Tracing the Fore

By Julia Kelley

The City of Portland, Maine, removed a large public art sculpture in late September, after a year’s worth of meetings, debates, and petitions. The work, Tracing the Fore by Shauna Gillies-Smith, was featured in our July/ August issue in Kris Wilton’s “Public Art Under Siege.” The story was recently picked up by the New York Times.

Gregory Rec, The Portland Press Herald

The sculpture, constructed in 2003 in Boothby Square, was meant to imitate the neighboring Fore River, with long grass billowing between stainless-steel waves. Unfortunately, the combination of nature and location set the piece up for failure. Weeds took over, and the central city placement made it difficult to maintain. As Wilton wrote in her article, critic Edgar Allen Beem has referred to the work as “the artistic equivalent of a vacant lot.” Artist Shauna Gillies-Smith said, “there was a big gap of time when the responsibility of maintenance was disputed.” She thought the city would be responsible maintaining the piece upon installation, while the city believed they would take over as soon as the grass was fully established.

The Portland Daily Sun, July 27, 2011

The public had varied opinions of the work. While some quietly appreciated the sculpture, many mocked the paneled waves, calling it “Saw Blades” or “Razorblades,” according to the New York Times. A local bar owner threw a celebration with discounted drinks while a construction team uprooted the work.

A local collector purchased the piece for $100 and paid for the removal of the sculpture, which costs $9000.