jn_12
Senior Member
Exactly. Although the Statue of King Edward VII looks a bit half-assed placed on top of a shabby mound of grass, it at least says something to the people who see it. University Ave suggests that there were important people who built this country. Even The Alexander Wood statue on Church has a story behind it that resonates today.MisterF said:You make an interesting point, Queen's Park and Nathan Philips Square tell stories. So does University Avenue, for all its faults
I'd rather see monuments than abstract art, but that's merely my own preference. I think abstract art gets dated fast and its significance gets lost (re: the Archer in NPS) with time. Memorials and statues tend to at least have a story behind them or bring out a sense of pride or patriotism in the people who view it.MisterF said:A centrepiece doesn't have to be a stuffy, traditional statue, it can be modern public art that complements the rest of the square and invites loitering.
Mind you, if done right, no matter what the centrepiece, it can have a profound impact on the area. Think of the tourism that gets generated around the world simply by statues and monuments. I'm going to Brussels next month and the second most important thing to see there after the Grand Place (essentially, their NPS) is the Mannequin Pis: a small statue of a boy peeing into a fountain. I don't know what the stats are but that little statue probably brings in millions for the city.
Thanks! I was just given a really tough time by a smart ass or two that thought they'd play devil's advocate I guess and it turned me off of this place. No big deal.MisterF said:Heh, I don't remember you getting berated. But welcome back!