Acorn Pets Artwork

[Doris]

Am I alone in feeling uncomfortable with the displays in what was Acorn Pet Centre. I heard someone say that it looks like a brothel! That's great for a High Street that's trying to survive in challenging times!

[SWoodford]

Hello Doris

Thank you for your comments. To give you a little background on the Acorn Pet Centre artwork, the display is part of our ‘Art in the City’ project which is in partnership with Braewell Gallery. The project is part of a broader Edinburgh wide strategy to protect and enhance the retail environment.

The artwork is by up and coming artist, Laetitia Gilbaud. She's best known for her depiction of Nicola Sturgeon. She also painted Kate Middleton and raised £5,000 for that painting on behalf of the Prince's Trust Charity. Her work is sold throughout Europe.

Braewell's have used her art in many instances elsewhere and have received many positive comments as a result. There have been mixed comments so far from Portobello, but we do know that two of the paintings were sold to two different customers on Sunday as a direct result of seeing the vinyls in Portobello. I guess it just goes to show that artwork is a very subjective thing. That said, we will take on board all of the comments that come back to us for future projects, particularly in respect of Portobello.

kind regards
Sarah Woodford
Town Centre Co-ordinator - Leith & Portobello, City of Edinburgh Council. 0131 529 3257

[wangi]

A pretty bad photo of the work (you can see better ones here and here):

Quite like it, although the one of the panels probably does go too far (looks like two highly sexualised school girls).

Artist's web site: http://www.laetitiaguilbaud.org/

If this is repeated then I think it would be good to involve local artists / community groups, rather than partner with a gallery?

[Maria]

Am I alone in feeling uncomfortable with the displays in what was Acorn Pet Centre. I heard someone say that it looks like a brothel! That's great for a High Street that's trying to survive in challenging times!

Nope Doris, you're not alone.

[Porty]

More like a petting centre

[Doris]

I thank Ms Woodford for her comments; however, I do not have a problem with shop fronts being used as a display for artists per se. and I don't doubt Ms. Gilbaud's reputation. What I do have a problem with (at the risk of sounding a killjoy) is the degrading female images being presented without consideration of what is appropriate in a very public environment.

[Grunk]

I Like them,
don't think they're degrading to women.
Looks to me like caricatures of modern confident women having a night out.

[Bob Jefferson]

This is a copy of an email sent by a local resident in relation to this issue.

Dear Sarah

I've had the a response from you - via my local councillor - to my complaint about the images on the Acorn Pet Shop in Portobello.

I must say I'm disappointed by the response which is a load of standard PR puff. I don't really care how famous the artist is or who likes her work or how many paintings have been sold as a result - that's great for her. My concern is purely whether the images are appropriate images for the context they are displayed in.

I fully support your town wide strategy and the concept of enhancing retail environments in this way as I hope I've made abundantly clear.

However, I've spoken to other parents and also to some teenage girls, about these images in Portobello.

Images of women wearing sexually provocative clothing - in some cases suspenders and stockings, see through dresses etc, some of who are pictured smoking and drinking in nightclub environments, are a really bizarre choice for a family shopping environment and a street corner that is used by hundreds of school children every single day. I think it is ironic that you cite Nicola Sturgeon as a great fan of this artist's work - the Minister responsible for public health and minimum pricing of alcohol!

My complaint is emphatically not a question of personal taste or prudishness - it's a question of choosing images that are appropriate to their environment.

I suggest that your decision on whether to do something about these images should not be determined by how many complaints or compliments you've received, it's about being responsible to the community that is hosting the images and choosing appropriate images for the context. These images for example would look great in the Old Town perhaps on an empty shop on the Cowgate or Grassmarket.

I would welcome a fuller response to my complaint: I am not prepared to be fobbed off and can assure you that I will take this further.

[Porty]

I Like them,
don't think they're degrading to women.
Looks to me like caricatures of modern confident women having a night out.

I agree. Was joking about the petting centre. "Dark Seduction" is my fave from her website, although don't like it enough to consider buying.

[seanie]

Maybe a new campaign group is required?

[Porty]

Maybe a new campaign group is required?

GRAPA- Grunk Rates Acorn Pets' Artwork

[Lima]

Drove past them on Sunday and there was a mixed reaction in my car. My wife thought the shop had been turned into a brothel or strip bar and I quite liked them, would prefer to have something colourful that might stop flyposting rather ntohing at all, appearing like another empty shop.

[portypotter]

The council officer who replied to Doris has tried to excuse the whole issue by saying art is a matter of taste. Her reply is both patronising and silly. This isn't a matter of personal taste, it's about what's appropriate. These images are not appropriate to a corner of Portobello High Street that's used by hundreds of school kids. Why didn't they simply think about the context and choose a different artist? Can you imagine these vinyls having been put up on a vacant shop in Morningside?

[seanie]

I find the subject matter a slightly odd choice for display, but it's not exactly Jeff Koons.

[Porty]

Acorn pets window displays were quite possibly more offensive. I recall they often had wasps in the window, which seemed more than a bit cruel.

[Grunk]

Certainly the pictures in the windows of other high street stores are more evocative.

[Puerto bella]

I don't find them offensive - just really naff and cheap looking.

[Epykat]

I don't find them offensive - just really naff and cheap looking.

I don't find them offensive either but I did think they'd been done by some schoolkids - which brings me to Wangi's comment which I agree with - why not use local talent? The Town Centre Co-Ordinator could find tons of it either in the local schools or with local artists/artisans.

[Epykat]

"Guilbaud's work is expressed through the female form. She paints long legged, fishnet taught, basque clothed, large breasted women who, with their tousled hair and pouting lips, appear at first glance, like preparation sketches for airbrushed playboy lovelies. Looking at her work, a simple interpretation might suggest that if there was a Turner prize in the offing, then James Bond would have to be among the judges."


Mmmm, maybe on reading this quote from the artist's website she wouldn't have been my first choice for a High Street after all

[ozbeeuk]

'fishnet taught'?? Presumably in a 'school'. Ha ha ha. If the artwork tried to subvert the overt sexuality and sexism of the genre I might start to see merit in it, but as it is it is just titillation and inappropriate. Kudos to Doris.

[seanie]

Titillating? That's got to be a fairly niche peccadillo.

[wangi]

Laetitia Gilbaud: Schoolgirls a-go-go?

which brings me to Wangi's comment which I agree with - why not use local talent? The Town Centre Co-Ordinator could find tons of it either in the local schools or with local artists/artisans.

Yup, it should be about more than bunging up some work, making a disused shop front nicer and driving custom to a gallery. It should engage the community and involve them - there are tons of folk around these parts that could have worked with the council on this, had they been approach or were aware.

L/

[ozbeeuk]

Yep. Am having a moment - it's been a long week for only being Tuesday.

[Bob Jefferson]

I like them a lot. I like the manga/pop art style the artist has employed and while these images are sexy and provocative they are far from what would be classed as 'hentai'. The whole burlesque thing is very fashionable right now and this is a generation that has grown up with Madonna, Kylie, Shakira, Beyonce and Rihanna - strong women who are empowered rather than degraded by embracing their sexuality.

But I also respect the views of others who feel strongly that these images are not appropriate for the setting. Some consultation with the community over the choice of art work would have saved Sarah a lot of grief, as I'm sure she now realises.

Good way to start a debate though!

[Epykat]

I like them a lot.!

I would imagine they've put a smile on the faces of quite a few older gentlemen of the Parish

Good way to start a debate though!

Doesn't take much.........

[Bob Jefferson]

I would imagine they've put a smile on the faces of quite a few older gentlemen of the Parish

Doesn't take much........

[seanie]

...and this is a generation that has grown up with Madonna, Kylie, Shakira, Beyonce and Rihanna - strong women who are empowered rather than degraded by embracing their sexuality".

Empowered perhaps, but to the extent that it relies on their sexuality, it's down to marketing it, not embracing it. Vanilla S&M and a bit of writhing can be commercially advantageous but it's not actually a political manifesto. It's the money that's empowering, not being semi-naked.

[SWoodford]

Good morning Portobello

To give you an update following yesterday's discussions on the Art work at Acorn Pets. We have asked the Gallery to remove and replace the artwork. This should happen over the next couple of days.

There have been several suggestions about involving local talented artists and schools and I would welcome discussions on this for future projects.

best wishes

Sarah

Sarah Woodford, Town Centre Co-ordinator Leith & Portobello. 0131 529 3527 - sarah.woodford@edinburgh.gov.uk

[Grunk]

Hmm, I thought the problem was that the high street is often frequented by schoolkids?

Can't we just remove the schoolkids from the highstreet instead? Perhaps they would be better located somewhere else, maybe in a school?

We can start an online campaign group : Portobello Online Opposes Pupils.

[Porty]

And its not only about the Art. The shop is to let and the art draws attention to the site, has us discussing it and may well help attract a future tenant. It may also inspire some local artists (or photographers ) to contact Susan and have their works displayed in some vacant High Street units.

Reporting Scotland featured a package a couple of days ago; revealing that 1 in 9 High Street shops are vacant across Scotland. Some quirky and novel strategies are needed to address the issue. I say Acorn Art is a good start here in Porty.

As for schoolkids- won't they be too preocuppied with teacher fantasies to be bothered about some artwork?

[ozbeeuk]

Glad the images are coming down ... slightly related, I thought the link below demonstrates why portrayals of 'empowered' women are not always a wave for equality: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/20 ... der-woman/

[Doris]

Acorn Art is a good start. But perhaps those who don't find Ms. Gilbaud's images unsettling might stop to think how they would feel if the display featured images that offended their own sensibilities.

As far as addressing the empty shops issue, perhaps the council could look at the business rates that shop owners are obliged to pay. When my own father was selling his shop in the 1970s he found the only interested parties were charity shops, the reason being they only paid half-rates. This is probably what lies behind the increase in said charity shops on local high streets. What I fail to understand is how these charity shops get away with being in direct competition with other retailers in selling new goods and yet still reap the benefits of charitble status . When my dad was in business there used to be some official group entitled the Chamber of Commerce which was made up of local businessmen/women. Is there some official business group in Porty? Perhaps council/landlords/community council could look at possible ways of subsidising independant businesses which will encourage enterprise.

Perhaps we could learn something from Peebles who enjoys the title ofTop Independent Retailing Town in Scotland.

[Porty]

Wow a mighty swerve off-topic!!

Things have changed since the 70's, mainly because of the SG business rates relief scheme, many shops on the high st will be paying rates that are heavily subsidised (especially if they are traders with just one outlet in Edinburgh). Charity shops still have an advantage but its not as stark as once was. It will take ages for rentals to adjust to the lack of demand, if indeed they ever do. The council own a lot of retail properties but will likely try to protect their investments, as any landlord should do.

[Doris]

Yes I was pretty impressed myself at the mighty swerve!

Maybe we should continue this discussion on the Independent Businesses & Subway thread?

[Porty]

I will take youtr lead...............