Josh Sands
Public Process 4
“Street Artcheology” by Josh Sands
Artists Statement:
“The inspiration for this project stems from my interest in paint, its physicality and its presence. It is from this interest in the physicality of paint that I was drawn to look closely at street and graffiti painting, eventually discovering quantities of paint buried underneath the ground at the base of popular graffiti spots.
My process consists of excavating the material found at these spots and examining leftover paint artifacts, a practice closely related to that of an archaeologist, while subsequently using the artifacts in my own work by a method of pouring, covering, sanding and revealing.
Using the paint layers accumulated over time by other artists allowed me to come to conclusions about their dedication to the craft, their attempts to cultivate an enduring message and the way in which graffiti artists inadvertently leave behind aspects of their shadowy existence.
This process of discovery through collecting, conserving and manipulating materials is rooted in the desire to understand a culture dissimilar to my own.”
A synthesis of graffiti, archaeology and painting, Sands’ “Street Artchaeology” closely examines his own art process and perspective as a way to more deeply understand that of others.
For more information, read an interview with Sands on our blog.
Josh Sands residency and exhibition ran from August 29th, 2013 to September 27th, 2013.
