Public Sculpture Exhibit

Artist Statement: Inspired by my love for foxes, this sculpture is an attempt to portray the natural beauty in the gestural movement of foxes. This is shown throughout the composition, with the posture of the fox seeming as if it could take its next step in any given moment. It is meant to seem as if the fox was mid-step and frozen in time.

Artist Statement: A cycle is a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order. An endless cycle is a trap. Relationships can sometimes follow a cycle similarly. They are not always happy or good cycles. In the case of Ciclo sin Fin, the representation of a secret relationship that I experienced in the last year is finally being presented to the public. I decided to name it Ciclo sin Fin because throughout the time that I was involved with this individual, I felt trapped, and it felt never ending on various occasions. There are two colors representing two individuals, one of them being myself. They are also cut in particular shapes that contrast each other. The yellow ribbons are cut to end in a soft round form, while the blue ribbons are cut sharper and straight. The process that I took into bending these ribbons was also a separating factor between the two ribbons. All the curves that I created on the blue ribbons were done by hitting them aggressively with a hammer. The curves that I created on the yellow ribbons were all done with my own force as they were held onto the vice, a calm alternative than how I created the bending on the blue ribbons. This internally was to relieve some aggression after the end of this relationship. I decided to encage these two individuals (ribbons) to represent the never-ending cycle that they created. At times both made attempts to escape the cycle, but somehow, they were led back to each other to continue the endless cycle.

This sculpture won 1st Place in the 2022 Public Sculpture Awards.

Artist Statement: One step forward, three steps back, lost memories, growth in pain, and music to groove to plus exploration of steel gave way to what I have titled “Lola”. This process of bending, mending, and welding steel rods to form Lola headed way a new direction of growth in my own heart and a love for steel sculptures. 

Artist Statement: I have an appreciation for the natural world, so in the early stages of my creative process, I knew I wanted to design a piece that is very organic. I landed on the idea of making a giant flower that could double as a street lamp. The bloom of the flower was loosely based off of the Chinese lantern plant, which is a play on the intended future function/purpose of the sculpture as a light. Most flowers are small traditionally, but I have chosen to make mine large because we often overlook the smaller things in our lives. I wanted this flower to exist on a larger scale in order to command the viewer's attention. Something else I aimed to do when creating this work was to echo how plants function in nature with my own sculpture's function. My flower doubles as a street light at night. I accomplished this by placing a solar panel in the top of the sculpture at the receptacle of the flower and hiding string lights within. Just as real flowers use sunlight to function during photosynthesis, my work uses the sun to power its own function. To create this piece, I started with a steel armature then used hardware cloth to build up the form. After that I had a more organic form, however there were still some sharp angles I wanted to soften. I then covered the piece in multiple layers of duct tape then many coats of heavy duty outdoor liquid nail to give it the natural look I was after. To create the petals I used spray adhesive and a heat gun to layer on cellophane and a protective layer of velum onto a steel frame. I attached the solar panel and wiring within the sculpture and tied the lights so they hang from the center of the bloom, mimicking the stamen of a real flower. My hope is to inspire a sense of wonder for the enchantment of the natural world. I want my work to inspire others to take a closer look at the world around them so they don't miss all the beauty that it has, big and small.

Artist Statement: My goal for this piece is to brighten students’ day as they walk by. I will do my best to make the sculpture one students will want to go and see. I titled it “The Butterfly Effect” because, if a student decides to change their daily routine and they walk past my sculpture, I want them to see it and have a new outlook on the day. I want them to smile and enjoy their next class, even if its physics. The butterfly above was my inspiration. My mission is to complete the sculpture and be happy with the result because if I’m not happy with it, I know students won’t be happy either.

Artist Statement: I like to create art that allows people to see beyond the lens of reality through a series of what-ifs. So, what if large dendro slimes were real? The dendro slime is a common enemy in the game Genshin Impact. By bringing it into reality, people will get the chance to step into the characters' shoes and get an idea of the actual size of the slime.

Artist Statement: In this piece I aim to explore my relationship with anger and how it has affected me and the people around me. Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences, whether justified or not. Despite it being a common experience, anger is often looked down on. It isn’t a socially acceptable emotion to display, especially if it is being displayed by someone who is traditionally supposed to be gentle and docile. In this project I wanted those who are told to be gentle to get a chance to feel their anger. I aim to portray this narrative with a combination of steel and floral wire; constructing the rabbit (which is traditionally a soft and quiet creature) out of steel, making it a much more intimidating presence. I made the human (something that has a history of hunting and killing rabbits) into a small, frail form constructed out of floral wire, a thin and delicate material. Much more delicate than steel. The rabbit is displayed devouring the human. Through this narrative the rabbit is finally given the opportunity to overcome what was once its oppressor. Anger, wielded correctly, can be a powerful motivator to better look after ourselves. 

Artist Statement: A lot of my art centers around fear, but more importantly the confrontation of it. By physically creating any form of art based around my fears I can step back and fully look at the fear and find what truly bothers me about it. The sculpture of Scrappy J. is centered around this artistic principle. The ghost was created welding steel sheets together to create the scrappy fabric effect. Both eyes have been painted with a florescent green and glow in the dark paint. 

Artist Statement: Why not create a whimsical project that’ll bring smiles and joy to our campus? My artistic approach used to be jocular, but I strayed away from that to explore mental health, but I wasn’t happy with that decision. So, I’ve touched back on my roots and have thus started creating art for the pure intention of doing what I love and exploring myself as an artist.

Artist Statement: For this sculpture, I used simple forms and size difference between the horse and cowboy to create a comedic effect alongside with the posing of the cowboy.  My hope with this public sculpture is for the viewers to pass by and find it comedic; to lighten up their mood as they go about their day.

Artist Statement: Forks are a commonly used, household utensil.  They are a tool for providing for yourself; they give you fulfillment.  This is why I would like to create a big fork sculpture on campus.  As college students, we are here to learn, to gain knowledge, and to find our way.  The fork represents the craving of humans to fulfill our desires and to seek out something that will sustain our minds.  I hope the public will take away the idea that forks are representative of the need to provide for yourself and think about how they are fulfilling their desires throughout their time on campus.