20 + 28 points
Public Art Opportunities by Kristen Maddox
August 13th, 2010 10:35 PM
I had really bad cabin fever one night. This happens a lot to me. I had the sudden urge to make guerrilla art. This wasn't the first time this happened to me. But I digress...
I chose to create the word "RENEW" out of sticks I found in my backyard. I live in Lakeview, in Chicago and I'm very thankful for this tree. Even though our actual yard is a gravel crock of crap. Anyways, this word just popped into my head. I think it works because I used the tree to create something else, whereas the fallen branches could have just been thrown away. It goes from existing just in my backyard, to existing out in the open, even though they are just like other branches in the neighborhood. Then I thought of the significance of renewal, in different instances including the green movement, art, and creative destruction in business. Because of all these different connotations of the word, I hoped other people would connect their own meanings to the art.
But this would be only their first interaction with it.
Next, they would be invited to create their own art. I provided twigs by a piece of found paper and a sign saying, "FREE! Art Supplies! Please take!". I was trying to be tongue-in-cheek and give something to people that they already had. Not to be condescending but as a comment on people's perception and how ordinary things can go unnoticed. I never would have thought to make art with twigs late at night if it weren't for this task, for instance!
I hope people perceived this art as something public. I took my own private twigs into the open and shared them. (haha, that makes me sound like a twig hoarder) and invited them to make their own art.
The public aspect was very important even though it may be more understated and unexpected. Usually when I see street art, there isn't an accompanying invitation for me to make my own art. In this simple way, I hope others become inspired to make something and leave it for people to find. Hopefully they'll do something more artistic, more daring. Something that will renew their environment and also their creativity.
I chose to create the word "RENEW" out of sticks I found in my backyard. I live in Lakeview, in Chicago and I'm very thankful for this tree. Even though our actual yard is a gravel crock of crap. Anyways, this word just popped into my head. I think it works because I used the tree to create something else, whereas the fallen branches could have just been thrown away. It goes from existing just in my backyard, to existing out in the open, even though they are just like other branches in the neighborhood. Then I thought of the significance of renewal, in different instances including the green movement, art, and creative destruction in business. Because of all these different connotations of the word, I hoped other people would connect their own meanings to the art.
But this would be only their first interaction with it.
Next, they would be invited to create their own art. I provided twigs by a piece of found paper and a sign saying, "FREE! Art Supplies! Please take!". I was trying to be tongue-in-cheek and give something to people that they already had. Not to be condescending but as a comment on people's perception and how ordinary things can go unnoticed. I never would have thought to make art with twigs late at night if it weren't for this task, for instance!
I hope people perceived this art as something public. I took my own private twigs into the open and shared them. (haha, that makes me sound like a twig hoarder) and invited them to make their own art.
The public aspect was very important even though it may be more understated and unexpected. Usually when I see street art, there isn't an accompanying invitation for me to make my own art. In this simple way, I hope others become inspired to make something and leave it for people to find. Hopefully they'll do something more artistic, more daring. Something that will renew their environment and also their creativity.
