A wrapped dumpster, two mud-covered trucks and an inflatable Statue of Liberty all have one thing in common -- a 3-dimensional art project.
U of M students enrolled in the 3-D classes have a several projects due during a semester. This semester, students were required to find or make an object and wrap it. They were also asked to interpret some of the meanings their objects could have after being wrapped in different materials.
Zach Smith, a first-year architecture student, is responsible for the wrapped garbage dumpster outside the Art Building. He covered the dumpster in shopping bags to symbolize the cycle of seasonal trends. He said he wants to emphasize the stores that sell these trends and the garbage they create.
"We got to the mall at about 10 a.m. and we stayed there for about an hour and a half," Smith said. "You would be surprised how difficult it is to get shopping bags from stores in the mall."
Scott Hammons, also a first-year architecture student, is the mastermind behind the wrapped piece of metal art outside the Ned McWherter Library. The project is wrapped with a green tarp and yellow caution tape. He said it symbolizes The University's unnecessary spending on useless stuff.
"The University spends too much money on that thing no one notices," Hammons said. "Deciding what I wanted to do was easy, but finding the supplies to do it was difficult."
The inflatable Statue of Liberty visible most of Tuesday on the roof of the Art Building is the work of Judy Luke, a first-year architecture student. The meaning behind the project is that the liberties of America are being wrapped up and taken out of reach for everyday citizens, Luke said.
The liberties granted to all American citizens by The Constitution only apply if you have power or prestige, she said.
Chris Shanklin and Sanjay Patel were the artists behind the two muddy trucks parked near the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music. The trucks were different brands -- one a Chevy, the other a Dodge. The trucks were held together by a tow rope. The idea was to demonstrate the tension created by mudslinging, Shanklin said.
"I thought it would be a weak project, but it turned out okay," Shanklin said.
The project is inspired by Javacheff Christo, a famous artist who wrapped many large objects to make political and social points. Some of his work includes covering the Colorado River, covering the beach in Japan with umbrellas and covered a fence down the California coast.
