Thursday Salute to Originals: Coloring Outside the Lines
Summer is dwindling and fall classes are beginning. For many elementary students headed back to class, nothing beats starting the school year with a new backpack, some cool kicks, and fresh box of crayons. But while elementary students relish in cracking open that crisp box of colorful waxy goodness and penning those silky smooth lines of creativity on that first coloring assignment, Christian Faur is also relishing the potential of crayons –just completely outside the lines of any coloring book.
Christian Faur’s crayon sculptures go beyond the typical use for this elementary school staple. Appearing to be pixelated images from afar, his works of art are crafted from thousands of tightly packed upright crayons in varying hues. The tips of these meticulously placed crayons creates a plane – almost like a forest canopy – that conveys images both in both 2D and 3D format, and crayons as both individual and unified elements of a whole.
But it’s more than just an atypical use of crayons that gives Faur’s work such visual impact. The way in which light plays off the angles of the crayons, creating shadows and subtle highlights, enhances the various nuances and intricacies at play within his work. The way in which all of these elements converge – in light and shadow, 3D and 2D, holistic image and individual pixel – is fascinating, and adds depth (both visually and emotionally) to his works.
A far cry from any coloring book, Faur’s crayon sculptures certainly don’t stay within the lines. However, in this case, we’re willing to bet his elementary teachers would let it slide!
Image credits: Christian Faur