A map shows the extent of "Souvenirs" art walk in Scottsdale on Nov. 20, 2014(Photo by Aimee Plante)
To preserve a memory, some find solace in buying trinkets beneath the Eiffel Tower or developing rolls of film. Others rely on mere synapses. The students of ASU’s intermedia department, however, employ art.
With the coordination of the Scottsdale Public Art Museum and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, art students designed the “Souvenirs” art walk through associate professor of art Angela Ellsworth's ongoing residency, the Museum of Walking, at the Livery Studio Space on Nov. 20.
“Souvenirs” features the final projects of nine students exploring diverse issues within the realm of memory and value. A discussion in class provided the inspiration for the night’s overarching theme of memory.
“To me, when I think of souvenirs, I immediately think of memory,” art undergraduate Valerie Hunt, an artist who coordinated with the Souvenirs project, said. “A word can evoke imagery that permanently remains in your memory, and this is the best kind of souvenir to keep.”
After a semester of individually-driven art, these students coordinated an art walk exploring issues such as authenticity and value. The artists strive to capture these ideals in a public setting.
Intermedia senior Scott Van Tuyl organized the “Self-Guided Saguaro Tour” outside of the Livery. His inspiration came from the often overlooked symbols of the Southwest. To reintroduce the value of the Sonoran Saguaro, Tuyl marked four cacti. Observers search for the botany while passing steel-sculpted versions of the desert plant.
“I’m an Arizona native, so I’m fairly familiar with the saguaro,” Tuyl said. “(The cacti) represent Arizona and our personality and I want to bring attention to the fact that many artists created these sculptures without having seen an actual saguaro. I thought that I would find close to 20 or 30 out there, but I only found four.”
Following this outdoor tour, intermedia art undergraduate Jazmin Martinez brought attendants home with “Esta Casa es Su Casa,” inspired by the self-proclaimed authentic Mission restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale. To redefine the concept of authenticity, Martinez cooked an authentic Mexican meal and invited guests to sit with her, eat and have pleasant conversations.
“I know a lot of people associate the word authentic with history and tradition, but I like to associate it with the home because that is where my food came from as a child and it’s what matters most to me,” Martinez said.
Ceramics junior Liz Lohr used her pottery skills to create “It’s What’s Inside That Counts,” a project involving ceramic eggs. When cracked open, either a diamond, a rare piece of porcelain from New Zealand or nothing. Through the juxtaposition of these objects, Lohr hopes to explore the meaning of value.
“There are these conflicts and contentions which I’m trying to explore as to what the valuable object is,” Lohr said. “Within the inspirations for this project are also ideas of what we establish our own definitions of value. You can break the egg and find our that there’s a diamond in there or you can even not break the egg and keep that fantasy alive.”
Although exceptionally diverse, the night’s events offered one unifying idea: witnessing Arizona through the perspective of Arizonian artists.
“I think (offering a new perspective) is one of the best things art can do,” Lohr said. “It’s one of the best services artists can deliver –– to place something in a new context, to look at something in a slightly different perspective and illuminate something maybe much more truthful about what the subjects are and how they represent in our lives.”
Reach the reporter at aplante@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @aimeenplante
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