C U LT U R E
It’s a tall order: Produce a work of art for the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s (GAHCC) 40th-anniversary celebratory gala. That was the assignment for students in the Fall 2012 Art in Public Spaces class, taught by Associate Professor of Art Hollis Hammonds.
Drilling!
Here’s the unlikely path — which included finding out if swallowing paint will hurt you — Ally Parks ’13, Margaret Dye ’14, Danielle Denham ’14 and Brogan Ward ’14 took to create their art installation. —Lauren Liebowitz
1
Brainstorm with classmates. Suggest a lot of ideas. Shoot most of them down. Propose one as a joke, then realize it’s the best.
2
Present to your client, then wait for a decision. Wait some more.
3
Finally hear back. You’ve been chosen!
4
Buy supplies: samples of yellow, orange and red paint; a bag of black balloons (to pour the paint into); several packages of darts; plywood for sandwich boards.
5
Drag yourself out of bed at 8 a.m. to build a sample of your project.
6
SPLAT! 6
ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY
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Try blowing up a paint-filled balloon with your mouth. Get a mouthful of paint. Check if it’s non-toxic. Decide against doing that again.
7
Trial run! Throw darts at balloons affixed to sandwich boards. Miss. Try again. Miss again. Watch darts bounce off balloons. When a dart does pierce a balloon, watch a thin trickle of paint leak out instead of the great burst you envisioned.
8
Start over. Try compressed air with diluted paint. Enjoy your successful splatters.
9
Spend four hours filling balloons with paint and compressed air the night before the real performance. Discover the next morning that compressed air only lasts for a few hours. Proceed anyway.
10
Throw darts with passersby and the members of the GAHCC. Do a victory dance whenever a balloon is successfully hit. Chase each other around with paint-covered hands. Have fun.
11
Stretch the paint-covered canvases into the shape of the GAHCC logo. Present to client.
12
Sleep!
Ally and Brogan! 6/10/13 5:56 PM