Final Project - Moss Street Art - Rachel

So, here it is! FINAL! :D

I've posted the making of the moss solution on Facebook, and about the process. Now, I will post pictures of what I have been working on for a few days. I created sketches and wrote down quotes (which I posted on here yesterday). I have travelled around Louisville yesterday and today finding places that speak to me and that I feel need a "touch of moss". Some places I stuck with just a quote, some I chose just to leave a symbolic image. I will post pictures of each spot below with a description about the place and what I left behind. 

Be sure to note ---this is just the base moss solution. (Sometimes it is very hard to see on the surfaces I painted it on). Moss will begin to grow in about a month. If I can, I will try to travel back to these places to spritz the spots I painted with water (this helps the growing process). If I ever do this again I think I'd use a little less water than the original recipe called for (the solution was a tad bit too runny...although this made for some cool imagery in some of my pieces). 

So, here it is! 

This one was the first quote I painted - It is located in my backyard (as it was sort of the practice run). This is a quote by C.S. Lewis - "You don't have a soul. You are a soul, you have a body." This quote has always been meaningful to me because we do refer to ourselves as "having souls", but when you really think about it, we should refer to ourselves as having a "body" (as C.S. Lewis states), because the body is what is temporary - the soul is infinite and it is what is YOU. 

This quote is from the Studio Ghibli film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky. This film basically centers on human civilizations who have gained powerful technological innovations and then have gotten too proud of their power and have destroyed their environment and civilization itself.

The full quote is, "Take root in the ground, live in harmony with the wind, plant your seeds in the winter, and rejoice with the birds in the coming of spring. No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love." 

This is painted on a walkway up to a house that isn't being used - and hasn't been for awhile. I chose that particular section of that quote because of the recent events that have gone on (Boston marathon bombing) - it is also just an overall good quote that can appeal to everyone.

This one is very hard to see because it is painted on a bright red wall in direct sunlight. (If you REALLY try, you can make out the image and words). It is on an abandoned building on 1st/Brook street down by UofL.

I painted a single sunflower and wrote the words "be happy". 

Sunflowers literally follow the sun. They can be a symbol of spiritual faith, longevity, good luck, and happiness. I feel like everyone can always use a little more "sunshine" and "happiness" in their life. :)

I then added "be happy" next to the sunflower to emphasize my point (and maybe because I was feeling super elated after finished my last written final.) 

This is a quote from Andy Warhol that says, "Art is anything you can get away with." I thought this was particularly good for this class and all our discussions of "what is art". Also, I'm sure others have noticed the "This is Art" stickers places randomly around campus...And I have also spotted these same stickers on Bardstown Road. This quote is in an alleyway off of Bardstown Road close to Eastern Parkway. I thought this was good commentary for this part of town. 

This quote can be found deep in the woods in the somewhat new Anchorage park. A big part of the reason I chose to do "moss graffiti" is because it is "eco" graffiti and will not hurt the environment in any way. This is why I chose this particular spot beneath the trees. It is very hard to make out from the pictures, but on a small wooden bridge I wrote the Radiohead lyric, "For a minute there, I lost myself..." from the song Karma Police. I think this is relevant for its placement because whenever I go out into a forest or in nature somewhere, I tend to sort of "lose myself" in the moment and the vast peacefulness of my surroundings. I think this is usually the feeling people are searching for when they go out in nature. 

This quote is located on a stone wall in Long Run Park. It is a quote by Dr. Seuss that says, "It's opener, out there, in the wide, open air." Long Run Park has a central lake with a large open surrounding area. I felt like this quote was very fitting of the surroundings and also had the underlying message that we need to get outside and enjoy what the earth has to offer. Being outside can be very releasing. 

This next quote is located on a park bench. It says, "For this moment, you are free." 

We all tend to carry certain worries and constraints of everyday life that overtime wear us down. Once in a while (or more than that!) we need to remember to just "let go" and enjoy the present moment - Remember who we are, and all we have to offer. I think this quote speaks to that. 

This next "moss graffiti" is an "om"symbol within a lotus flower on a concrete wall in the Middletown Community Park. The om symbol is a symbol of the cycles of life. It moves from creation, to sustenance, to dissolution. The emphasis is that we are never "finished". When we close the door on one thing, we open a door to something else. Once a cycle ends, a new one begins. I think this is a good symbol for reflection. 

The lotus flower grows out of the mud and the muck. So, this flower symbolizes that no matter how many challenges life hands us, we have the potential to grow into something beautiful if we open our heart. The beauty is within us. This can also speak on many levels to everyone. 

This quote is written behind some office buildings. It says, "The "earth" without "art" is just "eh"." Once again, I think this is a quote that really appeals to this class and all our discussions about all the different types of art out there. Art is the way we express ourselves, it speaks to us on so many levels. Without art and creativity, the world would be a very grey and boring place. This is a whole alleyway of blank brick painted walls. I feel like a little livelihood of art could definitely improve the overall appeal to this place. 

This next, and last, piece is the symbol of a tree. It is located on a plain painted wall (much like the last one) on the back on a Dollar Tree. The tree is a universal symbol for life and sustainability. I chose to include the roots underneath to continue and refer back to the branches above. This is a symbol of stability. You need to find your roots in yourself and find peace, happiness, and love within yourself before you can branch out to others. I think this is something everyone needs a little reminder of every once in a while, and so that is why I chose to include it in my "moss" street art Final Project.

So, that's it! This class has been a great opportunity for me - I've learned so much in such a short period of time. It's definitely opened my eyes up to many things I wasn't even thinking about before! 

Thank you to every one of you and Professor Chan for making this a great semester! :)