Airport Art

Moving on from art in hotel rooms, todays post has examples of airport art which was similarly curious. I didn't find examples of "art" in a conventional form in a US airport at all, but in both Canadian departure areas we were soothed (?) by creative works.


I happen to be rather fond of cows. I like their curiosity and their calm approach to life and think the expressions on their angular faces are endearing. No surprises then, that I liked these digital screen images in Ottawa. Not sure of the thinking behind the choice, however. Maybe it was to instill the herd instinct to those passing through the airport? To offer a glimpse of green in a very grey building? Or maybe there was a dairy conference on at the time...

I support the people who campaigned for large-scale installations in the Toronto terminal, but wonder if my reaction to these works is typical? Certainly the blasts of colour amongst all the glass and stainless steel worked to relieve the sterility of the environment, but sitting waiting for a flight with these images in view was not the calm and peaceful experience that I'd hoped for. Such energy in those huge canvases, the way the paint had been swooshed around with very visible brushstrokes and the colours chosen; the predominance of red and the trickles of paint must surely provoke comment from travellers heading through that particular terminal? I've left in the sign for scale - these were huge, wall size pieces which dominated the area where we were sitting.

In spite of my leanings towards the non-representational, the colourful and art which provokes a reaction, I'll take the cows, thank you.

(Thank you, Blogger, for uploading three pictures at once, rather than having to write several entries as yesterday. What a pain you are at times...)