Times-Picayune Editorials... Friday October 10th

Art was right for Bywater
Friday, October 10, 2008
Re: " 'Soul' on ice," Living, Oct. 5.

My fiancé and I recently returned to our home in the Bywater after spending a year and a half in the northeast, and we have been very happy to be back in our eclectic and artistic neighborhood.

Recently, after having brunch at the Bywater Barbeque, we came upon Chris Porche-West's art installation, "The Bank of Soul," and both of us noted how well it went with the aesthetics of the neighborhood.


It was with great dismay, therefore, that I learned that the "Bank of Soul" had been destroyed by the city, apparently at the behest of an individual with a petty personal grudge.

One of the things that we appreciate most about our neighborhood is its eccentric character and the participation of its inhabitants in the decorative arts that adorn our buildings and streets.

With all of the swaying telephone poles, cracked and heaving sidewalks, buckled streets and other hazards in the city, it is a crime that one person can distract the rehabilitation efforts of the city to a piece of art.

I understand that Mr. Porche-West's work may have been considered dangerous by some misguided citizens; however, we have plenty of other projects to attend to before we go after artistic endeavors that add to the charm of the Bywater.

I, for one, certainly hope that this is not a trend that will demean the vitality, creativity and character of our neighborhood and our city.

D. Langlois

New Orleans

Chris Rose writes about the "Bank of Soul"

Times-Picayune columnist writes this week about the dividing line between what is appropriate and not regarding publicly placed artworks in New Orleans:

Someone objected to Bywater sidewalk art, and city crews demolished it
Posted by Chris Rose, Columnist, The Times-Picayune October 05, 2008 4:30AM


New Orleans has never been a city that plays much by the rules, if for no other reason than there aren't that many in the first place and what rules there are tend to be obscure, unknown or overlooked.

At no time has this been more in evidence than in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when a large-scale sense of activism and ownership took hold of the masses.

The topic here is public property, public facilities and public art, and the expanding sense of not only entitlement, but sometimes obligation, among the citizenry to involve themselves in the rebuilding "process."

Since the storm, many residents, and at least one (in)famous visitor, have installed facilities and artworks around town without getting, or even seeking, permission.

For instance, very few American cities -- OK, well... none -- allow citizens to make the official street signs. Then again, very few American cities -- perhaps Galveston comes to mind -- were missing so many street signs that it practically required residents to pitch in. Hence, the many colorful and creative street signs that once adorned our intersections but which have now almost completely disappeared to "progress."

Also, it is illegal for citizens to replace dead foliage on city neutral grounds or cut grass and prune trees on neutral grounds and at public playgrounds, but, in many cases, if they didn't do it, who would?

In last Sunday's newspaper, my colleague Katy Reckdahl wrote about a local activist, Carey Shea, who goes by the moniker of "the bench fairy" because she organized the construction of benches which she has placed at busy bus stops around the city, providing relief for weary commuters.

It's hard to argue the efficacy and public good of these projects, but no doubt there is somebody sitting in a government cubicle somewhere calculating the legal liability of the city or the RTA if somebody trips over one of those benches and breaks an arm.

Examples such as these generally meet unanimous public and even implicit government approval, but at what point is a line crossed and when does one man's public improvement project become another's public nuisance?

The underground artist known as NoLa ReX has, for two years now, organized art parties wherein friends and associates gather to paint inspirational slogans ("NOLA RISING!," "Shallow Water Ain't No Bother!," etc.) on small pieces of wood and cardboard. Then they hang them randomly all over town on utility poles, fences and the like.

Many people are cheered by these signs and NoLa ReX has encouraged people to take home whatever they like; free art for the masses. However, the notorious anti-graffiti crusader, Fred Radtke, has waged war against NoLa ReX and has obliterated many of his works with gray paint -- hence Radtke's street moniker, the Gray Ghost.

So who's right and who's wrong in such a case? Technically, both ReX and Radtke routinely break the law (Radtke often paints over graffiti on stop signs and other public property, compounding the crime of defacement). So, should we send them both to jail and make them share a cell (a gray cell, one presumes)?

Much has been written in recent weeks about the works of the legendary British graffiti artist Banksy, who created more than a dozen comic, political and surreal stencil paintings on walls and buildings around the city to commemorate the third anniversary of Katrina.

The cognoscenti (translation: some of my colleagues at the paper) agree: The work is very good quality. It passes that fine line. It is "art."

But it's also on public and private property. What to do? Every aforementioned example of public activism is against the rules. So who gets to decide what goes and what stays?

In a more recent and less publicized example, the city got to decide and last week it voted "go" and sent in the wrecking ball.

This case involved not Banksy, but the Bank of Soul, a curious art installation/protective barrier outside the artist Christopher Porche-West's studio at the corner of Louisa and Burgundy streets in the Bywater.

The back story is this: After Katrina, the ballard at that corner -- one of those ancient waist-high iron poles that prevent vehicles from driving over the curb -- disappeared, likely victim to the army of iron and copper thieves preying on our community.

Vehicles -- particularly trucks navigating the neighborhood's narrow streets -- began driving over the curb. It crumbled and cratered. The sidewalk outside Porche-West's studio became a big pothole, both ugly and dangerous.

So Porche-West took it into his own hands to spruce up and protect the entrance to his studio. The building he rents had an old safe in it -- an objet trove for which he had been looking for a suitable home. He cemented the safe into the spot where the ballard once stood, figuring this big box of iron would deter vehicles from ruining the sidewalk again.

He decorated the safe and poured concrete to fill in the rest of the pothole. Being an artist, he soldiered on with the project and -- for decoration and mojo -- he added a piece of iron ornamentation, a statue of the Virgin Mary and he laid some replica blue and white New Orleans street tiles into the sidewalk that said "Bank of Soul."

The safe conjured the image of a bank and the "soul" part means, well -- I'll let him tell it:

"There is a soulful intent on the part of many with regards to rebuilding this city," Porche-West says. "Each person sees themselves as a vital contributor to what the city will become as it rebuilds. I see myself as a contributor. It was only pointed out to me after the fact that I had broken the law. But this was not an act of civil disobedience. It wasn't an act of aggression. I wasn't trying to prove a point and I wasn't trying to create a controversy -- not at all!

"I did this mainly to fix the sidewalk, but also to honor the spirit of the people of New Orleans and this very soulful place we live in. So many vital elements and artifacts of the city are going by the wayside and ending up in landfills. The elements of the architecture and the community -- the elements of the houses we live in and the streets we walk -- help define who we are and what we are; they are part of our historical identity."

Now, some might question whether a rusty old safe and a statue of the Virgin Mary constitute vital elements of our historical communal identity, and, well -- someone obviously did.

Complaints were filed to City Councilman James Carter's office. An order was sent to the city Department of Public Works. Crews arrived last week and ripped out the installation, and in the process A) eradicated a wonderful assemblage of art, culture and history or, B) removed a public eyesore and took a stand against anarchy.

It all depends on your point of view.

Says Public Works director Robert Mendoza: "We don't ever want to get in the business of judging art. Myself, I find most of this stuff -- the street signs and displays like that -- to be really creative and, on the whole, pretty harmless."

But the safe was deemed a public hazard, unsafe. And although his department hardly has the time or resources to seek out ad hoc projects such as the Bank of Soul, Mendoza is compelled to get involved when someone brings it to the city's attention.

Who that someone was remains a mystery. Mendoza says experience has taught him that most such complaints are "a case of someone who doesn't like the person who put the art up," Mendoza says. "It's usually more about personalities than it is art."

Porche-West is undeterred.

"There are infinite ways of looking at what beauty is," he says. "It was very hurtful when people said I broke the law. I thought it was aesthetically pleasing and a positive enhancement for the community.

"And by placing the Virgin Mary there, I was leaving the matter of safety in God's hands."

But it didn't help, he concludes. "There was no intercession at all."

ODD Works: New Orleans Photo Alliance Exhibition

Odd Works Opening
Saturday, October 4, 6-9pm
Photo Alliance Gallery
1111 St. Mary St.


Juror’s Statement

Visual poetry can take many shapes and forms, as revealed in the broad range of mediums and processes evident in the artworks in this exhibition. Yet, in spite of such diversity, there is a wonderful consistency of vision. Whether presented as something mysterious, humorous, or simply classically beautiful, each object succeeds in fulfilling the highest terms of engagement. In this respect, the works in “Odd Works” are not really so odd at all. Rather, they meet the essential criteria for creativity itself, by inviting eye-opening entry into something new, fresh, and enticing.

David S. Rubin

The Brown Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art

San Antonio Museum of Art

Please join the New Orleans Photo Alliance for the opening of Odd Works, juried by David Rubin. This international group show features the work of 26 artists who are pushing the edges of the photographic medium, including Miranda Lake, Ted Preuss, Christopher Porche West, and Michel Varisco.

Saturday, October 4, 2008
6-9pm
New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery
1111 St Mary St
New Orleans, LA 70130

Memorial to Michael P. Smith

R.I.P. Michael P. Smith

Photo taken with a bunch of 'known' photograhers....

'Bank of Soul'

Save the BANK OF SOUL
A Public Improvement on the Right-of Way
Corner of Louisa and Burgundy Streets


The ‘Bank of Soul’ is an attempt to both fix a disregarded and damaged sidewalk in the Bywater and also acknowledges the historical and cultural legacies of our New Orleans. It was prompted by a response to an upcoming citywide art event, Prospect 1. Using historical materials, the corner has been transformed from a ditch of broken concrete and gravel nearly 8 inches deep to an environmental cultural icon complete with handicap access and allowing for safe passage with multi-directional pedestrian use. The symbolism in this treatment is ‘artistic’ yet functional with careful concern for safety and restoration. At the same time as a public installation depicts an honest representation of our shared cultural uniqueness and is truly sympathetic to our struggles to rebuilt and recharge the beauty of our city. As this installation is new I have received great support from many neighbors who have approved of its design and professional execution. It has been navigated by our police officers, postal workers and elderly and all have mentioned that it is a fresh and worthy addition to the landscape here in Bywater. Obviously anything new doesn’t go without controversy or criticism and with added measured of protection (installation of a long gone traffic sign) and improved visibility (empowering an existing high intensity lighting fixture) the site could be improved with regard to safety and usability.

The ‘Bank of Soul’ is meant to be a temporary solution to a widespread problem in our city - the streets and sidewalks all over the city are battered and in need of repair. I ask that you create an ordinance which allows for it to stay in place thru January 18. 2009 when the national and international art community visit this site and many areas around the city. Please support the pride in our city as keeping the ‘Bank of Soul’ captures the strength, joy and resilience that sustain New Orleans and her people and her timeless indestructible spirit.