PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future

PUBLIC ART

FRISCO LANDMARK: Cupid’s Span
Claes Oldenburg gave Philadelphia a big bronze clothespin and giant button, but his 2002 “Cupid’s Span” (with Coosje van Bruggen) works for San Francisco on a whole different level – and urban planning level. Put simply, it’s highly visible and completely kooky, the perfect gismo to keep people moving along the waterfront promenade. While our button and clothespin are fine places to meet, they’re easy to miss. Cupid’s Span drew me in from 8 blocks away, pulling me through a dead zone on the esplanade. Like a lot of tourists, I was frankly looking for something, anything to go and see. And when I reached it I felt happy for no good reason. Good art? Maybe. Good planning? Oh yes!

PHILLY LESSON: Think Bigger than “Percent for Art”
Compare Cupid’s Span to Magdalena Abramowitz’s “Open-Air Aquarium,” 30 stainless steel fish-like shapes up on poles (below), a product of Philly’s “One Percent for Art” program on Penn’s Landing. Abramowitz is a fine artist and Percent for Art is a noble program. But ask yourself: How far would I walk to see this? Perhaps it’s time we lumped all these percentages into one big, place-defining, tourist-attracting blockbuster piece of public art?