Being a member of many an artist community for over 40 years, and owner of a small once upon a time gallery where I also exhibited my paintings and small sculptures back in my up and coming hey day. I learned then Art will always be open to subjective and objective criticism and controversy like: when it’s subject matter is presented in one light then diffused by its historical intent.
What makes this “realist camel” so argumentative and not always in a good light is because it is so well done. Leaving little room for far too many to accept this as the correct one hump camel as opposed to the two hump camel that was used for a very short time failing to live up to its expectations. Perhaps a precursor why this bronzed camel is coming under at times undignified litter and much heated verbal abuse. After all THE PREMISE our NS Public Art Advisory Committee and owner Onni definitively ENGRAVED on a plague adjacent to the bronze camel named “Lucy’ or as I like to refer to as unLucky; clearly states in fact she is one of the last camels used during the BC gold rush in the mid 1800’s.
Onni’s “plaque” leaves very little room for interpretation as it FACTUALLY PROCLAIMS this bronze camel as “a monument not public art”. A distinct disconnection between the artist and grossly misleading historical facts presented by its owner Onni and our North Shore Public Art Advisory (Selection) Committee… A perplexing bronze has been surely cast! #StachePOV #notPublicArt
