PUBLIC ART

The Cardboard Kids: Monument to the Non-Traditional Student

The Cardboard Kids: Monument to the Non-Traditional Student, view 3 — 3 / 5

The Cardboard Kids: Monument to the Non-Traditional Student, view 4 — 4 / 5

The Cardboard Kids: Monument to the Non-Traditional Student, view 5 — 5 / 5

Austin Peay State University, Clarksville TN
The Cardboard Kids: Monument to the Non-Traditional Student is a site-specific permanent art installation inspired by a variety of experiences I had while visiting Austin Peay State University’s campus. The work comprises of 3 corten steel vehicles racing around one of APSU’s many crater-like filled-in sink holes. The vehicles look as if they were made from cardboard, when in reality they are corten steel. In each unique cart, one can see the exposed tape and corrugation used in the construction of the sculpture, hinting at its maker and its extended use. There were two main factors that contributed to this design: campus topography and non-traditional students.As I walked up and down APSU’s campus, I could not get over how sink-holes dictate the topography and in some ways, life at Austin Peay. Even more surprising was a sort of embracement of the skate-park like topography, placing picnic tables, sculpture, the APSU logo, in these bowls. This playful use of what an outsider might view as a dangerous predicament, set the mood for my design.As I spoke with students at Austin Peay, I quickly realized that a large percentage of the student population fits into the wonderful category known as the non-traditional student. I met students who bring a welcome voice to the classroom because of their past and current experiences. As an educator, these students bring an attitude, maturity, and perspective that have become invaluable in my own classroom. As I designed these vehicles, they became proxies for the students themselves. I thought of individuals who have been bent but not broken, who have pieced things together well enough to be in school, students with unique stories to tell. Instead of making slick, streamlined vehicles, I designed vehicles using a material and process that highlights the grit and history inherent in the non-traditional student. It is my hope that this public art piece salutes those individuals who give an extraordinary effort to be at Austin Peay State University, and to remind them to enjoy their time while they are here.
materials:
Corten Steel
installation documentation:
©Christopher B Taylor