Vice magazine has an interview with sculptor C.J. Rench who was chosen by the Red Bull panel (including Torey Pudwill) to construct a skateable sculpture for permanent installation in Seattle. Sounds like a good plan, the city gets art, the skaters are allowed to skate on it, and a corporation gets to pay for it. Red Bull has a short video on the “skate space” that shows the other artist who made it to the finalist position, as well as examples of both of works. From the sculptures shown, I’d say the chose the wrong guy. Granted, I wasn’t on the board, but the other guy’s portfolio ( W. Scott Trimble ) had some pieces in it that already leaned towards an impression of being skateable. On the other hand, CJ’s work to date appears to be they type of stationary sculpture that is isolated in a presentation space and not part of a larger environment. In fact, looking at the scale model and rendering, the sculpture appears to be marginally skateable at best. There’s a telling clue in the Red Bull video, a big part of the decision appeared to be based on who could get it done on time for an unspecified and possibly arbitrary deadline. Let me simplify my position on this. I’m all for Red Bull paying for public art under the stipulation that it will also be accessible as a skate spot. It’s just that the (admittedly limited) representations of the final design don’t appear to have considered the actual skateboarding part of the requirement. Show me some alternate views and prove me wrong!
Here’s the final concept, to be installed in October.
Red Bull’s video about the project. Sometimes the video doesn’t load, you may need to refresh the page.
22 comments
blah blah
I can see allot of little kids climbing on it
hi
All you old guys are annoying. Go skate brooklyn street some more and talk shit on productive things happening in the pacific northwest street skateboarding scene. Quit the trash talk. This isn’t the Slap Forum.
JPK
He must be part of the Red Bull street team.
wall eyed glue huffer
the artist envisions a red bull mega ramp to set up once a year to air over it…duh…
Hurton
Skateable is a varied term as skaters abilities vary. Someone could skate it but most likely they r pros with a camera crew in tow. My guess is that was the goal to not make a skate spot as much as making a spot where a cover pic could be shot. What happened to the original pic? Fix the redbull authorities strike it down? #conspiracy
Park Ranger
a series of giant acrylic macaroni noodles… now that would be fun. one could air from one to the other. a central noodle would rotate at the top of the hour. Chef Boyardee could sponsor the sculpture and put a giant skateable ledge/plaque next to the installation.
fossil diver
It would fit right in in Tampa along side the giant slinky and the exploding chicken sculptures.
The Collector
Pretentious garbage. Shameful. Look at that douche. Probably the weakest thing ever.
ssk
How clever and subtle, he put his initials in it. What a shitty squandering of a great idea and opportunity.
What will it be named? “Turd” is the first thing that comes to mind.
Or how about “crappy corporate co-option of culture.” Hey, maybe that’s what the shapes stand for.
If I was an sculptor I would make one that said FURB that was actually skateable.
K.C.
I wonder how much time and money was wasted on this “Art” decision?
Park Ranger
It’s not skateable art unless it has a giant rubber band and ring of fire aspect. werd.
Davos
Skateability would seem to depend on the size of the fruit loops in question. If they are huge, sure. But if the scale is based upon the fingerboard (in photo above) then good luck shredding this ‘Skart.’
talentlessquitter
Classic Spinal Tap.
Concretin Nik
Let’s look past the nonskateable aspect of the sculpture… where’s the ART in that? A pile of the letter C? For a CookieMonster themed park, sure. For a city that starts with the letter C, sure. (Columbus, Indiana digs the captial C.) But what the hell? Boo.
Yea, yea, who am I to judge art. Nobody. True. But it’s still dumb, even more so within the parameters of the project.
Prickly Pete
Disheartening when a group of people you’d think are capable of listening up and maybe taking a chance with something or someone a little radical, take the safe conservative route. The Red Bull Memorial to Stillborn Ideas.
Troy
Um, interesting that they only pursued artists for skateable art. Why didn’t they look at skatepark builders to build an artsy skatepark. Every skatepark is a work of art but not every work of art is skateable.
Rich
Brawndo – The Thirst Mutilator, it’s got electorlytes
Cri
’cause it’s a good way to make money. you so smart, how come you didn’t know that?
BoBo
Nice sculpture, however as skate terrain, I say fail.
talentlessquitter
OMG it’s the stacked froot loops again.
wall eyed glue huffer
uhh…how the fuck do u sk8 that?
francisco
Exactly what I thought.