The Proposal

The art world practice I want to explore is “walked over” artwork. In my own definition of the word walked over artworks are designs or patterns created by using the ground as a canvas. There is nothing that I would exclude from this definition. In my field guide I will explore this topic in the surrounding area including Eugene, Springfield, Florence, Salem, Cottage Grove, and Newport.

Inspiration

What inspired me to do this subject as a field guide came from two experiences. The first, I was walking by the water fountain near Lawrence Hall and realized the design on the sidewalk.  I figured the design was something that was beautiful but went unnoticed by people who walked over it or put locked up their bikes on. I thought it would make a great field guide at wanted to see what other artwork could be considered for this category.

That brings me to the next inspiration for my project.  I found this artist online by “googling” the walked over art. This picture above is of the Parisian street artist and photographer known as J R. His project turned Times Square into a portrait gallery for his “Inside Out Project.”  J.R. takes pictures of people walking by, printed the paper instantly, and then pasted them on the ground. As you can see in the picture on the left, the people walk over the artwork, some not paying attention what they are doing. Others are appreciating the work and looking at the portraits. I would like to do this for the field guide. I will make a map of the designs or artwork using the ground as a canvas. Been

Categories of Artwork: Brickwork, Mixed Media, and Statues

The first category I want to set up my field guide work is brick patterns that you can see in the surrounding communities. Take for example the Eugene Public library’s entrance. The brickwork there was to create a learning atmosphere for people entering the public library. This is considered a “basket weave” layout of brickwork. There is also the “Herringbone, Diagonal Herringbone, Half asket weave, and much more. These are the terminology I would use for my project.

 

http://www.clarkkentcreations.com/hardscaping.html  www.paversearch.com

 

In the Encyclopedia Britannica, the history of brickmaking started as Mud rick, dried in the sun.It also says,

“It is conceivable that on the Nile, Euphrates, or Tigris rivers, following floods, the deposited mud or silt cracked and formed cakes that could be shaped into crude building units to build huts for protection from the weather. In the ancient city of Ur, in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), the first true arch of sun-baked brick was made about 4000 bc. The arch itself has not survived, but a description of it includes the first known reference to mortars other than mud. “

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/79195/brick-and-tile/76609/History-of-brickmaking

 

 

 

 

Another category to explore is chalk work. This was done by an artist named Edgar Müller. He has been one of my favorite artists to watch. These are the two examples I want to look for in the surrounding area. It does not necessarily need to e an illusion of space, but using chalk or spray paint to create an expression of art.

 

 

“Waterfall” Edgar Müller

 

“A Cave in London” by Edgar Müller

http://www.womansday.com/life/thrilling-3d-street-art-102602

 

The last category to explore for this field guide will be 3D objects. This would include statues and fountains; however, they would have to incorporate ground in some way. Like the statues of Grant Park dedicated to characters in children books. The image below is “Romona the brave.” Grant Park, and the surrounding neighborhood were the setting of many of Beverly Cleary’s most famous children’s books.

 

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/17606

The only requirements for this type of artwork is that the statue needs to interact with the ground were someone can walk and interact with the statue. This means it has to be life size scale or at least interact while walking by it. There are still other categories to explore and this is the starting point for my project.

Conclusion

The main reason I want to explore this as at practiced art projects is that I want to make people aware of their environment. It is them aware that walking to work, school, or events that you is likely to see this type of artwork. And if not, it would be a great project to start. It makes a difference atmosphere for an organization. It can intricate details and create illusion of space similar to the creations by Edgar Muller. Just like the Eugene Public library. It can make dedications such as children book characters in Grant Park.  That is why making this field guide would e fun to explore and try to organize for the public.