The Chico Beat weighed in with an opinion on the new memorial in City Plaza.
It's editorial, "War (Memorial) is Hell," states:
"The new war memorial looks like an ode to death. It dominates the entire east side of the plaza, subjecting every passerby to its omnipresence and creating the exact opposite of a welcoming effect. It is foreboding, sinister, tacky and just downright ugly. This memorial, thankfully paid for by private funds, suggests a massive failure of imagination."
Memorials are like public art. They draw lots of critics given that different people have different expectations and aesthetic tastes.
But in the case of this memorial, I agree that it lacks imagination. It's too bad because I know a lot of good people with different aesthetic tastes put in countless hours to erect this memorial.
I don't feel anything when I pass by it - no strong feelings of sadness, inspiration, hope, sense of history, sacrifice, or any mix of feelings that I would expect to feel when I encounter a memorial.
It feel like I'm reading the pages of an American citizenship booklet on headstones filled with the lyrics of "America the Beautiful," the Pledge of Allegiance, and an image of the Statue of Liberty.
While all these words and images are part of American symbolism, they don't quite fit together in this memorial in a way that provokes or inspires.
Sometimes the sum is greater than its parts. For this memorial, I think the parts, perhaps independent of each other, are greater than the sum.
I'd almost prefer to see the parts - the bronzed words and images - showcased separately along walls in other high traffic places in town.
But maybe the memorial is not complete. Maybe it will be like the City Plaza - initially criticized by many, but later appreciated once the final touches are complete.
Here are some snapshots I took:
Today's Scrabble word is tater, or a potato.
I'm not persuaded that "imagination" is the distinguishing feature of a veterans memorial. The Vietnam War memorial in Washington, for example, is extremely powerful, despite the fact that it is nothing so much as a roster on otherwise unadorned stone. The size is impressive, and the shape is elegant, but again, not especially imaginative.
What is needed in a memorial to brave service members who have died in the line is gravitas, and I think the new memorial at the plaza qualifies. I hadn't really made the connection to resembling tombstones until Gascoyne mentioned it, but if that is what was intended, it is certainly appropriate. If a hillside covered with faux headstones can constitute a powerful protest against the Iraq war, then so can formalized cemetary monuments can serve as mute testimony to the courage and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.
Tom Gascoyne just hates the plaza and everything associated with it. He should get over it.
Dan, memorials in a public park aren't just "like public art", they are public art.
Alan, the Veteran's Memorial in Washington is exceptionally imaginative and is one of our nations most beautiful examples of what public art can be.
It looks like something purchased from the Franklin Mint for low monthly payments of 49.95 a month.