Garry Scott, Myocum
The ‘Disco Dong’ is structurally a piece of junk. It’s made of raw aluminium, which is a totally unsuitable material for any outdoor structure. In salt air, raw aluminium and pop rivets corrode very quickly, which is why raw aluminium is anodised or powder coated when used outdoors.
All those pop-riveted-on ‘bird ninja stars’ will soon be taking flight at considerable danger. It will be lucky to last any more than five years before needing to be removed.
Councillors are soon to debate whether to spend in the order of another $40k to finish the thing! Councillors, try to find any engineer willing to certify that it can stand safely for any longer than five years.
A vote to spend another $40K to finish it is a vote to spend another $40K to remove it in the very near future. That is in the order of $120K for what was proposed to be made out of stainless steel, with no engineering certificate, no community consultation, that will be lucky to not be a safety hazard within five years.
Clearly most of us hate it for a multitude of reasons. Yes, a few people want to defend the ‘artist’ and the art committee, and a few think art that causes dissent is good. This is no Blue Poles!
Councillors, you have the opportunity to put this folly down as an unfortunate mistake and not throw any more of our good money after bad. In its present state it’s worth something as scrap metal and can be recycled. In five years time it is will be nothing more than junk/landfill.
Councillors, it’s time to both listen to and represent the wishes of the ratepayers, not defend an out-of-town artist who has been paid or a committee’s mistake.
The life of the Art structure is the concern of Council and the General Manager as they control the spending and expenditure. The artist is here to sell his Art.
A Holden car once had a life expectancy of three years and then rust took over and that did not stop the Australian population from buying the Holden car as their own car. The Japanese then sold their cars over the Holden. The economics of public art is totally with Council and they selected where the Art would go.
The public of Byron need to see true Art as they do not know what Art is. Art is the positive spirit of the people of the area of why they are alive and living. People came here because the Lighthouse was here.
Without Art and the Lighthouse, just what is the spirit of Byron and its people? I bet no one knows and yet it is as familiar as drinking and eating.
How many pubs in Byron? That is the spirit of Byron and that is why the residents are ignorant of Art. The spirit of Byron is drinking alcohol and getting drunk. That is the spirt of Byron.