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OPINION
MiHSigrtra April 28 - May 4, 2016 » Page 7 A
One person's art is another's disdain
Large works of public
art—as in murals that cover
entire walls of underpasses,
bridges and historic build
ings—seem to be a current
trend embraced by many
towns and cities across
the nation and around the
world. I am so not a fan of
these so-called works of art.
I would much prefer to
see a clean brick or stucco
wall with no visual clutter
than to see a trendy non-
traditional work of art that
in a few years is likely to be
faded, peeling and cracking.
There is great beauty in
aged stucco, brick and mor
tar. There are many stories
hidden among the cracks
that give a building or a
transportation structure its
unique charm and charac
ter. Even a wall covered in
graffiti has a certain charm
about it.
Once a space has been
painted, to restore that
surface becomes a daunt-
johnh@dekalbchamp.com
Chief Operating Officer
ing and damaging task that
would likely require paint
remover, sand blasting or
some other process that
will no doubt damage and
weaken the original materi
als and compromise the
structure.
To be fair, I have seen
murals that I do appreciate
such as those that depict
the cultural or musical histo
ry of the town or region and
which are almost portrait-
quality paintings. However,
these too will look faded
in a few years and will not
have the appeal that they
had when originally created.
I also am not a fan of
public art that in many cas
es can be a dangerous dis
traction to drivers. In many
areas of Atlanta, one may
see expansive underpasses
or bridges that have be
come urban canvases. And,
in many of the creations,
bright colors and abstract
designs are the focal points
of the art. These creations
are meant to be seen, but
not seen while driving in
bumper-bumper traffic or
trying to avoid a cyclist or
pedestrian.
One such example that
I loathe sitting in while wait
ing for a red light to turn
green is the one created
last year for the railroad
overpass walls at Columbia
Drive and East College Av
enue in Decatur.
This creation is titled
Underwater Pass and
depicts a couple viewing
dolphins in what appears
to be an aquarium setting.
A series of panels shows
the couple eventually with
young children, which I sup
pose is meant to show the
progression of the couple
possibly on a first date, and
then with their children back
at the aquarium.
“We wanted to show
that change in imagination
and how your views change
as time progresses,” said
mural painter Spencer
King.
This is precisely my
point...views (and prefer
ences) change as time
progresses. Appreciation
of trendy art also changes
over time and what may be
timely today will be dated
tomorrow.
Not only do views
change, but also deteriora
tion occurs. What is fresh
paint now may be faded
and peeling in a few years
and will look worse than the
blank slate of a brick wall or
concrete pylon did before it
was painted.
I like clean lines in ar
chitecture, non-cluttered
graphic design, open spac
es, soothing environments,
calming colors and subtle
images.
Many murals remind
me of a carnival-like atmo
sphere with far too much
stimulation. The colors are
too bright; the message is
often juvenile (think of the
one located in Decatur at
East Howard Street that
reads, “take care of your
self first”...duh...really? We
need art to tell us this basic
human instinct of survival?
No offense intended to
Decatur readers, officials or
art aficionados...we all must
admit that one person’s art
is often another’s disdain.
= ONE MAN'S OPINION
The United Straights of America?
“From a distance,
Georgia Gov. Nathan
Deal and North Carolina
Gov. Pat McCrory appear
to be similar. Both are
conservative governors
of Southern states where
religion plays a strong role
in public and private lives.
They both live and
govern during times of rapid
change, particularly with
the way society treats gay
and transgender people.
But the two-with so much
in common-have arrived
at different conclusions to
the same basic question.
Should people be allowed
to discriminate against their
neighbors based on their
sexual orientation or gender
identity?”
Op-ed in the Charlotte
News & Observer, April
2016
I grew up in DeKalb
County, Georgia, during
the 1960s, in the midst
of the Civil Rights
Movement. Though the
birthplace and cradle of
that movement was less
than a dozen miles from my
home, and only a couple
of miles from the hospital
of my birth, I was largely
unaware of the drama and
strife of those dramatic
and stressful times. The
closest that world came to
mine was during numerous
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
Columnist
days and occasional
evening encounters with
the worlds of two women
who were near and dear
to our family—Lillie Mae
Fleetwood and Eloise
Morgan.
My grandmother was our
next door neighbor growing
up, and my parents and
grandparents both worked
in the family newspaper
business.
Lillie Mae worked for
my grandparents, helping
to raise my aunt, her own
nine children and later my
brother, sisters and me.
Eloise worked for our
family from my days in
elementary school through
long after my graduation
from UGA. These women
were as much a part of
our family in my mind as
my cousins, aunts and
uncles. We loved them, and
they loved us.
The Atlanta business
community and some
progressive state leadership
(though not all), helped
Atlanta to set a different
example during the civil
rights era.
The “City too busy to
hate” experienced sit-
ins, and more than the
occasional protest, but no
race riots or over-reacting
police chiefs or sheriffs
wielding fire hoses.
Thanks, I believe, to
the leadership and political
courage of Georgia’s
current governor, we are
again taking point, the lead
and shining a light in the
right direction. Georgia
can remain a conservative,
Bible-quoting and even
gun-toting state, without
becoming viewed or known
as an intolerant, hypocritical
place where the clock is
being turned back.
Knowing that this column
will elicit hate mail from
friends in Georgia’s faith-
based community, I will ask
that they read, in its entirety,
the proposed law that Gov.
Nathan Deal chose to
veto. One passage outlines
clearly that faith-based
nonprofits (a category larger
than churches) would be
within their legal right, and
immune from litigation for
damages, if they were to
terminate the employment
of an employee whom they
suspected of being lesbian
or gay. Georgia is already
a right-to-work, “at will”
employment state. This
law would be a license to
discriminate.
Weeks before Deal
announced his intentions,
he held a press briefing
acknowledging his support
for the proposed Pastor
Protection Act and offering
that he would be troubled to
sign any bill that he believed
would lead to discrimination.
The battle is apparently
not yet over. Georgia’s
lieutenant governor, House
speaker and numerous
legislators say they will be
back next year with another
bill.
Eloise Morgan helped
me become the person I am
today. As she was dying,
fighting multiple ailments
while battling cancer in the
then non-air-conditioned
tower of Grady Hospital,
I tried visiting her at least
once a week. Though I had
only been a child during
the civil rights era, I kept
wishing I had been an adult
and in a position to speak
up, say something and do
more in those times. I could
not help or change Eloise’s
life at that point; all I could
do was let her know that
we loved her, thank her and
try and help her son and
brother who survived her in
the years ahead.
Well, I am a grown
up now. And so clearly is
Governor Nathan Deal. Our
neighboring governors and
some legislatures may still
be dreaming of “The United
Straights of America,” but
this son of the South is
hoping that they wake up
soon. We have already
been on the wrong side of
history two centuries in a
row, and it’s now time to be
on the right side, and treat
others as we would want for
them to treat us. This one
is for you Eloise. Thanks
again. We still miss you.
Bill Crane also serves
as a political analyst and
commentator for Channel
2’s Action News, WSB-
AM News/Talk 750 and
now 95.5 FM, as well as a
columnist for The Champion,
Champion Free Press and
Georgia Trend. Crane is a
DeKalb native and business
owner, living in Scottdale.
You can reach him or
comment on a column at bill.
csicrane@gmail. com.