Last night I had the pleasure of making my first public art pieces with some new friends. Even though I am an artist and consider myself fairly aware of art and art history, I realized that I could definitely stand to learn more about public art.
According to wikipedia, "the term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all." Wikipedia mostly pointed to large, imposing works to illustrate examples of public art. Baltimore's own "Man/Woman" statue came to mind.
According to wikipedia, "the term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all." Wikipedia mostly pointed to large, imposing works to illustrate examples of public art. Baltimore's own "Man/Woman" statue came to mind.
Man/Woman statue. A very public example of public art
I decided to look up other examples of public art, and found many other examples, some claiming to be the "most bizarre", the "most controversial", and "the best". After looking at all this, I was feeling a little unsure about what kind of public art I could make.
At the artbomb party, we had a table full of paper scraps, glue, markers, brads, paper clips, envelopes, and all kinds of found objects and tools. Mary has done a lot of public art, and explained that public art can really just be something you make for others to find. Whether you're yarnbombing or hanging up posters on the street, you are giving your gift of art to anyone who just happens to see it. A public art project could be something people see and smile about, something that makes people think, or something that people can take with them, add to, or share with others. The possibilities are endless, as they say.
As a group, we decided we'd work on separate little projects and install the majority of our pieces on our own in locations we choose. I still need to choose locations for my pieces, but have a feeling they will be hanging off tree branches or hidden inside library books.
Here are some pictures of what we made:
At the artbomb party, we had a table full of paper scraps, glue, markers, brads, paper clips, envelopes, and all kinds of found objects and tools. Mary has done a lot of public art, and explained that public art can really just be something you make for others to find. Whether you're yarnbombing or hanging up posters on the street, you are giving your gift of art to anyone who just happens to see it. A public art project could be something people see and smile about, something that makes people think, or something that people can take with them, add to, or share with others. The possibilities are endless, as they say.
As a group, we decided we'd work on separate little projects and install the majority of our pieces on our own in locations we choose. I still need to choose locations for my pieces, but have a feeling they will be hanging off tree branches or hidden inside library books.
Here are some pictures of what we made:
One group shot
Some adorable pieces
Finished pieces I made. Now I need to find a special place for them!
Thanks again to Mary for opening my eyes to the world of public art, and also to Sailor for hosting the party!
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