The impact and influence of public art in the contemporary urban culture has become increasingly eminent. Considering the historical track of urban construction and development, public art in urban construction is holistic as well as partial, systematic as well as essential. It is a matter of social science as well as human science.

　　This essay adopts the characteristics of systems theory as an approach to study the systems theory of public art. It exemplifies how the features of public art represent the city’s image and content throughout the developmental progress of urban modernization. Adopting the rational and objective approach of systems theory as its theoretical base, this essay employs the characteristics of systems theory (wholeness, relativity, dynamics, sequency, teleology) as suggested by the Austrian-born American founder of general system theory, Ludwig Von Bertalanffy, in the study of the urban public art realm in order to provide the frame and structure for the study of systems theory of urban public art. It aims to adopt the characteristics of systems theory as an approach to study the public art system. Through the inductive analysis of architecture and public art in the nature of public facilities among national and foreign urban construction, this essay divides the enormous and complicated urban systematic engineering into two parts: the architectural system and the public art system. In a city, all urban public facilities other than architecture can become part of the holistic public art system through artistic development and creation. By means of the objective existence of the ecological, artificial, humanistic and spiritual environments of the circulatory system of urban construction, this essay studies the characteristics of the system theory of urban public art in the hope that contemporary urban construction could achieve a more comprehensive and sustainable development.

　　Keywords： Public Art, Systems Theory, Medium, Urban

　　1. The Forms of Expression in the Public Art System

　　As an important medium that changes our ways of exchange with our surroundings, and as an art form that exists in the public space and builds interaction with the city’s public, public art can provide both practical and spiritual support to the life of the city’s public. An urban public space that embodies public art is a place for people to gather, carry out exchanges, shop, relax and seek leisure. The public realm of a city – the streets, plazas and parks – provides such exchange platform in the public life. As Senie explains, a city’s streets and open space is a stage for us to act publicly and develop interrelations; they regulate the theater of the public realm and to a large extent decide the quality of city life. Within such space and from the prevalence of its design reveal the cultural attitude toward public space, which provides implications on the people’s attitude.[1] In the blooming era of public art in the beginning of the 20th century, works of public art existed in every major city around the world, in the plazas, parks, architecture, schools, airports, stations, theaters, government buildings, commercial centers, community centers etc. The works of public art have always been influencing people’s behaviors and beliefs. The scope and complexity in scale of public art make it a unique characteristic among all the urban features.

　　In the urban public space, the works of public art allow interaction between the artists and the audience so that they can cooperate and improve the public life of the city. If an artwork has no interaction with the public, it fails to fulfill the concept of public art, and thus remains only an artwork showcasing in the outdoor space. “If we define ‘public art’ by its most basic precepts, then its roots reach far back in history. Its works are conceived for larger audiences, and placed to garner their attention; meant to provide an edifying, commemorative, or entertaining experience; and convey messages through generally comprehensible content.”[2] We name an artwork that exists in the urban public space “public art” because in the public consciousness, it is the art of the public. Every work of public art reflects the sociology, humanities, philosophy and aesthetics behind the city’s politics, economy, history and culture. As elucidated by Zhang, public art is the art of the public space. Commonality is the core and premise of public art; it allows the public to enjoy the aesthetics of the artwork equally. Public art is a specific cultural form that necessarily requires linkage with the public.[3] Consequently, in the contemporary era of public art, public art becomes an important element and symbol of a city’s epoch and its contemporary cultural characteristics.

　　Fig 1 The forms of expression in the public art system