Every time I cross over I laugh at their giant metal garbage sculpture things that I think they call "art."
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —A sculpture project towering over the South 24th Street bridge in Council Bluffs is supposed to be symbolic of man, machine and transformation -- a modern relic representative of an area with rich agricultural history.
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But some drivers see it as something else.
"It looks like someone just went into the junkyard, grabbed some scrap metal, slapped it all together and called it art," said Chris Ragle, who drives past the new sculptures on his way to work.
The idea of the subjectivity of art perception has become a problem in the city -- maybe even a hazard; one driver said the sculpture caused him to crash his car into another car.
The project is spearheaded by the Iowa West Foundation and the Department of Transportation. The foundations called the project an odyssey and a gateway to Council Bluffs.
"We're hearing a wide range of opinions, from negative to positive," said the foundation's CEO Todd Graham in a statement. "Public art generates dia logue and discussion. Initially, new installations often generate negative feedback."
He pointed to the Eiffel Tower in Paris as an example. When it was built, it caused an outrage.
Ragle's initial interpretation of the bridge art reminded him of a horror movie.
"It looks like Freddy Krueger hands coming down, trying to grab somebody," Ragle said.
A La Vista man rear-ended another car on Monday. He told police he was distracted by the artwork. That doesn't surprise Vicky Hovan, who was driving through the city on her way to Denver.
"It just doesn't look right. It just doesn't look inviting here. 'Come on, people, stop in, we're going to stab you,'" she said.
Alan Ruff said it's time for the creators to head back to the drawing board. Ruff suggested something "simpler, more Midwestern and less gaudy."
