Whoaccio
Senior Member
Are people here literate? Nobody is suggesting anybody "should give their work for free" or be forced to pay for work on TTC property. Let's just be very clear about that because there is no point in arguing about anything if we are talking about two different things.
Moving on, you guys do know that the TTC's mandate isn't "to put bread and butter on [artists'] tables" right? I am a bit confused as to what you are arguing. If it is that no one in Toronto would be willing to paint a mural for the TTC or submit or submit a design idea that is one thing. I would still disagree, as there are people who are willing to break the law to create public art, some of which is in my view comparable or better than many TTC related works. Luckily enough this is pretty easy to test, all the TTC would have to do is issue a brief public RFP (i.e. 2m:1m mural for xyz station mezzanine with gray tile wall) and see if anybody bites. There is no downside. If no one wants to bother submitting an idea the only loss will be the hour it would take to draft an RFP.
If it is that we shouldn't hire public or volunteer artists (assuming they in fact exist) because they will take away work from "real" artists (see "bread on table") then I find that absolutely bizarre and incoherent. As nowhere in the TTC's mandate is the job of supporting artists, it is best left to the various relevant government and philanthropic groups.
Moving on, you guys do know that the TTC's mandate isn't "to put bread and butter on [artists'] tables" right? I am a bit confused as to what you are arguing. If it is that no one in Toronto would be willing to paint a mural for the TTC or submit or submit a design idea that is one thing. I would still disagree, as there are people who are willing to break the law to create public art, some of which is in my view comparable or better than many TTC related works. Luckily enough this is pretty easy to test, all the TTC would have to do is issue a brief public RFP (i.e. 2m:1m mural for xyz station mezzanine with gray tile wall) and see if anybody bites. There is no downside. If no one wants to bother submitting an idea the only loss will be the hour it would take to draft an RFP.
If it is that we shouldn't hire public or volunteer artists (assuming they in fact exist) because they will take away work from "real" artists (see "bread on table") then I find that absolutely bizarre and incoherent. As nowhere in the TTC's mandate is the job of supporting artists, it is best left to the various relevant government and philanthropic groups.