Mapping the Terrain: New Genre Public Art - Suzanne Lacy

Mapping the Terrain is a collection of essays edited by Suzanne Lacy and published in 1995. The introduction, written by Lacy, gives a good analysis about the history and strategy of creating public art.

New genre public art is distinguished from its predecessor "public art" in that it is not about the object but is based on the relationship between the space and the audience. Where as old-school public art, and incidentally what most people think of as public art, is a sculpture in front of a corporate building. Re-watch fight club if you are not sure what corporate art is. Originally it was seen as a way to revitalize inner cities and create jobs for sculptures, but public meant that it was to be moved outside the gallery and viewed in a public space, the actual people that comprised the public had nothing to do with the process. New genre public art moves away from this corporate art paradigm by working with the communities in which the art is placed. Open dialog is encouraged between the artist and the people that are going to actually have to live with it. New genre art is often based on liberal ideals and speaks about issues relevant to the societal culture in which it is placed.

The goal of Mapping the Terrain is to provide first hand accounts of the design and implementation of new genre public art so that young artists can have insight into the processes and strategies of moving public art forward. It is equally a great resource for net artist because much of our work takes place in space (virtual) and involves a community of people.