Spring Break
Unconventional canvas stirs up controversy
Melanie Deziel
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Focus
As an anonymous artist continues to showcase his stenciled spray painted designs across the UConn campus, students and faculty are left debating where they draw the fine line between vandalism and art.
Curbs, columns and concrete walls across campus have become the canvas of choice for this anonymous artist, and many of these surfaces have donned his or her seemingly benign works. The back entrance to North Dining Hall, the curb outside Beach Hall, and a generator behind Monteith are just a few of the more than seven locations that this artist has marked. With the eye catching color and architectural placement typical of urban graffiti, and the clean lines and meticulous detail more characteristic of mainstream art forms, these works are walking the tightrope between the categories of "art" and 'vandalism." With the commencement of removal efforts, most people in the UConn community have an opinion.
The artistic value of the pieces seems to weigh most heavily on the opinions of students.
"It's definitely a lot more interesting than a blank wall," said Julian Neri, a 2nd-semester engineering major.
Several students admitted to having walked an atypical path to a normal destination, or having made a special trip altogether, solely for the purpose of spotting a newly discovered design. A female student observing a life-sized cat painted outside the North Dining Hall was overheard comparing her search for the pieces to an Easter egg hunt.
The eager-eyed student body is not, however, ignoring the illegality of the pieces.
"I've seen graffiti art on bulletin boards and in the art buildings, and that's cool, but to see it done randomly all over campus like that is not," said Haley Barber, a 6th-semester communication disorders major.
While some students, like Barber, are swayed more by the questionable legality than the aesthetics, there are many more who are simply caught in the middle of the debate.
"Personally, they don't bother me at all. But you can't just go out and do that to a building. It's illegal, " said Kyle Ambrose, a 2nd-semester mechanical engineering major. "I don't know. It's not really graffiti; it's not just art. I guess it's a little bit of both."
Curbs, columns and concrete walls across campus have become the canvas of choice for this anonymous artist, and many of these surfaces have donned his or her seemingly benign works. The back entrance to North Dining Hall, the curb outside Beach Hall, and a generator behind Monteith are just a few of the more than seven locations that this artist has marked. With the eye catching color and architectural placement typical of urban graffiti, and the clean lines and meticulous detail more characteristic of mainstream art forms, these works are walking the tightrope between the categories of "art" and 'vandalism." With the commencement of removal efforts, most people in the UConn community have an opinion.
The artistic value of the pieces seems to weigh most heavily on the opinions of students.
"It's definitely a lot more interesting than a blank wall," said Julian Neri, a 2nd-semester engineering major.
Several students admitted to having walked an atypical path to a normal destination, or having made a special trip altogether, solely for the purpose of spotting a newly discovered design. A female student observing a life-sized cat painted outside the North Dining Hall was overheard comparing her search for the pieces to an Easter egg hunt.
The eager-eyed student body is not, however, ignoring the illegality of the pieces.
"I've seen graffiti art on bulletin boards and in the art buildings, and that's cool, but to see it done randomly all over campus like that is not," said Haley Barber, a 6th-semester communication disorders major.
While some students, like Barber, are swayed more by the questionable legality than the aesthetics, there are many more who are simply caught in the middle of the debate.
"Personally, they don't bother me at all. But you can't just go out and do that to a building. It's illegal, " said Kyle Ambrose, a 2nd-semester mechanical engineering major. "I don't know. It's not really graffiti; it's not just art. I guess it's a little bit of both."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
L
posted 3/30/09 @ 1:13 AM EST
The photos and comments missed the best pieces on campus. P.S.- the artists will never come forward for an "interview", so if you want to talk about the art, talk about the art. (Continued…)
Post a Comment