Bookmark & share: 
Welcome to the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram reader comments forum, which is offered as
a "public square" for our audience. We view this space as our readers' section of the Web site,
separate from our journalistic offerings. We hope you will use the forum to advance public dialogue
and community discourse. As such, we ask that participants refrain from personal attacks and offensive
comments. If you believe a comment is inappropriate or offensive, you can bring it to our attention by
clicking on the 'report abuse' link by the comment. It will be reviewed by online staff.
Please understand that 1) a comment is not "inappropriate" solely because you disagree with its author;
and 2) there may be a delay while the comment is being reviewed.
Please review our Reader Comment Guidelines.
Sort by: Oldest first | Newest First
previous page | next page1-10 of 60 comments:
Jack Hurd
of WTVL, ME
Yes he did: "Chavez is not our enemy because of oil". He also insulted someone else and then refused to answer any direct questions like did he submit or is he involved with the project. He started with snide on someone else. I don't know who made you the politeness cop, but when your calling me snide, it's not working for you.
However, you gave some useful information but with a big piece missing: in what capacity and under what terms will Sprague wind up owning the artworks? You know they will but the question is how and when. In other words, is this a non-profit tax shelter project to deliver art to a business?
Getting back to the question of oil, Venezuela, Chavez and America, I think there's going to be a backlash against the people who support this project. It's not only not about Maine art, but it's about having one of Chavez's citizens designing a huge monument to oil decoration for us in our own back yard.
Does anyone really think this is going to fly? It might seem like an unlikely problem, but the MCC still has to raise a million dollars. Whose going to give money like that to have one of Chavez's people make a piece of art that will then belong to an oil company?
Sure, most of us would love to see more major art projects, but for $1,200,000, we could have several awesome works of art in and around Portland by really big name artists - things that would be a draw for southern Maine and help our creative economy.
Instead, we're going to be a laughing stock.report abuse
Oct 10, 2008 12:31 PM
kitkat: "Keith never said anything about Chavez' power in relation to oil"
Yes he did: "Chavez is not our enemy because of oil". He also insulted someone else and then refused to answer any direct questions like did he submit or is he involved with the project. He started with snide on someone else. I don't know who made you the politeness cop, but when your calling me snide, it's not working for you.
However, you gave some useful information but with a big piece missing: in what capacity and under what terms will Sprague wind up owning the artworks? You know they will but the question is how and when. In other words, is this a non-profit tax shelter project to deliver art to a business?
Getting back to the question of oil, Venezuela, Chavez and America, I think there's going to be a backlash against the people who support this project. It's not only not about Maine art, but it's about having one of Chavez's citizens designing a huge monument to oil decoration for us in our own back yard.
Does anyone really think this is going to fly? It might seem like an unlikely problem, but the MCC still has to raise a million dollars. Whose going to give money like that to have one of Chavez's people make a piece of art that will then belong to an oil company?
Sure, most of us would love to see more major art projects, but for $1,200,000, we could have several awesome works of art in and around Portland by really big name artists - things that would be a draw for southern Maine and help our creative economy.
Instead, we're going to be a laughing stock.report abuse
Pat Daley
of Sarasota, FL
Yesterday there were 60 or so responses. I can appreciate the design offered though I'm not into 'abstract' or 'modern art'. I would rather see Gili's work on a canvas hanging somewhere where I can ignore it if I want to.
Again I can't see how giving the commission to someone not even in the United States is going to further Maine artistic creativity.
It's a mystery! And I'll not be donating to it either - so save your stamp on this one.report abuse
Oct 9, 2008 10:10 PM
Apparently this topic pushed enough buttons yesterday the PPH felt they needed to run it again for our further entertainment.
Yesterday there were 60 or so responses. I can appreciate the design offered though I'm not into 'abstract' or 'modern art'. I would rather see Gili's work on a canvas hanging somewhere where I can ignore it if I want to.
Again I can't see how giving the commission to someone not even in the United States is going to further Maine artistic creativity.
It's a mystery! And I'll not be donating to it either - so save your stamp on this one.report abuse
friday
of ghost, ME
Oct 9, 2008 9:01 PM
Rep. Joe Kennedy buys Chavez's oil to help low income families in Mass. heat their homes through his non-profit agency. Baldacci got donations from Sprague for his election campaign. Think calls were made from Kennedy to Baldacci and is Sprague in on the cheap with Hugo's discount oil? Where's this painter from? Hmmm...report abuseJohn
of Hope, ME
Oct 9, 2008 7:36 PM
Ok, Jack, I thought it was your version of patronizing. And I would admit to that, at least when it comes to answering you.report abuseFrankie
of Windham, ME
Oct 9, 2008 6:50 PM
From Venezuela? Living in Britain? He must have painted a few of Hugo Chavez's oil tanks and he kicked him to the curb. These designs clearly don't belong on oil tanks.report abusekitkat
of sopo, ME
On the other hand, you raised some interesting points about art ownership in an earlier comment. According to the MCC, the artist signs away all rights: "Upon submission each design and all intellectual property in the design become the property of the Maine Center for Creativity. Each entrant waives any moral rights in and to the designs, images, and artwork submitted for the competition."
This would mean the artist would have to get permission from the MCC to photograph his own work if he wanted to use it for financial gain in any way, such as in a book. And unless the Visual Artist's Rights Act trumps this contract, he can't do anything if they decide to alter, deface or remove his design.
This concept has led to several protracted and expensive lawsuits in the past, once the property owner has decided they no longer wish to have the art on their property.
If you think Gili's imagery reminds you of something, check out the picture on his book page:
http://www.jaimegili.org/libro.htmlreport abuse
Oct 9, 2008 5:28 PM
Jack, you're diluting this thread with snide asides and personal quibbles. Keith never said anything about Chavez' power in relation to oil, he merely stated his personal reason for disliking him. So stop "correcting" him. And not everyone has heard the latest trendy vernacular, so it might be more appropriate to use real words with specific meanings.
On the other hand, you raised some interesting points about art ownership in an earlier comment. According to the MCC, the artist signs away all rights: "Upon submission each design and all intellectual property in the design become the property of the Maine Center for Creativity. Each entrant waives any moral rights in and to the designs, images, and artwork submitted for the competition."
This would mean the artist would have to get permission from the MCC to photograph his own work if he wanted to use it for financial gain in any way, such as in a book. And unless the Visual Artist's Rights Act trumps this contract, he can't do anything if they decide to alter, deface or remove his design.
This concept has led to several protracted and expensive lawsuits in the past, once the property owner has decided they no longer wish to have the art on their property.
If you think Gili's imagery reminds you of something, check out the picture on his book page:
http://www.jaimegili.org/libro.htmlreport abuse
Jack Hurd
of WTVL, ME
Have you heard of Gov. Palin? Betcha have. To "palinize" a question means to talk around it or avoid it by talking about a different subject.
And, dude: you're still palinizing me. Wus.
dosomething: I wonder if Gili was specifically invited to participate or if he just happened upon the competition. I wonder if any other the other artists were invited to participate.report abuse
Oct 9, 2008 4:33 PM
John, to clarify: I am stupid AND I say stupid things.
Have you heard of Gov. Palin? Betcha have. To "palinize" a question means to talk around it or avoid it by talking about a different subject.
And, dude: you're still palinizing me. Wus.
dosomething: I wonder if Gili was specifically invited to participate or if he just happened upon the competition. I wonder if any other the other artists were invited to participate.report abuse
dosomething
of South Portland, ME
Oct 9, 2008 4:14 PM
What has become increasingly apparent with each MCC press release is that this choice for contest winner is largely due to the relationships already established by Mr. Gili. Comments like his being one of the "hottest global artists" on the scene today, would certainly indicate that Jean Maginnis is more interested in name dropping as a strategy for suggesting success when it comes to her oil tanks. Being able to say that her artist is in the Saatchi collection or Christies seems a painfully shallow tactic to legitimize what is seen as resounding failure. By choosing a collected artist she can remain aloof and continue to tell herself that the public just doesn't get it like the highbrow art world does. Ahh the little people, if only they understood whats really good for them and how great this work truly is. My goodness dear we're talking about Saatchi here.....report abuseJohn
of Hope, ME
Oct 9, 2008 3:32 PM
Wow, just can't let it go, can you Jack Hurd? I don't know whether you're stupid, you just say stupid things, or if you react to everything with a personal attack - or all of those things. Anyway, I don't know what "palinize" means; I've never heard the word before, and it's not in my dictionary. What does it mean?report abuseJack Hurd
of WTVL, ME
There are worse governments around the world that we don't care about at all. Why? Because they don't have oil.
There are worse governments around the world who are our friends merely because they have oil and we have a decent partnership with them.
Honestly, Chavez is going to love hearing that a Venezuelan artist won a competition to paint oil tanks in snowy Maine. He's going to laugh until he blows arepas and Polar out his nose.
It makes me wonder what the goal of the competition is for: Maine? Or Huck Finn's ego?report abuse
Oct 9, 2008 3:11 PM
Keith: you're wrongly thinking that oil is not related to Chavez's power. It's only because of the oil that Chavez is in power. It's only because of oil that he has the money or resources to do anything. It's because of oil that he can laugh at us - not even worrying if he sells a single drop of oil to us because of the foreign markets.
There are worse governments around the world that we don't care about at all. Why? Because they don't have oil.
There are worse governments around the world who are our friends merely because they have oil and we have a decent partnership with them.
Honestly, Chavez is going to love hearing that a Venezuelan artist won a competition to paint oil tanks in snowy Maine. He's going to laugh until he blows arepas and Polar out his nose.
It makes me wonder what the goal of the competition is for: Maine? Or Huck Finn's ego?report abuse
previous page | next page
You must be a registered user of MaineToday.com to post a comment. Register or log in.
