Has enough time elapsed that we can now be critical of certain events surrounding the shooting in Dallas? It feels to me like enough time has elapsed. We’ve already had another mass shooting of cops. Our own tragedy happened — what? — about six months ago? That’s how it feels, which is sickening. But it seems now that we are free to discuss things like comfort dogs in newsrooms and banners masquerading as “art installations” and hold them up to some scrutiny. Let us not allow sick gunmen to cloud our thinking. For now, I’ll stick to the art.
When the Morning News announced that Yoko Ono’s banner was being hung outside the DMA, writer Rick Brettell described it as an “installation” and a “text-based piece.” To be fair, he also said that “her work … is being displayed as a large-scale banner.” From where I sit, across Ross Avenue, it is a banner. I’m not even sure I’d call it large scale. There are banner advertisements downtown that are far larger and cover entire buildings. Please understand that I am not taking issue with the message on this particular banner. It is a beautiful message. It’s just that I’d like us all to call it what it is, which is a banner with Yoko Ono’s name on it.
A friend of mine, an artist who lives here, said to me: “To save money and effort, it could have said, ‘Imagine Yoko Ono Imagining Peace Forever.’ Let’s just cut out the middle man.”
