Bayside Council spends $55k on piece of art for exhibition in its foyer
Bayside councillors have unanimously agreed to spend $55,000 of public money on a single piece of art that looks like a deli price list, with one saying he is “just absolutely thrilled” plans to purchase the work gained statewide coverage.
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Bayside Council will splash $55,000 of public money on a painting that looks like a deli price list.
Duck and Quail Eggs, Italian Herbs, by Brighton artist Steig Persson, depicts a blackboard-style menu with goods and services listed, including ‘complimentary yoga classes’ and ‘Tuscan lamb shoulders $19.99kg’.
Councillors this week unanimously voted to buy the 187cm x 227cm work, which has previously been displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Councillor Clarke Martin said the potential acquisition, as reported by Bayside Leader, had “received a little bit of publicity”.
“Who would have thought that would create some controversy by the media?” he asked.
“I’m not sure if this particular artwork will become priceless but in the world of art, it’s very subjective.
“I’m just absolutely thrilled that it got statewide coverage … because that’s the whole point of art provoking people, getting people to think about things, getting people to understand what art’s all about.”
The council’s community and customer experience director Bryce Craggs said the piece would be displayed in the foyer of the town hall and in the council’s Bayside Gallery.
Mr Craggs said the council has spent $220,680 on art acquisition in the past five years.
The council presently exhibits just 30 per cent of its $4.8m art collection at any given time, with the rest placed in storage.
Cr Martin said: “You simply can’t run an art collection and have the entire collection displayed at all times.”
“It is also a point you need to purchase artworks that promote debate and certainly the artwork in question … has provoked debate,” he said.
The affluent council has previously come under fire for its lavish spending on artworks, including forking out almost $80,000 of ratepayers’ money in 2015 for two steel sculptures and two oil paintings it deemed “too valuable” for public exhibition.
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Cr Alex del Porto then said there was a risk the pieces by sculptor Lenton Parr and artist Clarice Beckett could go “walkabout” if they were left on display.
“If you’ve got a work of art worth $30,000, you can’t just leave it hanging anywhere,” he said at the time.
That same year the council spent a staggering $155,000 on several small bronze sculptures of dog bowls, old newspapers, a discarded briefcase and a deck chair — part of an art trail in Hampton St — despite rejecting an Anzac advocate who campaigned to have a statue built at Green Point in Brighton to commemorate the Gallipoli centenary.
The council has almost 1300 items in its art and heritage collection, including paintings, ceramics, textiles, sculptures, historic maps and documents.
Members of the public can make appointments to view the art held by the council in storage.
The council’s art and heritage collection policy requires acquisitions to be of “high quality” and preferably created by established artists with a strong link to Bayside.
The policy also states purchases should “enhance and enrich public spaces”.