There Is Only One Bear
There Is Only One Bear
During a class at LCAD, my final was to create an exhibition with absolutely no limits. No budget, nothing to stifle any creativity. I decided to take something I had found a passion for, ancient art, and create an exhibit surrounding the humanity that comes with looking at old cave paintings.
This wasn’t about creating art itself. It was more about creating the idea of an experience, something to show someone else. It’s an older project, but the message still resonates with me, and I wanted to share that.
Client: Self
Role: Artist
Category: Illustrations - Exhibit Design
Problem: I loved the Mammoth Cave in France when I found out about it. The finger flutings (lines that fingers leave in soft surfaces) in the cave, when researched, showed that children had been raised up higher to the ceiling so they could draw with the adults. The paintings described all these different animals, telling stories we can still see to this day. How could I make other people as interested as I was?
Solution: Make something as interactive as possible. The Mammoth Cave only has one painting of a bear, out of the hundreds of animals painted. Could guests find the bear? Not only that, I wanted a wall where guests could make their own finger flutings, to connect them to our ancestors. This wall would be made of LED’s, making it much less messy and easier for hundreds of guests to enjoy. I wanted there to be projections of the paintings everywhere, for the exhibit to feel like a miniature version of the cave.
We need to break the barriers between everyday people and art, to help people understand how important it is to society. We’ve made art forever, and we will continue to do so for the rest of humanity. It connects us through the ages. Why not encourage people to make it when they visit a museum? Why not encourage them to interact with art in a way that leaves an impact?
Overall, I think art and museums need to have more interactive opportunities, not only for children, but for adults, too.