|
My artwork arranges situations
where people can interact with objects, their environment, and each other in
new ways. For the past seven years, I have been working primarily as a public
artist. Having come to art from a background in architecture, I have retained
the problem-solving and collaborative nature of its design process, while taking
advantage of art's experimental nature to inject my work with humor, surprise,
and challenges for the viewer. Integrated into sidewalks, public plazas, and
parks, my art is inspired by the unique qualities of its site. Often more graphical
than sculptural, these site-specific works act as pointers that lead the viewer
towards a new way of experiencing their surroundings: images relating the history
of the place, elements that lead the viewer's eye through an unusual physical
space, or environments for experiencing phenomena such as shadow and light play.
I use concrete sidewalks, metal fences, traffic signs, park benches, trashcans,
and streetlights - ordinary elements of the urban environment -- as my raw
materials. This not only helps to insure the physical stability of the pieces,
but also gives people a means of relating to the works, utilizing their existing
connections with the objects in the city environment.
Cooperation has been an
important element in all my art, in both the creation of the piece and its use.
During the design process, I collaborate with other artists, architects, engineers,
and members of the community where the piece will appear. Whether dealing with
the politics involved in getting permission and funding for a public artwork,
creating community art pieces that involve scores of volunteers, or creating
a game to be played by two people, the dynamics of the people involved in the
project are always fascinating to me. As each of my projects involves a different
site, different materials, and a different group of people, the process of discovering
and solving the unique set of challenges presented by each piece becomes as
important in creating the piece as the design and concept. I intend and hope
that those involved in these projects experience the process of producing public
art as at least as enriching an experience as seeing the final product.
|
|