Public art is awesome, so naturally, when I heard that 40 North was giving away billboard space to artists for a couple of months at a time, I was intrigued.
Today, the winners for the Sky Gallery competition have been announced – their artwork (pictured below), will be featured on various billboards in town over the next 12 months. Take a gander to read a bit about each piece, and the artist behind it:
Kim Curtis, Thirtyseven: eleven
“Thirtyseven is a two-lane highway that winds at water level through the northern edge of the San Francisco bay system. Used primarily by commuters on their way elsewhere, the view changes with every season, hour and in this case even with the tide. It is a maze of wetland waterways, tall grasses, scrubby bushes and all sorts of man-made constructions that reflect its various uses over time.
As with all of my work, my focus is to recapture the sense of immediacy when confronted with a place like this. Especially when driving, but even while slowly walking, the mind is bombarded by simultaneous information. We note consistencies and irregularities, changes in light and shadow, spontaneous appearances of color, and vast chunks of area we don’t understand. We are reminded that what we see is often both familiar and unintelligible.”
Kelly Hieronymus, Field No. 213
“Farmland is a spectacular thing. It is ever-changing yet consistent at the same time. My interpretation of the South Farms Research Plots embrace that cycle. This particular plot has changed crops 86 times, but the overall lines and roads stay the same. This piece is comprised of 4 different works that are meant to be viewed as a whole.”
EKAH, The Fox’s Wedding
“This drawing is based on a folk tale I grew up with when I was a child in Korea. When sunshowers are witnessed folks would say that a fox is getting married that day. I find foxes striking and beautiful and wanted the piece to be reminiscent of the old Korean and Japanese woodblock prints. In the west, the tale may be familiar to the viewers via a film by Akira Kurosawa called Dreams.”
Megan Hinds, Breaking the Fourth Wall
“The investigation of insects collective brilliance and swarm accumulation is what fuels my artwork. I am inspired by simple and humble creatures that are responsible for epic feats of organization and creativity. The intimate and welcoming spaces I create gives desires of entering the swarm of insects. Allowing one to glide through the masses filled with exploration, discovery and movement. Studying these behaviors of insect worlds opens up new ways of thinking about human interactions and communication.”
Suzanne Keith Loechl, Fragile: Story
“The earth beats and hums with zillions of tiny (or not so tiny) systems that are perfectly calibrated to maintain the balance of life. My work is an ongoing exploration, which endeavors to portray the natural world and those who live in it as strangely beautiful — yet enormously fragile.”
Lydia Puddicombe, Caladium
“My work is a representation of my thoughts on the lives of the animals, plants, and objects that surround me daily. I think about things’ feelings and assign personalities to everything from my dog to the mailbox. I draw, carve, and color my musings in a style influenced by folktales and their accompanying imagery. I strive to create empathy in my audience for these characters and hope it will have relevance in their lives, perhaps making the world around us less disposable and more alive.”
