By Georgia Sparling
This year our College of Art and Design students discovered what can come of thinking outside the box.
In November, students created cardboard cars with visiting artist Kiel Johnson, who also exhibited his work in the Roberts and Atrium galleries of the Lunder Arts Center. The students recently posted the following video of their creations:
Simple materials that allow for endless artistic variations are Johnson's bread and butter. His artwork, which has appeared in commercial projects for Uber, Disney XD, TedX, Bud Light and more, relies on cheap, readily available material that he turns into intricate sculptures, from a life-sized piano to a larger-than-life vintage camera. The artist's plan for Lesley was to help students create a stop-motion traffic jam populated with their handcrafted vehicles.
The cardboard helicopter is ready for lift off.
While students made pick-up trucks, helicopters and even a Batmobile, Johnson created a cityscape, replicating the Lunder Arts Center, University Hall and other landmarks on Massachusetts Avenue. During his residency, he also worked with students to set up the street scene and begin videoing the action.
“I just wanted to see what would come out of it,” Johnson said in November. “I’m all about getting as many people involved.”
Once they had the footage, students from a number of departments produced the video while the Adam Peck Gallery in Provincetown exhibited their cardboard cars.
The students recently posted the video showcasing their creativity and talent with cardboard, glue and paint.