Reading that old thread reminded me that I finally had time to hang out in the new City Hall plaza and experience the Dreisetl piece up close and the whole place, while perfectly nice, reminded me of nothing so much as the old Briarwood fountains. The art is on about the same scale, and the water parts and the spatial layout are very similar. I have to say, to AAPAC I guess, when your best efforts at procuring public art are that reminiscent of the sort of uninspired thing an architectural firm specs out for a mall, your process has failed you.

For newish Chronicle readers, I think this 2.5 year old Cube comment (also by Whitaker) reads just as well today as it did back in 2009 [link]:

Walking home from dinner the other night we passed “The Cube” next to the UM Admin. building. My 11-year-old son ran over and gave it a big push, going around and around until he had to stop and rest. I remembered doing the same thing when I first moved to Ann Arbor at age 17, some thirty years ago.

It struck me how perfect this public art piece was for its location: an open, but not particularly busy plaza tucked between campus buildings. It is all-season, interactive, and virtually indestructible. I imagine that UM Plant Operations has to give it a little grease now and then, but probably not much else. No fancy lights, no glass balls, no piping, no water, no pumps or motors. Sustainability is inherent in its simplicity, its durability, and its accessibility. It sits there quietly on point, handsome and still, just waiting for someone to come along and set it into motion. Then its true beauty is revealed as it catches and reflects the light from its irregular faces.