Material Matters

Many artists choose materials that address the subject their art is about. For example, using recycled or recovered materials to make artworks that address environmental sustainability issues. Other artists use processes to create artworks that are borrowed from the sciences such as data collection, mapping, staged archeological digs, or even chemistry to grow crystals on sculptures and more.

For this project students adapted a process, material, and/or idea to create an artwork that addresses an interest or issue in the sciences that speaks to them. Their material or process were literal or metaphorical but always inherently linked to the concept of the project.

a photo of a collection of trash objects
"Park Date," interactive website
Emily Clifton
photos of trash
"901-GO-Trash," interactive website
Emily Clifton
a digital illustration for a children's book
"My Outsides Match My Insides," digital illustrations for a children's book about consent
Julia Bergquist
an embroidered rabbit
"Rabbit," embroidery and rabbit bones
Katie Tucker
an image of water and a turtle made in plastic bags and felt
"Don't Use Plastic," recycled plastic bags and felt
Kristopher Jackson
a book made from crochet, string and ink
"Untitled Artist Book," crochet, ink and colored pencil on paper
Nathalie Tamez Guerrero
photos of bloodied animals
"Stop Poaching," clay, found object and stage blood on collage
Nathaniel Nwaneri
"It's True There Were Times It Was Too Much," video projection
Karielle Erickson