Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2025

Home

designed for the display of art (Miles 1997). This artwork has been referred to as `site-specific' when it draws its influence from physical characteristics of the location, such as topography or the features of surrounding landscape or buildings (Kwon 2002). O.J. Dwyer (2006) also identified and wrote about a phenomenon referred to as symbolic accretion, whereby specific sites designated for commemoration can create different aspects of meaning and interpretation for newer commemorative pieces. For example, symbolic accretion is evident in the presence of the 1982 Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the Washington, D.C., by Maya Lin. The low black granite wall with the names of soldiers that died in the Vietnam War stands in stark contrast to the tall, nearby white marble memorials such as the Washington monument and the Lincoln memorial. The message and meaning of the art was enhanced by its surroundings. Soldiers were appropriately honored in this place of commemoration and reflection, but the dark slash of granite upon the earth clearly indicated the divisive and controversial nature of this War. The polished surface of the black granite wall reflected its surroundings, and also reflected the individual viewer. This aspect brought the individual into the experience of the memorial and heightened the intimate experience of the place, that is, both a place to mourn and a place of personal reflection. The memorial did more than honor the victims of the war. In a city of white marble monuments to white men, it told the story of a diverse plurality of individuals that had gone to do their patriotic duty. By creating a sculpture that has multiple meanings which never directly conflict with each other, it will "force the viewer to choose" (Holman 1997) one meaning that fits with their view of their individual experiences and viewpoint. The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial represents a shift in the definition of`public' as it relates to public art, and how the consumer views public art. Early public art works were largely 34