After recently converting my Press & Publications page into a blog entry, I realized there is more I could share about my public art piece! The bike lane sharrow I designed wasn't just thrown together (though I was able to complete my submission in a single day 💪). It had a lot of thought and symbolism put into it that probably doesn't come through just from looking at it as you pass by. To start, here is my initial design sketch and notes:
|
| 12 November 2020 |
A lot changed from this original imagining to the final installation, though the essence of the design was always present. Compared to what I submitted, the color selection, star placement, and details in the cyclist symbol are notably different. But the emotional qualities of fun, friendliness, and happiness didn't change 🤗
Next, I'll share the design notes I submitted when I applied for this opportunity:
In case the image is difficult to read, here are the notes repeated:
☆ Overall design inspired by Mario Kart dash panels, a reference that should amuse the local (and large!) gamer community.
☆ Colors chosen to be warm and fun.
☆ Stars seemingly randomly placed, like a sparkling trail left by a kart racer.
☆ Seven stars to represent the seven shared values of Boise State: Academic Excellence, Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility, and Trustworthiness.
☆ Colors Used (as named in Creative Routes: Call for Visual Proposals appendix): Orange, Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Sand, and Grey.
☆ Orange is eye-catching and sits between the red of a stop sign and the yellow of a caution sign. Also represents Boise State.
☆ Grey recalls the standard track surface in Mario Kart.
☆ Cyclist symbol is standard symbol with more rounded features and a smile, for enhanced friendliness.
☆ Cyclist symbol’s helmet has cool spikes like many children’s helmets, which should delight them when they see a helmet like theirs imprinted on the street as they ride.
☆ Design is meant to be read as a more whimsical version of the visual language of standard cautionary signs.
After my design was chosen (I found out on 06 April 2021, when I received an email saying I got the $500 scholarship!), I was asked to do some revisions. Above is the final version. The most obvious change was adding my name and the year to the bottom. I also organized the stars more symmetrically and made the cyclist more round and robust. The latter was specifically requested to help offset the effects of foreshortening on the appearance of the cyclist.
On 28 April, a few months before the sharrow was installed, I was interviewed via email for the Boise State news article I included in my previous sharrow post. Here are the questions and my answers in full:
1. What is your year and major?
I'm technically a senior, though as a non-traditional student I've been
going to school much longer than four years, ha ha. I'll be receiving my BFA
in Illustration this December.
2. What is your hometown?
I was born in Texas and grew up all over the Western United States, but
I moved to Boise in 2007 (specifically to pursue the illustration degree at
Boise State) and have lived here ever since!
3. Tell me what inspired your design?
When I first saw the call for Creative Routes proposals, I thought to
myself, "How awesome would it be to ride your bike over a real-life dash panel
from Mario Kart?!" That was the spark that got me working, but my final design
is packed with deeper meaning. The reference to Mario Kart is a personal
indulgence that I think should resonate with the large, diverse gaming
community we have here in the Treasure Valley, but the fun, energetic, and
friendly look of the design is ultimately meant to bring cheer to the road and
smiles to the faces of all those on it, regardless of whether they know what a
blue shell is or if they've ever argued over who gets to play as Yoshi.
Furthermore, I included spikes on the cyclist's helmet, bearing in mind the
kids who own and use that awesome headgear (I'm seriously jealous; why won't
they make spiked helmets for adults?!). I think it would be so awesome as a
kid, to not ride mindlessly past the standard, innocuous cyclist symbol we see
everywhere, but to suddenly feel a rise in joy and excitement when you notice
a smiling one wearing a helmet like your own. I think it would encourage them
to keep wearing their helmets and keep riding their bikes, by showing how cool
safe cycling is, and by giving them a sense of legitimacy as members of the
cycling community. As small an influence as it might be, I believe it could
lead to their increased safety and well-being. My design is meant to be read
as a whimsical version of a standard cautionary sign, but it's also meant to
be harmonious and beautiful, with the warm color palette encompassing both
ideas. And I did not forget the university that came up with the excellent
idea of combining boring ol' traffic signage with exciting visual art! The
stars at the bottom of the design are seven, representing Boise State's seven
shared values: Academic Excellence, Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Respect,
Responsibility, and Trustworthiness.
4. What does it mean to you to have your work featured on campus?
With this being my first public art installation, the sense of
validation and confidence I have been given is both humbling and motivating. I
feel as if my work is being recognized as worthy, and that one of the first
steps of the long staircase that is my creative career has been surmounted.
I've made it! Once! Which means I need to continue working hard to move onward
and upward. But in a less existential way, I'm also simply chuffed to know a
design I made is going to be on the campus of my alma mater, in the city I
call home, for the next ten years or so. I use the greenbelt to train for
distance running, and the race that has eluded me thus far is the full
marathon. I think I could get more inspired to train for that 42 km if one of
my way points included this installation! (I'll be excited to cross train on
my bike more often, too!) Though it may come across as narcissistic, I'm also
really excited to see if any of my friends, family, classmates, club mates,
professors, and others who would recognize my name as they pass this
installation will reach out and let me know they saw it!
|
| 13 July 2021 |
On the day my sharrow was installed at Friendship Bridge, I was invited to participate in a photoshoot to commemorate the event. I never got to see what became of the photographer's shots, so I'm glad I asked my siblings to take their own photos 😅
|
| 13 July 2021 |
The sharrow is much faded after over four years exposed to the elements, but it's still recognizable! If you're ever in the area, I hope you'll go find it! It's near the Boise State University end of Friendship Bridge, at the so-called "front door" to the campus. The precise location is:
And even if you can't visit in person, you can just barely see it via satellite view in Google Maps 😄✨
That's all for me today, I hope you enjoyed this in-depth look at my first public art installation. Thank you for reading and, until next time, please stay happy, healthy, and safe 💖
