Ascend toward enlightenment

Re: Co-creator wants Calgarians to embrace $911,000 public art, Oct. 31

I am weary of people slamming Calgary’s public art. “Ascend” is an absolutely stunning piece when seen for real (as opposed to a newspaper photo) on the bare hilltop against the backdrop of a big Alberta sky. Art isn’t about instantly recognizing an image. What art is really about is ideas, vision, enlightenment and conversation. There is certainly no shortage of conversation about the city’s art choices — what’s needed now is a little vision, enlightenment and perhaps some positivity to go with it.

As for Harold Lavack’s remark about the city “being hosed by the pricing of art projects that the welding class at SAIT could do,” to him I say: But it didn’t, did it? It was Haddad and Drugan who had the vision, idea and originality to create Ascend. I suspect Lavack is probably the guy who looks at a priceless Picasso or Degas and says, “My kid could have painted that.” Samantha-jane Mugridge, Calgary