urban curators
when i was in college i wanted to be one of those art students who was constantly doing something thought-provoking and cutting-edge. you know, the kids that would wrap the campus mascot in some sort of woven creation overnight and cause a campus-wide stir. instead i ended up being the type who lived in the print studio and constantly smelled of turpentine. but it looks like some students at risd have decided to make a statement of their own through a project called urban curators.
risd students took to the streets of providence with gold frames to draw attention to areas they felt were worthy of artistic celebration. their mission statement explains: "the goal of the urban curators project is to engage the public in the celebration of the decaying urban environment, recognizing its inherent aesthetic qualities as well as the important role that it plays within our cultural habitat. the project achieves its goal by elevating common, overlooked objects and spaces within the city of providence, rhode island to the level of high art." the project brings to mind an ongoing dialogue about the subjectivity of art and allows people to think about becoming their own urban curator. the idea of urban decay as art isn't exactly a new concept but i love the idea of students taking the time to explore their surroundings and embrace the beauty in their own town. it's inspired me to look more closely at my surroundings today and i think it's a fun idea as we all head home from work...click here for more information. [thanks, sarah]
Labels: artwork, student design
posted by design*sponge @ 9.2.07
7 Comments:
I saw something like this one day years ago on my walk into work. Someone had hung up two canvases on a wall of graffiti on E. 3rd street in the EV, perfectly painted with that section of the graffiti. This was in maybe '98, way before the advent of digital cameras, so I have no pictures of it.
It was so subtle, you could easily miss it, the only thing distinguishing the canvas from the wall of graffiti was the slightest hint of a shadow where the canvas met the wall. It was amazing and has stuck with me always.
this has been done at every art school for thirty years, bo-ring.
I don't find it boring. I find it beautiful.
This is beautiful. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the beauty around us. Thanks for highlighting students again.... :)
Trish
It's a little sad that we appreciate things more only when they are displayed as art. That said, we sometimes need a pointer (or in this case, a frame) to make us stop and smell the roses.
i saw this on a wall in soho a couple of months ago. i wonder if it these people or just another person who appreciates the art of the every day.
Perhaps it isn't the most original idea. Artists have been inspired by the urban decay for a long time. And according to previous posts, perhaps this exact idea has been done before. It's so simple and genious, that its hard to believe that this is the first time.
However, I think it is pathetic that people are so concerned with originality that they are afraid to make statements that have the ability to affect others in positive ways. Who knows how many Providence residents saw these frames and smiled. Perhaps they will view the world in a more creative way from now on.
Only bad ideas should be patented. Good ideas should be disseminated. All we have to do is get over our own egos. So critics who are concerned that this has been done before: its a great idea, so do it again so others can see it. But do it because its interesting and because people deserve to witness it first hand, not because you want to be famous and thought of as an genius artist who came up with the idea of the century. The notion of a genius autonomous artist is a myth to begin with, so let it go.
To the RISD students: nice work. But don't draw inspiration from being mentioned in blogs and magazines, because most likely you getting publicity for an idea that has been around for a long time. Most likely dozens of people have done it before. But because of self-promotion, you get some publicity. This is great, because more people get to see it, but remember that you are borrowing from others, so don't let it get to your head
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