Existing comment:
The Wave
Samantha Smith, 19, Student
Bay Shore, NY
"I've been creating artwork my whole life. As the years went on I've been trying to experiment with everything and push myself to create bigger and better things," says Samantha Smith, a photography major at New York's School of Visual Arts. By the time the 19-year-old saw a postcard about Red Bull Art of Can at her local skate shop, only about three weeks remained until the entry deadline; yet, thrilled by the opportunity, she set to work.
Smith found that the idea for her subject, a surfer and a wave, came easily: she lives in the hamlet of Bay Shore, on New York's Great South Bay, and the seascape is a constant in her life. Finding immediate access to about 200 cans to carry out her vision, however, was not so simple. While drinking as fast as she could, Smith also tapped event recycling bins as well as friends and other sources to reach her quota. "The most challenging part was probably cutting all the cans – it took so many, and there's not much blue on each can," she relates. "The best experience was when it was finally finished and it all came together. It was exactly what I pictured in my mind." |