Sculpture Studio Spring 2012

Project 3: Site, Place, and Installation

The third project was site/place and I wanted to create a sculpture that could relate to St. Mary’s City history or the college’s traditions. I decided to create two metal cans that represented the annual tradition of the Natty Boh Hunt. The sculpture would be placed somewhere on campus where people could only see part of it and they would have to walk closer to see the entire sculpture. The sculpture would be special to most students because it would remind them of past experiences of the natty boh hunt and create memories for new students at the college.

(Easter Boh Can, 2012)

The sculpture was made with sheet metal, spray paint, wood stakes and metal screws. The can would be painted the same way that the Natty Boh cans are painted in preparation for the scavenger hunt. The sculpture was supposed to look realistic but not have a clean and smooth paint job. The location for the sculpture was supposed to be a place where it could partially be seen and get the student’s attention. I used bright colored spray paint to make the cans stand out and this would make the student walk toward the sculpture and find out what it is. The design of the can was half painted as an Easter egg and the other half was a National Bohemian beverage design. Instead of the original text “National Bohemian,” I decided to write “Natty Boh Hunt” and “Easter 2012” on the can because it adds to the meaning of the piece.

The Easter natty boh cans had a simple yet complex intention. During the planning period for the project, I wanted to create something that would make people remember the adventures of the past during the scavenger hunt or create new memories. It was also supposed to symbolize the event and how it brings the student body closer as a community. The sculpture was very successful in achieving my goal. Students were talking about the sculptures and posting pictures on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. They were saying “I guess the boh hunt will be starting early this Easter.” I was surprised to see a lot of feedback from other students. On Facebook, students were “liking” the pictures someone posted and commenting on the post with “I wonder who did this?” and “can’t wait for this year’s hunt.” The sculpture was a good conversation starter and I felt that it helped bring the student body closer together as a community. During lunch, I overheard students talking about the sculpture and their experience during past scavenger hunts. It was an interesting personal experience for me because I was meeting new people because they heard that I made the sculpture. Students wanted to compliment my sculpture or just have a conversation about how I created it. Overall, I think that my sculpture helped achieve all of my goals.

The project was very successful in its entirety. I was able to make a sculpture that represented a tradition at St. Mary’s and was able to bring the student body closer as a community. The sculpture allowed students to remember their past experiences and create new memories without having a lot of text on or around the sculpture. The painting design was more than enough to remind them of their experiences. There were a lot of conversations and pictures being taken of the project which were different ways that brought the community together. I think that the design was done well because it looked very similar to the original National Bohemian can and students recognized it quickly. Students liked the sculpture so much that they took it before I was able to remove it from the installation site. I could have done a better job by creating more cans and placing them around different areas on campus. It would have helped replicate the event on campus. I would have liked to make blank cans and have spray paint next to the can so that students could decorate it themselves. Overall, the project was a success and I think that everyone enjoyed it. I achieved all my goals with the sculpture and was able to accomplish the meaning for the project.