of the tax take in the country, they should get a little in return.

HeidiHeidi

Wasn't there an incident years ago where the one or both of the artists who made the Naas ball opened it up for some reason (repairs maybe), and lowered themselves inside it and then couldn't get out, and the fire brigade had to come and rescue them? I'm sure I heard her telling that story on the radio!


I've always loved the ball.


There's a giant gang of kids who are playing Ring A Ring A Rosies up in Monaghan somewhere on the Carrickmacross/Castleblayney bypass, it always makes me smile when I pass it.

ETA - it's dancing at the crossroads, apparently, inspired by Patrick Kavanagh.
https://clairedelabre.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/dancing-at-crossroad.jpg

And where you cross from Strabane into Lifford, there's a big trad session going on - if Tyrone ever get into GAA finals, they dress them in the county colours, it looks brilliant!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Let_the_Dance_Begin_%28The_Tinnies%29_-_geograph.org.uk_-_83262.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7619251.stm

(There's a small sculpture on the Blackrock bybass in Dublin of three people holding something over their heads, years ago someone dressed them in bikinis during a heatwave )



The bog oak telegraph poles with the phases of the moon somewhere in the bog on the road to Galway is one of my favourites (posted early in this thread as triffids )

Graces7

And over in Kenmare...

http://vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=ie206

Graces7

and the Angel of the North up near Newcastle

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-angel-of-the-north-gateshead-england

tigerboon

No mention of the stacks of turf at the old Cork Road interchange on the Portlaoise Bypass. You have to hand it to the "artist"....

mimimcmc

What about the ducks on the galway motorway? (not even sure if they're ducks or not)
Can't seem to find anything about them anywhere

WestWicklow1

The brilliant tree stump art on the N81 opposite the Blue Gardenia pub.

Will get a photo next time I pass.

Odyssey 2005

antodeco wrote: »

Ha, never realised they were road markings!

Please say your only joking !

sbsquarepants

blackbox wrote: »

I really like the hedgehog on the N11.

The butterflies do nothing for me. Similarly the deconstructed Bridget's crosses on the N7 are meh.

Ah so that's what they are - they're pretty shíte in fairness!

foxy farmer

Last year there was a new feature installed at the roundabout at the Halfway on the N71 near Ballinhassig. There's a whole series of what look like ramps built on the roundabout.
I'm waiting to see will some numpty heading west not bother to slow, climb the roundabout hit one of these and become airborne.

Vita nova

When I was a child, roadside art used to be grottoes, statues of Mary, St. Patrick or even Irish revolutionary figures. Prefer today's stuff even if it much of it seems a bit pointless. I like the Naas Ball, it's such a landmark on the M7, a bit whimsical but what's life without a bit of whimsy.

Tell me how

When Ennis held the Fleadh in 2016 and 2017, temporary art pieces were placed in some of the roundabouts around the town. I thought they were wonderful and really added to the vibe around the locality for the festival. These were some of them.

HeidiHeidi

Melodeon wrote: »

Ha! Portlaoise laughs in the face of the pathetic efforts of other places!
Behold the awesomeness of the 'Stacks of Turf' on M7 J17 (Portlaoise South, the junction for Abbeyleix and the old Cork road):

North bound.


South bound.


They started off as fine big tall stacks of turf, symbolising a major local traditional industry, but time and weather combined to shrink and/or melt the turf, reducing the smaller stacks to little brown mounds and the tall ones on metal frames just fell apart leaving the framework behind.
There have been a few attempts over the years to refurbish the installation, but it now appears to be being left for nature to take its course.

tigerboon wrote: »

No mention of the stacks of turf at the old Cork Road interchange on the Portlaoise Bypass. You have to hand it to the "artist"....

Eh.......

ArchXStanton

I remember on a trip to Thailand many years ago, a large statue of a heron with its beak pointed down at the motorway like it was about to take a stab at a passing car, always stuck with me that one, it was very life like.

Harry Palmr

The silver tree as mentioned, on the N30

Nerdlingr

Not pointless but...There's nice bronze gaa statue on a roundabout outside Tralee.

Odyssey 2005

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Not pointless but...There's nice bronze gaa statue on a roundabout outside Tralee.

Wonder how long this will last ?

Nerdlingr

Its there since 2007

DavyD_83

freshpopcorn wrote: »

At junction 10 there is a sort of half built house. This the roadside art there.
The plaque is either to do with that or it's says when the road opened and who cut the ribbon.

Pretty sure I've never realised this was 'art' when driving past. Did that make it s success or a sham.
I reckon sham, but who knows

Nerdlingr

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Pretty sure I've never realised this was 'art' when driving past. Did that make it s success or a sham.
I reckon sham, but who knows

Mentioned it a few pages back but i think it may have something to do with Ned Kelly?? Its his father's ancestral home. Dunno how true that is. Maybe someone could get out and have a look the next time they're passing! :p

BeerWolf

BeerWolf wrote: »

There's a bunch of giant metal Butterflies on the hillside when driving down to Wexford from Dublin.

I love those

rubberdungeon

rubberdungeon wrote: »

Warmly welcomed by the population, this eye-catching piece of art, erected on the mound at the entrance of Duleek village and funded by money donated by Indaver Ireland, now looks even more spectacular.

https://www.enlighten.ie/mies_portfolio/family-statue/

Many argue the family are facing the wrong way.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

biko wrote: »

M4 Triffids

I like that one. The moon phases.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

I like a lot of roadside art.

That Ballindine one is just an eyesore though.