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Council Meeting: March 17, 1992
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Santa Monica, California
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and city Council
FROM: City staff
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION BY THE ARTS COMMISSION THAT CITY COUNCIL
AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A
CONTRACT WITH MANFRED MULLER TO INSTALL A SCULPTURE
UNDER THE SANTA MONICA PIER, WEST OF THE SHORELINE
Introduction
This report outlines a recommendation by the Arts Commission that
the city council authorize the city Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract with Manfred Muller to install his sculpture,
"Twilight and Yearning", under the Santa Monica pier west of the
shoreline.
Background
The city has been offered the donation of a significant work of
art by German artist Manfred Muller. Muller is a member of a
loosely associated group of artists from Dusseldorf.
Heavily
influenced by conceptual artist Joseph Beuys,
also from
Dusseldorf, Muller concerns himself with the psychological
relationship between his artwork and the viewer.
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Muller was originally brought to the area by the Santa Monica
Museum of Art as a participant in "Bon-Angeles", the opening
exhibition for the MUseum. It was during this six week residency
that Muller began thinking about the underside of the Pier as an
opportune location to make an artistic statement about the
pollution of the Santa Monica Bay and other environmental
catastrophes which destroy the elemental life cycles of the
earth.
This melding of aesthetic and ecological issues eventually took
the form of Muller I s current proposal, "Twilight and Yearning".
Muller proposes to lash the hulls of three wooden life boats
vertically to the pillars of santa Monica pier allowing them to
hang down from the Pier's underside. It is Muller's intent to
make the public space under the pier more dramatic through this
artistic enhancement. The dramatic staging of these boat hulls
is intended to create curiosity and concern in the spectator,
inviting them to explore the ecological issues of their
environment. The boats will be removed and lowered into the
ocean when the Bay is pollution-free.
Public Comment
Superimposed photographs and drawings of the proposed artwork
installation were placed on display in the lobby of City Hall for
a periOd of six weeks with public comment invited. In addition,
the Outlook (Sunday, July 28, 1991) ran a substantial article on
the exhibition including color photographs of the display.
Public comment on "Twilight and Yearning" was very positive.
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Fifty-five people responded, with over eighty percent in favor.
The majority of favorable comments were summed up by one
concerned citizen who wrote, "I believe that the artwork proposed
by Mr. Manfred Muller will be a great project for the people of
Santa Monica and instill a renewed sense of responsibility toward
nature and the environment we live in". Those who were against
the idea "simply did not care for it".
Siting
Taking into consideration the public comment, the Arts Commission
voted to recommend acceptance at its meeting of June 17, 1991.
The Commission also recommended installing "Twilight and
Yearning" at the proposed site under the pier and west of the
shoreline. In November, 1991 the Santa Monica Pier Restoration
Corporation Board of Directors unanimously voted to accept
Manfred Muller's "Twilight and Yearning", and its proposed site
under the Pier.
In accordance with the direction of the City Engineer's office,
language will be included in the contract between the artist and
the City to ensure that no lead based paints be used on the art
piece and that an engineer certify the method and material for
lashing the rowboats to the Pier piling.
Budget and Fiscal Impact
As this is a donation proposed by the artist, Muller will be
responsible for obtaining the majority of the funds. It is
anticipated that no additional funds will be needed for
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maintenance of the piece as the inherent gradual deterioration of
the boats is part of the artist's intention and comment.
However, on November 18, 1991 the Arts Commission voted to allot
no more than $5,000 towards the installation of the project from
percent for art monies in account # 01-740-560-20092-8900-99081.
Recommendation
The Arts Commission recommends that City Council accept the
donation of Manfred Muller's "Twilight and Yearning" intended for
the Santa Monica pier and authorize the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a contract with Mr. Muller.
Prepared by: Barbara Franklin-Moran
Director, Cultural and Recreation Services
stan scholl
Director, General Services
Anthony Antich
City Engineer, Civil Engineering
Maria de Hererra
Cultural Arts Administrator
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