“Discards of Education” 42 x 30” crayon, colored pencil, marker, paint sticks, branches, string, abaca, and acrylic

I’ve had a little lull in my making since teaching art to kiddos this year (more on that later) and it’s hard not to be self critical about how “productive” my practice is now compared to undergrad, but hey! teaching takes a lot of work man! So much of my artistic energy goes into lesson planning, and working alongside the kids that I don’t have the same amount of creative energy left for myself that I’m used to. It took me a very long time to realize the work I do teaching is still very much part of my practice.

This piece, sort of prototypical in nature, comes from 30 different examples I made while teaching a non objective synesthesia lesson. Students experimented with different materials while exploring abstract making, each piece inspired by a different song. After teaching the lesson enough times to end up with 30+ of my own pieces, I wanted to turn them into one “complete” work. I experimented with movement, light, and memory. I made the frame out of branches so the work would blend into its surroundings when installed outside and utilized string so it would move with the breeze. While the wind sort of tore it apart during documentation, the knowledge I gained throughout the process is what makes it successful