Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Urban Culture Vulture: Boys and Their Toys

Palma’s project “360º” is certainly a grander version of his childhood hobbies. Photo courtesy of Miguel Palma.
Palma’s project “360º” is certainly a grander version of his childhood hobbies. Photo courtesy of Miguel Palma.

 

My Tuesday morning was off to a unique start as I began the day eating breakfast with Portuguese artist Miguel Palma, and then hearing a group discussion about battery-operated orange jumpsuits and seed-blasting cannons. (Bagels, orange juice, and conversation all provided by the ASU Art Museum). Known for his prodigious combination of engineering and artistic measures, Palma provided an overview of his artwork and explained his newest commission with ASU.

The sculptor’s fascination with building models and kits as a child extended itself to his career as an artist with installations he creates from an assortment of mechanized and industrial objects. At the beginning of the breakfast, he described, “I like to take on challenges that I have no control over, and then use the imagination to find a solution… I like to transform things and give it a new function.” Viewing the videos and photographs of Palma’s previous work, it was clear how meticulous he is in terms of quality, craftsmanship and ideology.

One of the main themes in Palma’s art is the protection of ecologies. For one of his pieces, Projecto Sementeira (Seed Project), Palma formed an agricultural cannon that projects seeds which are then implanted into the ground. This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “planting an idea.” Palma explained that though the machine seems aggressive, its purpose is to nurture beauty and growth in the landscape. Since he has shot the seed balls, flowers and trees have sprouted in the area, transforming a violent machine into a peaceful, “avant-gardening” practice.

Palma also touched on his project Inside Out, which addresses the relationship between the public and recreation. In some Portuguese cities, Palma described, there are empty concrete ditches that people only use to throw their garbage in. Instead of contributing to the trash, though, Palma decided to place a tarp in one of them and fill it with water. With his man-made pond, he played with the toy motorboats he crafted for about 12 hours, until the police came. Throughout the day, people passed by him on their way to work and were unsure of how to react to the public display. As Palma pointed out, adults forget how that playtime takes focus and dedication.

Towards the end of the discussion, Palma answered questions about his research and collaboration with Desert Initiative, a project that supports independent and joint research concerning desert cultures and environments.

Though Palma is from Lisbon, he’s interested in working with Arizona’s desert environment because of its similarity to the dry climate in southern Portugal.  So far, he’s created a model military vehicle that will be able to film desert terrain while he steers it with a remote control. He’s also designed an orange jumpsuit to wear, choosing the bright color with the idea that it would be easy to spot from an aerial view. The suit is covered with small battery operated fans so that he can stay cool while guiding the vehicle through the desert. (Question: How can I apply this concept to my summer wardrobe?) With the images of the landscape, he plans to project them in the city to show the contrast.

Making art can be a lonely process, but Palma’s intricate self-sustaining systems and large-scale sculptural pieces require a group effort. It seems it would be a good idea for all of us to take Palma’s cues, not only about art, but also in fashion, gardening, and recreation.

 

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

If you have any suggestions for what I should check out next, email me at Mary.G.Richardson@asu.edu or follow me on Twitter at MG_Richardson.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.