Art & Architecture: Graham Hudson

"Is it Art or an Environmental Statement? That’s what this Treehugger asked the artist, Graham Hudson, who has built a studio and out-buildings in the courtyard of the Chelsea College of Art and Design. Supported by a Foundation grant, the artist has spent the last 6 months constructing his ramshackle home, living there throughout the whole process and holding arty events on the site. The central building, his studio-residence, is a construction of timber off-cuts, discarded window frames, cardboard, carpet, and old furniture. His materials come from the streets, skips, toy-shops, e-bay, and donations. A junkyard, cordoned off in the interests of Health and Safety, is Hudson's own store-- housing umbrellas, wood, plastics, and discarded children's toys. This is recycling in its simplest form: using refuse to build something new."

Material Resource Library, 2006.

His work roots back to the concept behind Duchamp's works, readymades. It makes us aware of mass production, consumeration and use of materials in our everyday lives. I feel that one of the highlights of 21st century, which would go down to history for the next generation art students, would have to be about people becoming aware of environment and recycling, and the global emphasis on them, not only in the field of art but everywhere around, at least in the western countries, where poverty isn't a major issue. But the highlight so far has only been done in the use of our everyday materials, that are in direct contact with us. His work suddenly triggers me about the use of materials in construction, the erection of new buildings, demolish of houses, spaces occupied with new buildings, congested spaces, etc.

Bibliography:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/is_it_art_or_an.php (Accessed Sep 14, 2010).