Posted on 10/09/2004 10:30:13 AM PDT by MikalM
The artist who created the now-infamous Livermore library mosaic that contains 11 misspellings says she no longer wants to fix it because of the "nasty messages from people who don't understand art."
Maria Alquilar, who complained that her name, too, was often misspelled, said she had been overwhelmed by dozens of phone calls and more than 1,000 e- mails since her errors -- from "Eistein" to "Shakespere" to "Michaelangelo" -- were widely publicized.
Fed up, Alquilar said Friday that she was reconsidering her decision to correct her work because the people of Livermore had been so mean.
"If I come out, there will probably be a demonstration," she said. "There is so much anger. I am so upset, I can't even think straight."
Alquilar will wait for the issue to die down before she makes a firm decision, but she said she would prefer that the city just tear up the piece, which measures 16 feet in diameter and includes 175 historical names and cultural words.
"I will consent if the city wants to pay to have it removed," she said.
City officials, who paid $40,000 for the mosaic, said they hoped Alquilar would correct the mistakes but had not received an answer.
"She indicated that she is not sure if she wants to come back," said Assistant City Manager Jim Piper. "We will get her final decision next week."
The city has not decided what to do if Alquilar, who lives in Miami, refuses to return, but officials are evaluating their options....
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
She didn't advertise her artistic arrogance. She claims to be sensitive to the intellectual needs of the community.
http://www.maria-alquilar.com/2level/2installation.html
Installations
Maria believes that the most important elements that should exist in a Public Art Work are the following:
The work must have universal appeal for the users of the site on all levels, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.
The users of the site should be considered at the planning stage.
The visitors to the site must be able to interact with the art at one or more of the aforementioned levels.
"I note that you signed up to FreeRepublic about the time that this issue first broke -- do you have any kind of connection to the "artist"? Because you seem to be taking this quite personally, and going far out of your way to defend her."
No, I'm not a troll for the artist. I never met the woman. I simply have a different opinion. I work in the arts and am accustomed to taking on fights with angry hordes of lefties, so I probably have a higher tolerance and ability for putting up a good fight. I didn't agree with the NEA funding bizarre art projects in the 1980's by people that did work solely to shock and disgust. I simply don't think that this women has done anything to deserve such hostility.
It is a 20th century notion that there is a "right" and "wrong" way to spell last names. ""
I pray that you NEVER work as a payroll clerk. The absolute correct spelling of a person's whole name is critical for Social Security purposes. It is also critical for law enforcement. How would you like a serial killer be let out of jail on a smaller charge when the LEO's are checking for any other wants and warrants and there is a "so what" attitude on the spelling of the name? What if your kin was the serial killer's next victim? Still think it doesn't matter?
I would be incensed if my name were spelled wrong, especially on any legal document, credit card, Paycheck- ANYTHING.
In this day and age of terrorists using false ID and the wide scope of Identity Theft, I am astounded at your cavalier attitude in the spelling of names.
The "artist" is a total jerk. She made not one or 2 spelling errors, she made 11. The city paid her a princely sum of taxpayer monies to brighten up their new library and to provide some artistic influence in it's surroundings.
I would think she would be so ashamed at her monumental errors that she would be on the next flight out west and apologizing profusely to the taxpayers who paid her in a news conference, and then she should be offering to repair ALL the errors for FREE. FREE FREE FREE!!!!!
Paying her more money to come back and fix it sure falls into the adage we all grew up with:
How come there is NEVER enough time to do it right the first time, but there is ALWAYS enough time to do it over?
IMO, she owes the public a serious apology, and I hope she never gets another contract like this one. Someone who knows how to spell would be very happy to have the next chance at a job like this. Taxpayers in that county should be screaming.
I think the city should sue her.
She made a defective product (on purpose?) and wants the city to pay for her to correct her defects. The city should have sued her.
"I will consent if the city wants to pay to have it removed," she said.
Not only incompetent, but delusional.
The city needs her permission??""
The city paid for it. It is theirs. They do not need her "permission" to do a damn thing, IMO.
If she thinks everything needs "permission", I think she should ask our permission to breathe. She's an IDIOT.
No. It is about an 'artist' that probably put in the misspelled words in order to 'make her mark' and then demanded to paid to correct her defects and now is 'upset' by all the mean people and will never go fix her defects.
One would think even an 'artist' like you would agree that it would be embarrassing for the library to have a mural with a lot of misspelled names on it. The library should put it away and sue her. She obviously violated some code of ethics, that is, if artists have any.
Videotape the destruction and send it to the so-called "artist", no charge.
She's a moron. Glad to see her "gallery" is closed and she won't be inflicting her runny dung on innocent citizens for the time being.
Actually, it is pretty hideous. It's amazing how much bad art goes up because they have to pay X percent of the buildings' cost to art.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!
That picture looks like she was holding the instamatic herself!
Artist Maria Alquilar was initially paid $40,000 for the mosaic. Now, the city will pay another $6,000 plus her travel expenses from Miami for her to correct the work.
Alquilar blames city leaders for not catching what she calls “oversights.”
Pay me six grand and I'll fix them.
Maybe the library can misspell her name on the title plaque mounted near the "artwork". Then listen to her really screech.
circa 1955. My wife's niece is in the 11th and probably couldn't do any better. They hired a tutor last year and the tutor just gave up, saying she was hopeless.
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