PROJECT 1

A contemporary piece I did over the course of four days, in which I traced the rim of every container I drank out of every time I took a sip. Different line weights identify different types of drinks, and I also documented the time I took the first and last sip of a drink (omitting the final time if I never finished it before throwing it away).  This piece was meant to demonstrate the art of mundanity, but by performing this piece, I learned so much about myself and the people around me. I started to take notice and appreciate the shape and size of containers, and noticed patterns in my daily habits, such as when I tended to drink my energy drink in the morning, to when I cracked open my last Diet Coke for the night. By tracing my drink in front of others, they began to notice how much I was consuming my current beverage as much as I was. All of this contributes to the piece's impact as I compile all four compilations together.

"You Are Art, Jelani!"

Meka Hyslop, 2025

The title comes from when I was at work, tracing my drink while I was rolling silverware. My coworker Jelani came up to me and inquired about the piece, to which I simply said it was art. He asked what I meant, and I explained that I was creating this piece to show that anything and everything is art, whether you intend it to be or not. "Even you are art, Jelani!"

These kinds of connections are what contemporary art aims to promote. By expanding the mind and allowing your creativity to consume you, life becomes something worth appreciating. 

I thoroughly appreciate all the drinks I can have every day; they bring me simple joy, and I have mastered the art of timing my beverages so I'm never without one. This underappreciated act is museum-worthy, and that is what I wanted to portray with this piece.