I am excited to be part of the Detroit Artist's Market's "That DAM Box Show 2." It runs from August 10-20th with a public Closing Bids Reception on Friday, August 20, 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery visitors can meet the artists and will have an opportunity to view and bid on unique artworks created from 16mm film reel shipping boxes. All proceeds from this silent auction will benefit the mission and programs of the Detroit Artists Market. Artists picked up their boxes and get to add to, subtract from, and do whatever they want to their box. So what to do with mine?
The box I chose has "hero as art" written on the front. I used that as my inspiration. My first thoughts are soldiers and superheros. I asked a friend whose husband is in the military for a photo of him. I manipulated it so that it doesn't even look like the same photo. I adhered it to the bottom layer of the box and painted black very thick around it. I cut a hole in the top of the box so that you have to peek through to see the image below.
This was the most challenging part: I cut pieces of acrylic to glue and place in between the top and bottom of the box. (Gluing acrylic sucks!) I drew on the acrylic sides. I wanted to reference the comic book "super hero" so I drew in that fashion a series of boots, gun, and helmet in neat rows. I wanted to honor the fallen heroes but also reference the anonymity of the fallen soldier.
I made it clear on acrylic so that the viewer has to lean and look around all these fallen soldiers in order to see the image inside.
I have to take a photo of the entire piece with the lid on it but here it is most of the way done. The result is a way to honor our soldiers who go through unbelievable hardships on a daily basis. It also makes the viewer have to peek in and lean around to view it, only seeing bits and pieces at a time-the same way the media portrays what is going on.