Flash in the Pan

Is it Art or just a flash in the pan? The discussion du jour over coffee and kibble was about D. A. Therrien’s “Beautiful Light”. It is a four-letter word suspended between two tower buildings, made of 1000+ light bulbs. It is an unexpected presentation in an unexpected location. The newspaper showed the word TEXT. Does it change or just spell the same word? Don’t know. It is Public Art and as such will bring protest, discussion, denouncement and raves. Thank goodness; it is hard to tell if people are alive sometimes, noses buried in electronic devices, unconscious of the world-view around them. Is it so different from the neon light with the palm tree flashing over the Bamboo Bar? Because Therrien’s work is not selling, directing, forbidding or permitting, does it have no purpose? General consensus over bowls, cereal and more kibble, was that the purpose was to “think”, “admire”, “contemplate”, etc. And that puts it into the art district. Maybe Public Art is like a symphony and the bar sign is like a kitchen towel jingle. Different ends of the musical rainbow. Ruby’s favorite 4-letter words are “FOOD” and “MEAT”.