Broderick Tower - Humpback Whale Mural

[Meddle]

This thread is proof positive that humans can argue over anything.

We're doomed to extinction.

[401don]

This thread is proof positive that humans can argue over anything.

We're doomed to extinction.

Sure, but before or after the whales?

[Seven&wyo]

This thread is proof positive that humans can argue over anything.

We're doomed to extinction.

Ok honey.....

[Meddle]

Sure, but before or after the whales?

Before. Probably long before.

[Gistok]

This thread is proof positive that humans can argue over anything.

We're doomed to extinction.

Before you got here there was a thread about this same subject... back when the building owner wanted to cover the mural with a GM commercial ad.

[Király]

Wow, we had three of his killer whale murals here in Vancouver for years. I just assumed it was a local artist since killer whales are a local thing here. I had no idea the whales on the Broderick tower were by the same artist and that he was from Michigan.

Sadly Vancouver has lost all three of them. One was painted over, one was covered up by construction of a new building beside it, and the third was on a building that was demolished in 2015. https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2748...7i13312!8i6656

[djtomt]

This thread is proof positive that humans can argue over anything.

We're doomed to extinction.

Who gives a rat's/whale's ass about this? Answer: NOBODY. If the Broderick wants to change its mural, so be it. I don't give a F*@K. I suspect many Detroit residents don't either. Eyes on the prize people.

[Gistok]

Who gives a rat's/whale's ass about this? Answer: NOBODY. If the Broderick wants to change its mural, so be it. I don't give a F*@K. I suspect many Detroit residents don't either. Eyes on the prize people.

Um... not that simple.... the Broderick Tower owners wanted to get rid of the mural for an ad in 2018... to generate more revenue. Detroit Board of Zoning said nooooo.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...it/2277119002/

From 2006-2012 it had been "covered over" [[not destroyed) with ads via large sheeting.

[Zacha341]

Enough care/ cared as evidenced by responses to the thread. Some just tuned out and did not participate.

Who gives a rat's/whale's ass about this? Answer: NOBODY...

[Zacha341]

Nice, thanks for the link. More murals are popping up around the city. And especially along our train track underpasses. It's hard work to paint upon rough substrates like that.

Wow, we had three of his killer whale murals here in Vancouver for years...https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2748...7i13312!8i6656

[Sandhouse]

The Whaling Wall.

[Honky Tonk]

The Whaling Wall.

+5..... 🙂

[DetBill]

Kind of a reach. It says he moved to Laguna Beach waaaaay back in the 1970's! LAME! We dont know her!

I don't really care much about the mural either way but you know that if anybody tried to get rid of it we're gonna have a bunch of middle aged Karens from Auburn Hills protesting in Grand Circus Park about it.

Does anybody know what the wall looked like before the mural? I can't for the life of me find a single photo. I assume the elevator shafts are placed there so they couldn't put windows in.

I’m not quite sure whats lame about moving to San Diego in the 1970s?, People move for numerous reasons, just as many artists in their 20s and 30s now move around the country for numerous reasons, he had an intense interest in oceanography, so San Diego was an obvious choice. Now, I’m not a middle aged Karen, [[ personally I absolutely hate that now popular phrase that seems to be the cool thing to say and is soo worn out, I feel sorry for someone named Karen, or, should we assign cute names to people of different age groups and particular races for their stereotypical behavior ? , one does realize we all fall into that one way or another.. ) but I am a middle-aged person who, does not live in Auburn Hills, but rather has lived in downtown Detroit since 1990, when most wouldn't come near downtown, and I can personally attest that when this mural was done, it created a major attention getter for downtown Detroit. There was just plain concrete on the rather bland side of the building all along. You must remember that there were some efforts to tear the building down because it was tilting badly and it was an eyesore to many. Also, the surrounding area looked like a disaster zone. So for this artist, who is world known for his murals, to come back to Detroit where he was from originally, and donate substantial time and materials to make this mural, was considered to be a major donation and a plus for Detroit at the time. He had a beautiful museum in the San Diego area dedicated just to his art works, it was really a interesting museum to see if you enjoy sea life art when I was there years ago. It seems on here , not too many people appreciate his work, and thats fine, art is always subjective, but he is appreciated in many other cities throughout the world and many world-class cities around the world commissioned him to do work for them incidentally. A mural of this size is not an easy thing to do, its not childs play by any means, and has significant value in other cities. It’s so strange to read a lot of the input here, from people who obviously don’t know the history of it, because they were either not around, or weren’t even born, but for those of us that were around at the time of its painting ,it was considered to be a major accomplishment And yes, if it were to be painted over or destroyed , there most certainly would be an outcry from many people in the art community, you don’t have to be a suburbanite to not want to see valuable art destroyed. I am most curious how so many get upset when some old building thats vacant and abused gets torn down [[ a valid concern ), yet , don’t seem to understand the value of something like this mural. It’s funny how overtime people often minimize things done by prior generations, Seeing only things , that are done currently as being relevant. Im sure the same will be said in twenty years about things done downtown and midtown now, with people wondering “ what in the world were they thinking, its ugly” Its all kinda funny how life goes on..

[p1acebo]

I’m not quite sure whats lame about moving to San Diego in the 1970s?, People move for numerous reasons, just as many artists in their 20s and 30s now move around the country for numerous reasons, he had an intense interest in oceanography, so San Diego was an obvious choice. Now, I’m not a middle aged Karen, [[ personally I absolutely hate that now popular phrase that seems to be the cool thing to say and is soo worn out, I feel sorry for someone named Karen, or, should we assign cute names to people of different age groups and particular races for their stereotypical behavior ? , one does realize we all fall into that one way or another.. ) but I am a middle-aged person who, does not live in Auburn Hills, but rather has lived in downtown Detroit since 1990, when most wouldn't come near downtown, and I can personally attest that when this mural was done, it created a major attention getter for downtown Detroit. There was just plain concrete on the rather bland side of the building all along. You must remember that there were some efforts to tear the building down because it was tilting badly and it was an eyesore to many. Also, the surrounding area looked like a disaster zone. So for this artist, who is world known for his murals, to come back to Detroit where he was from originally, and donate substantial time and materials to make this mural, was considered to be a major donation and a plus for Detroit at the time. He had a beautiful museum in the San Diego area dedicated just to his art works, it was really a interesting museum to see if you enjoy sea life art when I was there years ago. It seems on here , not too many people appreciate his work, and thats fine, art is always subjective, but he is appreciated in many other cities throughout the world and many world-class cities around the world commissioned him to do work for them incidentally. A mural of this size is not an easy thing to do, its not childs play by any means, and has significant value in other cities. It’s so strange to read a lot of the input here, from people who obviously don’t know the history of it, because they were either not around, or weren’t even born, but for those of us that were around at the time of its painting ,it was considered to be a major accomplishment And yes, if it were to be painted over or destroyed , there most certainly would be an outcry from many people in the art community, you don’t have to be a suburbanite to not want to see valuable art destroyed. I am most curious how so many get upset when some old building thats vacant and abused gets torn down [[ a valid concern ), yet , don’t seem to understand the value of something like this mural. It’s funny how overtime people often minimize things done by prior generations, Seeing only things , that are done currently as being relevant. Im sure the same will be said in twenty years about things done downtown and midtown now, with people wondering “ what in the world were they thinking, its ugly” Its all kinda funny how life goes on..

Well said, I always thought it was a cool and unique mural in the middle of downtown Detroit.

[Gistok]

This was discussed on DetroitYES about a dozen years ago. Most everyone then preferred the mural to a giant billboard... which is exactly what it would become if the mural were destroyed.

[Gistok]

One of Detroit's best muralists is Asian-American artist Louise Jones, who has done some fantastic murals around Detroit and around the country.

https://ouizi.art/murals

2 of my favorite of her commissions are on just regular commercial buildings that really shine with her blazing floral work in SW Detroit...

[Meddle]

Its all kinda funny how life goes on..

It's all kinda funny how paragraphs work.

[Meddle]

Well said,

Dunno. Didn't read that wall-o-words. Woulda bin better with paragraphs.



And if you didn't quote the whole thing.

[softailrider]

Who gives a rat's/whale's ass about this? Answer: NOBODY. If the Broderick wants to change its mural, so be it. I don't give a F*@K. I suspect many Detroit residents don't either. Eyes on the prize people.

Okay I’ll bite, what is that prize you’re referring to?

[Zacha341]

^^^ I think that was a 'drive-by' poster. Probably will not be seen for a while....