POINTS OF INTEREST Braddock, Pennsylvania. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/21/08
Leon IV and crew installing "The Braddock Blossom" Braddock PA, 2008.
All photos courtesy Antonio.
The Points Of Interest project in Braddock Pennsylvania was certainly a memorable experience. My good friends Callie (Swoon) Dana, Polina, Noah, just to name a few, were involved in a mission to bring a taste of public art to this deserted community just outside of Pittsburgh.
The success of the entire project was the non-profit organization's ability to get the entire community involved. Every artist was assigned a youth partner with whom they would work with. From a strategic standpoint, this was a very wise choice because the residents of this community, especially the youth can claim pride and responsibility with regards to their environment.
This approach to public art was such a new experience for me and proved so refreshing. As a long time graffiti and street artist I never truly experienced the connection that occurs between a work of art and the community that surrounds it. By this I mean the conversations, exchange of ideas and all manner of discourse that any serious graffiti/street artist is forced to avoid for legal issues.
Never before had I used a system of voting to determine the color of a street work. As was the case for "The Braddock Blossom", Blue was a heavy contender, however Orange captured the majority of the community's vote -so it went.
The day of installation was nerve-wracking, however not as dangerous as I thought it would be (i.e. no one fell off the bridge above) The only problem was finding a power source for the stick welder after our electricity generator proved worthless. This was when the 100ft extension cord became useful and a kind neighbor who lived closest to the bridge not only provided us the power from her home, but also understood when we had to flip the switch in her basement on three separate occasions before the tree was fully welded to the site.
A BIG thanks to Gray Welding, specifically Bernie for letting us use his metal shop, and donating the raw material to make my project happen. Thanks to Antonio for being a loyal assistant and Erin for being a great manager. Thanks to the non-profit (who has yet to use an official name) for organizing the entire event. And thanks to John, the baddest Mayor of any American town.
-L IV
"The Duty Of The 21st Century Artist" In Montreal---------3/20/08
If you are anywhere near the Montreal area and have a passing interest in creative affairs, it is highly recommended to hear "The Duty Of The 21st Century Artist" The date, time, and location is as follows:
WHEN: Thursday, March 27, 6-8PM
WHERE: Concordia University, Visual Arts Building, Room 234
The corner of Rene Levesque & Crescent. Metro: Lucien L'Allier.
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