Defining Place Tile

Essential Question: How do artists define place in their art? 

Visiting Artist: Tim Christensen 

Reflection:

Artists define place in many ways, but I find that there are four main categories that help them convey their message: geography, memory, emotion, and community connection. What is special about this project is that we have the chance to define a place that is meaningful to us using any one of those four categories to help show why its important. I chose to replicate the Lime Ricky booth at the annual Yarmouth Clam Festival during the night of fireworks. This memory is special to me because my family and I would always sit and watch the fireworks with a fresh lime ricky in hand. I carved fireworks in the background of my tile to insinuate that it was Friday, or, firework night. We would also make it a point to grab a lime ricky and head to Sandy Point to enjoy the sun and the water with a refreshing drink. I put waves in the border of my piece to represent those trips to the ocean and the moments away from the place that I was highlighting. One time I found a sand dollar there while ’lime ricky beachcombing’ and I just had to get a picture of my new treasure and my favorite drink. That is why I chose to add the signature look of the sand dollar into my tile as the ‘grass’ on either side of the main path up to the booth. The most clear and obvious part of my tile is the booths, specifically the Lime Ricky booth in the middle. I chose to leave it almost completely black so it would stand out and the viewer would know exactly which booth I was heading to. My favorite part of my tile is the main walkway. I am really happy with how it turned out after struggling with what texture I wanted to fill it with. I also love the small footprints leading up to the booth, it makes me feel nostalgic about all the summers spent at clam fest. The most challenging part of making this tile was filling it with different textures. I had to think about how to fill my piece with not only the defining details, but with depth and intricacy. I talked to both Tim and Mrs. Houston about what sorts of textures I could use to fill some blank spaces and their suggestions helped guide me to choose what I did. It was also challenging because the textures have to flow together well and you have to have a proportional look to the black and white. Looking back I would have done some textures differently, but I like the overall effect my piece gives. If my tile were dug up in 2000 years, hopefully the viewer would know that it is some sort of festival and that many people attend, based off of the fireworks, booths, and the footprints. Perhaps they would also deduce that the place is by the ocean due to the waves outlining the tile. Expressing ideas, emotions, and memories visually is important because it has the ability to transcend words, telling truths or feelings that are too hard to translate. Art is often a universal language, meaning anyone can decipher the idea, emotion, or memory, if they are willing to listen. Part of what made this project so awesome was getting to work with Tim, he is incredibly knowledgeable and very friendly. He has been one of my favorite artists for a long time and it was surreal being able to have him in the classroom helping us. He gave me pointers, helped me brainstorm, and asked me questions about my tile and my process that challenged me. What I will remember most from this experience was hearing the story of how he came to be an artist, and what his process is for making his pieces.