Making a Statement at Greenwood Through Art

In this year’s Grade 12 Art class, six students are being challenged both thematically and conceptually. They have been working on 3D art pieces that are now installed in different areas around the school. Each piece is centered around a specific theme that relates to them personally and also challenges the norm of public art. The pieces are ‘site-specific’ installations, which means students have to choose a specific location in the school that they think best relates to their theme. They were able to use many tools from the Innovation Lab as well as the help of Greenwood’s facilities team to create and install their work.

Read what they have to say about their art installations below.

“My art installation is a piece on the theme of self-identity. The art installation, modeled after a shattered mirror, reflects (pun intended) on the effect the iridescent film has on the light going through the frame. This is a comparison to how different people’s identity will affect how they see certain things. Many people have asked me if my piece is “the pink and blue one” or “the yellow and green one” which only goes further to prove how each person sees the piece differently based on what direction and time of day the light hits the geometric pieces. 

I decided to hang my art in front of the large windows at the entrance of the school. I used this space for two reasons: first, I wanted as many people as possible to have contrasting views on the piece since it is a location where many people pass throughout the day and that provides a 360 degree view of the work from both the outside and inside of the school. Second, this is one of the locations where the most natural light passes through the school.”

“My site-specific installation represents ‘obscurity’. It features small works of clay sculptures and physical materials like pieces of clothing and commonly lost household items, all inside a home drawer. The work is intended to portray the representation of commonly lost items and the correlation to losing one’s mind, which is symbolized by the brain sitting in the middle of the drawer space. I am hoping that the viewer will gain a sense of wonderment and calmness when looking at this project, because the colour scheme and deliberate lighting emphasize a tranquil mood.”

“The theme of my piece is centered around ‘balance’. It shows the balance between my home and school life and what it’s like to bring the two together. The work is of two pieces of graffiti. One is more simple with layered tags and the other is on a wooden board that is suspended in mid air. It is meant to bring my out-of-school interests and passions into the school environment. The piece itself is not something that you would expect to be in a school and helps bring in contrast to show how something that is out of place can fit well into its surroundings. I am hoping that the viewer sees this piece as ‘out of the ordinary’ and a change of pace from the other art and installations around the school.”

“The theme of my piece is Eco-Anxiety. It is a carbon footprint made out of carbon dioxide molecules. A plaque in the middle of the foot states the statistics for how much carbon each person takes up in a certain period of time.

 

It is often hard to imagine how much carbon we are emitting because we can't actually see it. This piece is supposed to be a literal carbon footprint, intended to remind everyone of their impact on the Earth. It is also site-specific because not only is it on the science floor but it is also in the stairwell where the safety lighting is kept on at night, which seems to be a waste of electricity.”

 

“My theme pertains to consumerism and the repercussions that come from its relentless cycle. The work is composed of painted garbage and fishing line, which allows the message of the work to be presented in a commercially simplistic and appealing way. The piece offers a reminder to the viewer that our consumerist culture leaves behind huge amounts of harmful, long-lasting waste. It is hung up in the Lodge because this is the area that receives and produces the most trash due to the café and school store. By hanging my work there, I hope to remind the viewer that whatever we choose to consume, it will affect our planet in one way or another.”

 

“The theme for my piece is ‘difference’. The overall appearance of my work is a swing that is in forward motion, with a wire-made person (me) sitting on the swing. There is also a white display stage on the floor which is an interactive component where students can build LEGO. My work represents my expressions of adapting to a new environment and to a new country. A swing symbolizes the swaying between my family and friends in China, and my current studies at Greenwood. In my opinion, the swing is always an unforgettable childhood memory to have. I used wires to craft out a partial person where only the legs and an arm are present. On the floor, there’s an interactive section of LEGO for people to build which represents that they are making the “Canada” element of the project. 

 

Since the full body of the person is not present on the artwork, I hope the audience can imagine themselves on the swing. I also hope people who pass by can build the LEGO on the stage to portray the creativity at Greenwood and an environment that is unique.”