Recovered Furniture and Acrylic Painting Installation
Sara Langguth (age 18)
Kyler Olson (age 18)
Jacob Scotti (age 19)*
Brief Description
This exhibit by Studios on the Park Teen Art Group members, working under the guidance of Studios artist and board member Henry A. J. Ramos, speaks to important youth perspectives on contemporary life. Inspired by the work of Anthony Francisco Schepperd — a.k.a. “Blockhead” — from his 2010 animated “Trip Hop” video The Music Scene, the installation represents a “Mind Melt” of 1960s-1970s-style psychodelic imagery over the everyday wood furnishings one might find in any young person’s bedroom during recent years.
About the Work
Using found objects and painting portions of them in bold, vibrant color schemes while leaving select segments in their original form, the artists depict the constant societal interplay between the old and the new — the comfortable established order and the often loud and controversial innovations of each emerging generation.
In addition, the exhibit suggests contemporary youth’s increasing alienation with commercialization and its affects on free expression and personal integrity. In the Blockhead video that informs this work’s content, the artist laments “The music scene has got me down, ‘cause I don’t want to be a clown.” In their quest for identity and individuality, many youth today feel a need to break out of the impersonal constraints of the day created by hyper-market-driven and allied material influences in their lives.
Finally, like Blockhead’s animated music video, the exhibit also addresses the growing negative impacts of modern technology on nature and the planet. The recycled, found objects comprising the installation reflect modern youth’s concern for ecology, conservation and the environment.
The Studios on the Park Teen Art Group
Since its inception in 2009, the Studios on the Park Teen Art Group has supported the creative development and expression of nearly 40 young people ages 15-22 (many of them troubled by family, school and law enforcement challenges) throughout Paso Robles and the region. In partnership with important institutions such as the Paso Robles Police Activities League, the YMCA and the Paso Robles High School Art Department, the Group’s work has principally produced large scale mural projects on contemporary social and community themes, including celebrating the 20 year anniversary if the fall of the Berlin Wall, promoting inter-group tolerance, and championing public safety. This exhibit represents the first effort by members of the Group to create an installation art work.
*This project was also completed with contributions and assistance from Megan Edwards (age 19), Matt Funderburk (age 18), and Bethany Reninger (age 18).
