Existing comment:
Taurus in the Rye
Bryan Lawson, 22, Student
Rural Retreat, VA
At 270 feet by 100 feet, Bryan Lawson's work is easily the largest entry in this year's Red Bull Art of Can; but then, there aren't many artists who use crop circles as their medium. Lawson, who studies graphic design and studio arts at Virginia Tech, grew up in a rural part of the state. He says, "Being raised on a farm gave me a lot of advantages…I had a lot of skills other students did not."
Lawson, who exhibited a sculpture at 2008's Art of Can event in Houston, devoted almost a full year to conception of "Taurus in the Rye," culminating in three days with a push mower and grass trimmer/brush cutter. He describes, "When creating a crop circle, once you cut anything you are committed. There is no erasing, painting over your mistake, or gluing the piece back on. Also, once you cut, you must finish. If it rains or the wind blows before completion, it destroys the entire design." Plus, at ground level, Lawson couldn't be sure he'd captured the correct proportions – it was only after finishing that he went aloft in a helicopter and realized what he'd achieved. For the benefit of viewers at Union Station, the artist captured the work in still images and time-lapse photography. |