I am certain that the majority of contemporary art enthusiasts will agree that most of the art in Torontoí¢â‚¬â„¢s subway stations is bland, dated, and uninspiring. It certainly doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t help that I really dislike murals, especially tiled murals. However, given the expense, and the required durability and vandal-resistant qualities needed for public art, the alternatives are often limited.

The TTC proclaims that the system has become a í¢â‚¬Ëœhidden art galleryí¢â‚¬â„¢ home to more than two dozen pieces along the routes. Would you call that a success for a system with a 50 year history? The TTC began the incorporation of art into its stations in 1978. Unfortunately the late 70s and early 80s were one of the worst periods for art. According to the TTCí¢â‚¬â„¢s website, a percent for art policy is in place where 0.5% of the construction budget for each station is allocated for artwork and finishes. Although with a somewhat lazy í¢â‚¬Å“must be durable and easy to maintainí¢â‚¬  attitude, the art that we see as a product of this policy are tiled murals and tiled photo installations as evident in the new Sheppard line stations.

Rarely does a week go by that there arení¢â‚¬â„¢t news reports about how cash strapped our public transit systems are, so it is understandable that art within the stations is not a high priority when the goal is to keep the trains running. The only solution is to form partnerships with external non-profit agencies and philanthropists to improve the art within stations.

The TTC together with the Toronto Community Foundation has formed a partnership to renovate the platform levels of the three stations closest to Torontoí¢â‚¬â„¢s top cultural institutions. Under the agreement, the TCF will provide 75% of the Funding with the TTC contributing the remainder. The project was developed with Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated.

í¢â‚¬Å“The renovation of the Museum, St Patrick and Osgoode stations offers a unique opportunity to build on the momentum created by the significant arts projects on University Avenue at the Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario and the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. By integrating the character of these arts institutions with the subway stations below, the developing theme of University Avenue as an arts avenue will be reinforced for both regular subway users and visitors to the city,í¢â‚¬  said Jack Diamond. (Source http://www.tcf.ca/about_us/pressrelease.html)

In my opinion, contemporary art in a public installation setting has a í¢â‚¬Ëœshelf lifeí¢â‚¬â„¢ of one, maybe two decades max before it starts to become lame. Having studied public art policies and practices while attending university and working in municipal government, I find that there is a strong notion within public agencies that public art must have a permanence. Sadly, it often comes to a point where vandalism of old dated public artworks (and the subsequent insurance pay out) is a welcomed alternative to the extremely difficult process of de-commissioning. There is a fear of somehow offending living artists, and as an artist myself I find it absurd that anyone should feel that they should have the right to subject the world to their artwork for eternity.

What is the alternative? The alternative is to implement temporary art that keeps stations exciting and dynamic. For this we head to Londoní¢â‚¬â„¢s Underground where their roots in art and design date back to 1908 when leading artists were commissioned to design posters. In 2000, the Platform for Art program was initiated to showcase and celebrate a rich and vibrant art scene within the Underground.

The highlight of Platform for Art is in the Gloucester Road station where a rotation of four exhibitions a year is hosted on the disused platform on the District and Circle Line. The artwork by early, mid career and established artists is seen by a millions passengers each month.

In celebration of 100 years of the Piccadilly line, the Thin Cities campaign is currently underway, and will see the installation of new art in nine stations between December 2006 and April 2007. Accompanying this event will be live performances, events and weekly podcasts. For more information at the London Undergroundí¢â‚¬â„¢s Platform for Art program, visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/arts/platform-for-art/

In the next installment (coming soon) I will look at subway graffiti from around the world.

Check out Michael Tunneyí¢â‚¬â„¢s artwork.