READERS RESPOND -- Dislike of whale art runs strong

When I saw the picture of the whale bone sculpture to be erected at

Pacific Coast Highway and Beach, my first thought was “dead mammal.” I

don’t like it, but I realize that art is subjective. I decided at that

time not to write a letter stating my displeasure. I wanted, instead, to

find something positive that I could write about our City Council. I’m

still waiting for them to do something I can laud, and I still don’t

“get” the whale bone sculpture.

I understand that we have a grant for this purpose. Great. I have several

questions, though:

1. Why did they commission an out-of-state artist to design this piece?

Our council keeps reminding us to shop at home, yet they don’t so the

same themselves. We have many talented local artists, some of whom have

been highlighted in the Independent.

2. Why a dead whale? Our city fought, and won, a court battle to call

ourselves “Surf City.” I never saw the proposed “Surfhenge” sculpture,

but at least that would appear to be on the right track. So what if there

is a similar piece on the East Coast, three thousand miles away? There

must be a similar dead whale somewhere.

3. Piped in ocean sounds? Bell buoys and foghorns? Give me a break!

Visitors won’t be able to hear the real ocean sounds -- which, by the

way, do not include foghorns and bell buoys.

We already have art at the Central Library that looks like partially

decomposed bodies. Why does our council want to continue the death theme

for our city?

Just because our city received a grant for this purpose does not mean

that we must spend it haphazardly. Give it some thought, please, and most

of all, try to make it “fit” Surf City, USA.