Page 89 - David Bermant Foundation

I AM A BrIdgeBy David W. BermantI am a Bridge, a connection between the art form that has been described to you on the panel this morning, and the public spaces of America, in particular my shopping centers.About twenty years ago, I began placing this form of art in my centers. The art that I promoted or advocated the use of in public spaces is different because it’s not artthat just has a technological connection. It’s art that comes out of the technology and/or science of ourtime. It can consist of the materials or the stuff of everyday living—the products of a technological society.It’s been my observation, and that of others, that the art works that have been placed in public areas up until now have been largely rejected by the very public that they were intended to attract.There are special public moods to the art becauseof the audience that the art appeals to. It needs explanation. In a shopping center or in a public square, or in a corporate building, labels are vital. Labeling helps the non-art lover, who is 99 percent ofthe public, to understand what the art is about, what it’s trying to do—and it helps them enjoy it. Second, it helps protect the art by labeling it as, “It’s art.”88SHOPPING CENTERS