What did ya'll want, a bunch of kids reading books? How about a monument to Thoreau or Emerson because, you know, they wrote books and this is, well . . . a library. Or how about Portlandia ? I like Portlandia, but partly because it is juxtaposed against the postmodern Grave's building and isn't just another neo-classical element in a predictable and symmetrical neo-classical scene.

Public input ruins so many projects. The WWII memorial in DC is a fine example. Besides, your view is inundated by acres of economically efficient, garbage aesthetics that you had no say in defining. Even around the War Memorial. I, for one, am happy and smile when someone interrupts my view and drags me a couple blocks just so I can gaze on it a little longer and ponder (I'm just surprised it was Peter Shelton, whose aesthetics usually don't excite me). Albert Paley did that to me in the Houston Grand Opera, Alexander Calder did it in DC, and Monument Circle did it my first visit to Indy. I'm glad Indy now has more awesome art.

However, I do like the lights and shards of glass artwork in the elevator lobby of the parking garage. It’s really cool. Does anyone know who the artist is?

(If you aren’t sure which piece I’m talking about, you can see some snapshots of it here: http://flickr.com/photos/heidiveronica/sets/72157604214706120/ )

At least these latest excretions weren’t paid for with tax money; as the entry notes, “These $750,000 sculptures are being paid for by private donors”. So there’s that at least to be thankful for.

I think both the building and sculptures are energized when contrasted with each other’s stylistic differences. I applaud the library’s courage in selecting such polarizing art.

It’s great that this area is becoming a nice little hotbed of opposing aesthetic values. This adds visual interest and spurs conversations about the merits of each.

As a side-note, they will be along the Cultural Trail which passes in front of the library.

But here they just don’t work with their surroundings and end up detracting from the library…and the library also detracts from appreciating the sculptures themselves.

I am a moderate fan of the new library (except for the silver sides…). But, like it or not, the new design did attempt to respect the Cret building and the mall by framing the Cret building and carrying on the library’s role in bookending (as it were) the north side of the mall. And while reasonable people can disagree as to how successful the attempt was, it is clear that the architects made an attempt to do so.

The sculptures, on the other hand, are completely context free. As U. pointed out, the coat-hangar (actually, it looks to me like rebar that is being placed there for the construction of the actual sculpture) is out of proportion with the building, while the donut doesn’t match the coat hangar at all.