Inspiration

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** "THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO ART. THE PUBLIC NEEDS ART, AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE 'SELF-PROCLAIMED' ARTIST TO REALIZE THE PUBLIC NEEDS ART, AND NOT TO MAKE BOURGEOIS ART FOR THE FEW AND IGNORE THE MASSES. I AM INTERESTED IN MAKING ART TO BE EXPERIENCED AND EXPLORED BY AS MANY INDIVIDUALS AS POSSIBLE WITH AS MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL IDEAS ABOUT THE GIVEN PIECE WITH NO FINAL MEANING ATTACHED. THE VIEWER CREATES THE REALITY, THE MEANING, THE CONCEPTION OF THE PIECE. I AM MERELY A MIDDLEMAN TRYING TO BRING IDEAS TOGETHER." -KEITH HARING ** ======

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Ever since I was a little kid, art has been a part of me. I used to spend days just drawing away, creating imaginary worlds and characters, experimenting with paints and markers and crayons. This passion for art has stuck with me over the years, and drawing has become my creative outlet of thoughts and ideas. Recently, I have sparked an interest in street art—public murals, installations, graffiti, stencils, stickers, etc. Street art allows artists to bring their thoughts and ideas out into public spaces where they can be viewed by a broad audience. ======

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Some famous street artists who have inspired me include Keith Haring, Banksy, and Shepard Fairey. Haring created much of his work on the streets, most of which carried social messages. One of his most famous pieces is the //Crack is Wack// mural on New York’s FDR Drive, which protested the crack epidemic in the 1980s and its effects on New York City. Banksy is an anonymous English graffiti and stencil artist whose art confronts many political and social issues. For example, in August of 2005 he painted nine images on the Israeli West Bank barrier, one of which portrayed children digging hole through the wall. Shepard Fairey is of course most famous for his Obama “HOPE” posters. Fairey’s roots lie in street art, and his OBEY sticker campaign encourages people to question advertisements and propaganda. All of his works are extremely politically charged. ======

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I am fascinated with the idea of public art, because it is outside and in-your-face. City streets and sidewalks are the ideal locations to convey messages to a broad audience. Although Banksy and Fairey often install their artwork illegally, many cities are accepting of street art and often commission art installations because it improves the aesthetic appearance of the urban sprawl. My fascination and passion for art will be the driving force behind my senior year project. ======

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My interest in the environment was also instilled in me at a young age. I was a wild and adventurous kid, and to me the woods seemed like a boundless playground. Like in my drawings, my imagination could run wild in the woods, and I was free to play and explore. My parents brought me on frequent hiking trips, teaching me their love of the outdoors. I took this passion to the next step this summer, when I volunteered for the Student Conservation Association. This organization is dedicated to protect and restore national parks and other green spaces in all 50 states. ======

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 With SCA, I ventured into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho. For a month, I was fourteen miles away from any roads, cars, buildings, or electricity. With a group of five other students and two leaders, I built two hiking trails and a bridge. I learned how to use tools like pulaskis and mcleods, and I became an expert at camping, hiking, and trailwork. I learned backcountry cooking methods and how to camp safely. Over the month my appreciation for nature grew exponentially. The views were breathtaking and the fresh air was invigorating. Although the work was hard, I was so happy to be out in the woods, helping to make it more accessible to others. I found that besides ice cream and dishwashers, there wasn’t very much I missed from the high-tech, materialistic world. I loved the simple life, and my experience changed my view on the luxury of items that we consider necessary here in Newton. And now that I have really experienced nature, I am more committed than ever to do what I can to protect it. ======

I recently studied the earthworks art movement of the late 1960's in my art class, and was intrigued by the way in which the artists utilized the landscape as a means of inspiration as well as materials and setting. This idea could also be applied to street art and graffiti, where the paint and sculptures usually reflect the urban environment in which they are constructed. I plan to explore this connection between public art and its environment for my senior year project. I will research several leading artists from three different public art movements: earthworks, graffiti, and street art. I will compare these artists and their work and hopefully draw connections between art and its environment.

For the field work aspect of this project, I plan to build my own public sculptures inspired by the earthworks movement. I want to build these sculptures in the woods, and utilize only available, natural materials, while drawing inspiration from the surrounding environment. I will also conduct interviews with artists about environmental influence on their art.