There are some things you probably shouldn’t do, some you might just get away with, and some you should avoid at all costs. For instance, letting your dishes pile up for a week is not going to kill you but it’s not the smartest idea either. Calling in sick to work after hosting a party for 60 may actually be successful depending on your “excuses-IQ” and possibly years of practice. When it comes to urinating on a monument, that’s probably something to avoid.
Our capital is filled with valuable art pieces: monuments, sculptures, paintings. Many are openly on display and easy for the general public to approach and touch.
But here comes the test of your own decency and morality – when the art piece just stands there and you have a chance to do whatever you want with it, will you be tempted? Will you give in?
Vandalism and graffiti have become common in Centretown.
“Murals are the only pieces that seem to survive,” says city Coun.Georges Bédard. “People sometimes tag around them but never on them. At least they have the decency to appreciate some art.”
There is, of course, an important distinction between unintentional or accidental damage and vandalism.
On the one hand, maybe you stood next to a painting at a gallery, the smell of paint was pretty strong and the next thing you knew a massive sneeze was all over the art piece.
On the other hand, there is the deliberate act of taking a pen and leaving your “mark” all over a painting, or throwing beer bottles at a monument.
Stephen Gritt, chief conservator at the National Gallery of Canada, adds that people often feel the need to touch things at museums, which can damage delicate or ancient artifacts and exhibits.
“I can understand the impulse, but why do it?” he asks.
Obviously, vandalism is not aesthetically pleasing. Seeing the artwork damaged can be painful for the artist as well, because of the time, effort and energy put into the piece. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean you can destroy it.
Vandals may be seeking fame, thrill, or satisfaction with their deeds, ignoring the fact that they ruin their own reputation even if they don’t get caught.
Const. Jean-Paul Vincelette of the Ottawa Police says these offences are split into two categories, mischief under $5,000 and mischief over $5,000, based on the value of the piece or property being damaged.
The higher the value, the higher the penalty; you can even get arrested if the act is really severe.
Art represents our society. It can be therapeutic to the eyes and the soul; it can raise discussion and debate.
Art, after all, can be timeless. Let’s hope vandalism isn’t.