My intimate art intervention was inspired by my tour of campus during orientation. When the students in my group reached Fleck Hall, the glass tubes in the walls became quite the novelty. Everyone had to hunch or stand on their tippy-toes to discover what was behind this mysterious wall at their mysterious new school. This seemed like a perfect metaphor for our education, as the purpose of our time in college is to make us insightful problem solvers. St Edward's always stresses its international focus, so I decided to make the art globally themed. After deciding on the venue and theme, I printed out ten pictures of important aspects our society that don't gain much public attention. I cut the pictures into small circles and taped them to some of the glass circles outside Fleck's wall. The pictures are of a sweatshop, the Gulf Coast oil spill, pigs being slaughtered, Guantanamo Bay Prison, an impoverished Indian household, the wall separating Palestinians from Israel, a prison in California, the Senate floor, protests in Iran, and Bernie Madoff's old office. The wall symbolizes what we come in to contact every day that shields us from these misunderstood parts of the world. When we buy McDonald's, invest our money, pump gas, buy clothes, or vote; we really have a very small idea of how that impacts the world behind the scenes. The goal of the piece is not to spread my ideals, but request reflection. After all, the audience is made of students learning to "think globally".
by Richard Glass
No comments:
Post a Comment