I have lived in Baltimore for 14 years. I have been an avid advocate of Baltimore for four years. I have NOT watched David Simon’s “The Wire”. Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday I started reading the book that lead to the HBO series that defines Baltimore for many. I delved into Simon’s 500-page tome on west Baltimore’s infectious drug markets. I can honestly say I am lost in The Corner.
It is a mesmerizing work of art. A train wreck is not a sufficient analogy of why I am unable to look away. It is much worse! It is an entire city and every system behind it that is consumed by the horrible addiction to live in the moment. Granted, I am only 60 percent through the book but at every turn it suggests that Baltimore is a wasteland. The court system is screwed. The police are a mess. The schools are a disaster. Even the family is done for. Simon seems to say that it is not even worth fighting for. There is no hope.
What does The Corner or “The Wire” have to do with public art and social change? On some level they are public art and they beckon change. They are an expression of an individual being put into the public domain. David Simon (with Edward Burns) is sharing a perspective on Baltimore. This genius perspective is a powerful work of art available to the public. It shows the world as it currently is and that change is needed.
Simon has perfectly demonstrated one of the reasons I promote public art. Art can masterfully show the world as it is. But there is an even more important reason why art is my vocation. Art can show the world as it can be. Art can provide us hope.
Hope is a perspective or a philosophy. The power of Simon’s work is the rich analysis of philosophy. He looks beyond the chaos and asks why. Absolutely no one wants to be a fiend, yet it constantly happens – why? He explores a provocative question. In the same manner, powerful art can expose an answer. Art is not confined to the temporal. It tells stories that are not yet experienced. It paints change not yet realized. It suggests solutions only imaged. It answers beyond “why?” and says that it doesn’t have to be this way. It is a source of hope.
But can public art really do that? Yes it can! Public art not only asks simple, provocative questions but it also provides opportunity for answers. Candy Chang has ingenious methods of probing and finding new solutions. She is providing hope. JR is sharing stories through larger-than-life portraits. He is suggesting that the story may not be what we think it is. He is providing hope. The Baltimore Love Project and its concrete canvas is suggesting that love is possible. It doesn’t matter if you are in Broadway East or Hampden, love IS a part of your environment. The project is providing hope.
Public art is a place to expose philosophy. It is also a place to explore philosophy. One beckons us to change with questions. One beckons us to change with a new solution. Both are powerful!
