public art – Page 2 – Kristen Baumlier

Category: public art

Moss Graffiti

Posted on November 30, 2012December 2, 2012 by Kbaumlier

I recently got an update from Kulturlabor Trial & Error, a upcycling group from Berlin that I met at the Pixelache conference in May. Recently, the group did a project of doing moss graffiti, which has become a public art form, eco graffiti form, and a method for greening up walls and urban spaces. Moss absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, so in theory putting more moss in the world can help clean up the atmosphere.

To do moss graffiti, a natural “paint” can be applied which is made by using ingredients that include yogurt, sugar and beer. The weather conditions, and location will affect the success of the moss growing. Moss grows best in damp conditions.

To make the “paint” you mix up some clumps of moss, yogurt or buttermilk and sugar in a blender. You then use a brush and stencil or paint freehand on the wall. Every couple of days, reapply the mixture, and also spritz the area with water to encourage growth.

After a week, the moss will start to establish itself on the wall. It will take about a month for the moss to fully grow.

Got a wall or space that you think needs a little lite? Put some moss on it! Some of the links below have directions to get you started.

Image Source:
trial-error.org – Moss Graffiti Project

Links:

Making Moss Graffitti: Instructables.com

how-to-make-moss-graffiti -apartmenttherapy.com

trial-error.org – Moss Graffiti Project

Papaya and Tomatoes – Kbaumlier Images on a Billboard in Detroit, MI

Posted on September 3, 2012September 6, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Earlier this summer, I participated in the Digital Billboard Art Project, a project where artists can submit images to be displayed on a public digital billboard. I had 45 images in the show that were shown on a billboard near a highway in the Detroit Metro area (Macomb County), MI. The images were of food – in both abstract and recognizable views, combined with words and slogans often used by advertisers to promote packaged food. A tomato with the word “SAME GREAT TASTE,” a papaya with the words “50% LESS FAT*” and images of rice, soybeans, a peach, and cheese were in the series.

Each of the foods in the series has a unique story related to genetic engineering or modern farming practices. I was interested to be part of this show since it was in Detroit, a city which is facing challenges of food access and food equity.

The images from the show are now up on flickr, and there is a new video of the billboard, which shows the images in a slideshow timed video. It is interesting to see how the images appear in the context of being in public on the street.

The Billboard Art Project is a project that acquires digital billboards normally used for advertising and repurposes them as roadside galleries – showing images from artists. Types of work that may be displayed include images created specifically for the billboard as well as images of previously made art adapted to the format. No two Billboard Art Project shows are alike; each city features new work.

This year upcoming shows included other locations such as Richmond, VA; Salem, OR; Albany, NY, and Atlanta, GA. The Detroit show was unique in that the images were up for a month.

Links:

http://billboardartproject.org/cities/detroit.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIGuNzOjNbE&list=UUmVsJp7-w-n6vj3QALtdqcg&index=1&feature=plcp

Today is International Yarn Bombing Day

Posted on June 11, 2012June 11, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Today you might just see some knitted “monster feet” on a picnic table, a crocheted turtleneck on a tree, or a knitted picnic set in the park. Yes – today is International Yarn Bombing Day, which started last year.

Also called knit graffiti, yarn bombing started over 20 years ago, when artists and groups wanted to give a softer side to urban environments – and created public works using yarn and other soft fiber materials. Maternal expressions such as knitting, or wrapping up something have been used to transform the cold, concrete, and metal elements in our landscapes. Hydrants, lampposts, mailboxes, bicycles, cars, and even buses and bridges have all been yarn bombed in recent years. In 2009, the book, “Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti” was published, and yarn bombing has gone global, with the first International Yarn Bombing Day held on June 11 of last year.

The group behind International Yarn Bombing Day was started by a knitter “knitting ninja” Joann Matvichuk who lives in in Lethbridge Alberta Canada. Matvichuk was looking for a way to bring awareness of yarnbombing to her community and the world, so started to communicate with other fiber artists to create a day to yarnbomb and share images of what is done this day.

Yarn bombing is often considered littering or vandalism. Pieces are often installed at night, and sometimes are removed by city officials. Some groups, like a group in Carrboro, NC who put up some yarn pieces in a public area earlier this year will get permission from the city before making the pieces, and also follow guidelines such as making the pieces less than 8 feet tall, and on approved public spaces only.

The Facebook page for the event says, “Fiber artists of the world uniting on one day to bring color and beauty to our urban landscape.” There is a flickr page associated with the day, so check back later to see what gets posted. Also – watch closely for yarn to appear in your neighborhood today on June 11^th, and if you are a knitter or crocheter – get your yarn out!

Image Source:
International Yarn Bombing Day – Facebook page

Links:

International Yarn Bombing Day – Flickr page

International Yarn Bombing Day – Facebook page

You Are Here – A Tree Trunk of a Different Matter

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by Kbaumlier

In March, a new public art piece was installed in Portland, OR near the Jeld-Wen Field soccer stadium which is a cast bronze sculpture that depicts a large 9-foot diameter slice of a tree trunk. The sculpture, made by Rob Baron, is titled “You Are Here” and is a cast of a large tree trunk slice with growth rings, an edge of bark, and objects embedded into it.

Instead of dots to recognize specific years or time periods, the tree is covered with small sculptural figures and symbols that reference the history of the stadium site and the surrounding neighborhood called Goose Hollow. The work also refer to the lumber industry that sustained Oregon’s economy for over a century and also helped build Portland into the city that it is today.

The objects in the piece came from Portland’s secondhand stores and were selected so that they referred to the culture, commerce, and sports events at the site. Some of the objects include a tennis racket, soccer ball, a trophy, vegetables, baseball hat and glove, a Timber Jim bobble head doll, some greyhounds and a collection of cat figures (the stadium has a population of feral cats nearby.)

Baron’s idea for the piece came a Portland Timbers’ soccer game, where he saw the team’s mascot, Timber Joey, cut a slab from a log with a chainsaw each time the team scored a goal. The wood slabs are presented to the team members who scored the goal after each match.

The sculpture was supported by the Percent-for-Art program, which supports the policy requiring that 2 percent of the budget on large projects be spent on permanent public art installations.

Image Source:
artsamerica.org

Links:

www.ronbaron.net/

artsamerica.org

Words in Motion: Poetry and Animation on the London Underground

Posted on May 1, 2012May 1, 2012 by Kbaumlier

January can be a wet, cold, and grey month for people living in London. The group Smile For London decided to brighten up the London Underground with poetry and animation. The group asked a selection of poets and writers (which includes both famous and amateur) to contribute writings of up to 40 words that would be developed into animations that would play on the platform screens across the London Underground.

Some of the poems are poets which include Jarvis Cocker, Murray Lachlan Young and Benjamin Zephaniah. The imagery for the animation was done by illustrators, artists, animators and filmmakers including Macolm Garrett, Andy Rementer and Why Not Associates.

Forty of the Words in Motion films were created. Each piece is twenty seconds long and combines a voiceover, text, and imagery.

The Word in Motion project aims to spark an interest in poetry and writing as well and also to amuse and visually inspire the individuals who see the pieces. The pieces are no longer running in London, but you can see all of the pieces on a the Word in Motion Vimeo page. It might just brighten your day.

Image Source:
Word in Motion Pieces on Vimeo

Links:

Word in Motion Pieces on Vimeo