On Monday I blogged about some odd alterations done to benches at the Tandy Hills Natural Area playground.I also mentioned an odd construction I called the Fence to Nowhere. That fence sat there, making no sense, for about a year.
And then this morning I get email from Don Young with the subject line being "Welcome to Phoenix."
The email had several photos of what has been to done to the Fence to Nowhere since I took photos of it on Monday. The same, uh, symbols, as what's been stuck on the benches, have now been stuck on the fence.
Seeing the bigger fence version of what's been stuck on the benches, it appears to be blue cactus and green tumbleweeds. This is Fort Worth, not the Mojave Desert. Cowboy hats and longhorns would have been more appropriate.
This morning I read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that local newspaper I know longer pay for, but read for free online, that the City of Fort Worth is mothballing the city pools due to cost cutting.
How much did the beautiful tumbleweed cactus artworks cost? How much did that fence cost, before the beautiful artwork was added? Why have Phoenix type symbols been added to the Texas prairie?
It's very perplexing.
Wow. That's ridiculous. Added bonus (or not): they're terribly ugly. I could've designed something more fitting, for free even. What were they thinking? Those colors are so wrong for where they are. Maybe they want someone to be running along while not looking and run straight into the fence, you know, for laughs. There has to be secret cameras somewhere to capture people's faces when they see that stupid fence.
ReplyDeleteWhat if they make more!?
In defense of the City of FW PUblic Art program, they have done an admirable job of helping beautify the city in many locations. They have provided opportunities for artists to enhance the dreariness of Dirty Ol Town. Art is subjective and will never please everyone, especially fiscal conservatives. We need public art and artists.
ReplyDeleteThe images at THNA were not what I would have chosen but at least they didn't put the defining symbol of FW: Gas wells.
I like the art work on the fence and benches. Hopefully no one will steal or vandalize the decorations. The artist and craftsman (two separate people) who created these are listed at Fort Worth Public Art. The cost may be listed too, but I'm not sure about that.
ReplyDeleteHere, here...Mr. Young, I quite agree, not seeing a well spurting oil was quite refreshing! They've also canned our public pool here in Wink, instead the park will be adding a very cool interactive water feature. The cost is a bit steep for the addition to the park, but in the long run...we no longer pay pretty lifeguards to sunbathe and keep a sleepy eye on the swimmers.
ReplyDeleteWell,Don, after so much drilling and sucking this might very be the picture of a significant part of FW in the near future. Just look at the ugly padsite at the end of Scott Ave. where tree would be changing colors about now a year ago, not counting the pictures that Durnago took of all the water being sucked from the Trinity--help us all oh Father-Son-Holy Ghost. Mother Nature is still upright and sturdy as ever on Scott Ave. and if you lok just at the right angle she seems to be smirking, with the message being "Don't Frack With Me!". Not sure if she's waving at Downtown FW, saying "you're #1" or what with that defiant finger of hers.
ReplyDelete