Controversy over Mural Photo in North Dakota

[Willie]

Looks as if the mural Balkowitsch had set up for the State Capitol City caused a lot of controversy but now will be put up in Fargo. Maybe they will feature it if they do a sequel to the movie? The Wet Plate image has gotten a lot of play for various reasons. Interesting choice of materials to photograph the Climate Activist - as Wet Plate isn't all that environmentally friendly.

But, the story references are below. The controversy - especially the reasons - is an interesting one. All this over a wall mural.


https://www.grandforksherald.com/new...ublic-backlash

BISMARCK — Public objection and threats to boycott a local business have put an end to a Bismarck artist's plans to install a mural of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg in a local alleyway.

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https://sputniknews.com/environment/...-north-dakota/

Talks about moving the planned mural honouring 17-year-old Swedish climate activist and two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg are underway in the city of Fargo, North Dakota.

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[eabartel]

very interesting. thanks for sharing.

[Drew Wiley]

Not allowed to say what I really think. Glad it at least found a home, even if it's been demoted to alley status; and it is a nice image. Yooo betcha! (how's my Swedelish?)

[Willie]

Yes Drew, had to think a bit before posting. Too easy to get into political arena with this one. Feelings in the area are high and threats have been made that might have a negative effect on the business where the mural was to be in Bismarck.

https://earther.gizmodo.com/trolls-f...erg-1841666327

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/artic...oycott-threats

Interesting that in San Francisco they have a mural of the young activist that has caused a stir for very different reasons.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/greta-thu...y-spray-paints

The California controversy is not over a Large Format image made into a mural - but here because of the controversy. Whether it is the Photographer or the Painter - you can't buy this much publicity. Look at what a Police raid did for Jock Sturges career.

[Two23]

I'm on that wet plate Facebook forum and have been following. It's unusual for people in the Dakotas to get upset enough to threaten someone. (Not to injure anyone but with vandalism.)


Kent in SD

[Sal Santamaura]

Unlike this forum, face effing book doesn't prohibit politics. Too bad.

[Tin Can]

Grok Greta

[Jim Jones]

"It was all about the art. It was not about the controversy." Great art has been achieved by many generations of wet plate photography. This image doesn't compare with them.

[Tin Can]

People in 100 years will determine what was art, what was important from our time and who changed our world for better or worse...

Winners write history...

None of us will know who won...

Yesterday watched an interesting archaeological investigation https://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/series/index.html

Ancient Egypt dried up, internecine war ensued

[Drew Wiley]

Spray paint is an entirely different issue. It is not only a serious health concern due to the solvents, but sends a very bad message that there is something legitimate about tagging and "street art" vandalism on both public property and private property. It automatically violates extant laws at several levels. Where it's been particularly rife, certain cities have tried to pre-empt it by consigning quality murals to skilled artists, but a few of them have been shot by gangbangers who feel their territory encroached. But vandalism with unhealthy chemicals takes on many forms, some above ground, some underground. I spent a number of years photographing the Mother Lode country which was so dramatically changed during the Calif gold rush. Entire riverbeds were rototilled, entire hills leveled by placer mining, most of the native populace outright genocided. Our Bay here is still poisoned by the mercury used to extract gold in that era, and probably will be for centuries to come. An economic sugar high for a few years, then poverty afterwards. It was really the merchants of SF who made most of the money during the Gold Rush. I remodeled a very old hardware store about 45 yrs ago where miner's picks and all kinds of supplies lay forgotten behind floors and fixtures. Quite a find. Then on my own property in the hills, we discovered cached away gold pans etc from that time. I used one of the old real deal 49 pans for my own gold panning fun as a kid. Typically, not only did gold flakes turn up, but lots of pretty little red and green garnets too, but too small to be of any real value.