“Larger Than Life ” is part of a larger project entitled "Discover the Unexpected", created as part of the SCAD Alumni Atelier at SCAD Lacoste, France. SCAD is an art and design university based in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. Its satellite campus is located in Lacoste, France in The Luberon Valley of Provence. One the first things that struck me upon visiting the medieval village of Lacoste was how flowers seemed to grow in the most impossible of circumstances – fragrant oleander growing along rocky walls, bright red poppies in the middle of a stone path, wildflowers blossoming everywhere and anywhere, and of course lavender.
I was immediately charmed by these and all the other little discoveries I made walking around the village and exploring. As I considered what type of project to develop for the Alumni Atelier, I began to think of how my work as a public artist and muralist often allows people to make unexpected discoveries in their everyday commutes, by incorporating bold color onto walls in neighborhoods and urban cityscapes. For this project, I wanted to channel the same energy. However, since Lacoste is a historic village with protected architecture, it made it difficult to consider painting a mural. Where and how would it be feasible to create public artwork in such a place? This led to thinking about viable alternatives for a material that could function as a canvas.
I decided upon the idea of using plywood to make giant illustrated cut-outs that would interact with the existing architecture in the village. For these pieces, I wanted to play with the idea of photo stands commonly seen at American Fairgrounds and carnivals. In typical photo stands, a hole is cut for the viewer to place their face and become part of the installation themselves. Here I followed the same concept, but wanted to make a more artistic version in my illustrative style, inspired by the region of Provence. Two big characters wear a classic Breton stripe, and one sports a beret. The openings in their sunglasses let visitors pop their heads inside for a silly photo. The huge poppy and sunflower are a nod to the local flora and make for a fun and unexpected photo.
I drew my designs directly on large sheets of 8mm plywood and then cut them out with a jigsaw. After a coat of primer, they were hand painted with wood paint. Support stands and wooden gussets were added so that the pieces could be freestanding. The five large pieces that formed the "Larger Than Life" installation are located on school property that is frequented by students. In the future, I hope that the students will interact with these in new and unexpected ways - as a backdrop for a photoshoot, a set design for theatre or film, as part of a fashion shoot, or just for a fun selfie.
