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Letter: 9th and 9th whale sculpture is schlocky in every respect

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) “Out of the Blue,” by artist Stephen Kesler on Thursday, April 7, 2022.

Okay, Salt Lake City Arts Council, you’ve got your whale in the middle of the roundabout at 900 South and 1100 East. Are you happy now?

From my front lawn, just up the hill on 900 South, this thing appears to be more like a tacky come-on for a honky tonk carnival than a dignified piece of public art. I’m sure none of you live anywhere near our neighborhood and, from the aesthetic taste reflected by this eyesore, most of you would consider the Mickey Mouse statue at Disneyland to be fine art.

In fact, this thing is cheap and schlocky in every respect: materials, placement, scale, appropriateness to setting, and design esthetic.

What a waste of public money and what a blight on our historic neighborhood your efforts have inflicted. I can’t wait until this monstrosity is covered with graffiti and attacked by vandals so that it can be removed for being an attractive nuisance and a hazard to public safety.

Robert Barth, Salt Lake City

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By Robert Barth | The Public Forum