☆ Hey, hey, ho, ho, political art has got to go

The Fallon statue is gone; the Americana painting that arguably glorified violence against the police has similarly disappeared from the Public Square. Good riddance, says Opp Now co-founder Christopher Escher, who posits that the city shouldn't even be in the business of funding political art at all. An Opp Now exclusive.

There's a simple conclusion San Jose city government can draw from the kerfuffles around the Fallon statue and the Americana painting: Politics and Public Art don't mix. And there's a simple fix: the City should revamp its Public Art guidelines to avoid funding, condoning, and publicizing art of a political nature (explicitly or implicitly) that might make residents and taxpayers feel offended, erased, diminished, or excluded.

That means the Fallon statue had to go because it can be seen as white triumphalism. Ditto for "Americana" because it can be seen as inciting violence against police. Also say adieu to "Vote" (which was in the same City-funded show as Americana) because it calls into question, just like the rioters of Jan. 6th in Washington, D.C. did, the legitimacy of elections.

Public art is not private art: its curators have a higher responsibility to be inclusive and sensitive because it is funded by all the residents of the city.

There are universes of topics for artists that do not invite charges of racism and oppression and violence.

I realize that sounds very middle of the road and bourgeois of me, and can anticipate that many will say this will make for less interesting art. So be it: but we have speed limits, sign ordinances, property line setbacks, design guidelines, and ADA ramps for a reason: to make sure the public space works (as much as possible) for everyone. Public Art is, by definition, part of the public space, and should be sensitive to the same principles of fairness and consensus as other public activities. We do not ask our Department of Transportation to create dangerous streets in an effort to "provoke discussion" about traffic.

Honestly: these artists can do and say as they wish, but does the City really want to even get close to condoning and funding these types of dubious and potentially dangerous artistic statements?

[Editor's note: This is an updated version of a 2021 Opp Now article.]

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Image by Cristiano Tomás