Chase Hunter
Artist Statement
Professor: E. Brown
Mel Chin
The illustrious conceptual visual
artist, Mel Chin, appeared in the first season of Art21. He is a renowned and
respected artist that often times confronts problematic situations that are
detrimental to the environment and to those who
Inhabit it. He is influenced
heavily by political, cultural, and social circumstances. Although confronting
humorless dilemmas, Chin manages to deliver an inspiring and amusing lecture
full of witty jokes and stunning concepts. He is a multi-talented artist who
chooses to use a wide variety of different media. Mel Chin, as an artist is comical,
clever, and caring.
The
reason behind a multitude of Chins biggest projects is helping the environment
and making the government aware of certain issues that he believes could be
solved or fixed by solutions he has acquired through intense research and
studying. In 1990 Chin began a project called Revival Field that showcased science, technology, and art. It was a
landscape project he collaborated with scientist, Dr. Rufus Chaney. Together
they used plants that were called hyper-accumulators that are admired by their
ability to draw heavy metals from soil. The eco-friendly project originated on
a landfill in St. Paul, Minnesota. Revival Fields in Palmerton, Pennsylvania
and Stuttgart, Germany followed promptly.
Mel
Chin also found calling to aid in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane
Katrina in New Orleans. Alongside fellow comrade artist Chin sought to create
solutions to the ruined city. He than began Operation
Paydirt. It’s main objective was to decrease the high lead contamination in
the soil of New Orleans using the same plants previously discussed in Revival Field. New Orleans, prior to
Katrina, had problems of high lead contamination in the soil. Katrina added
insult to injury. Mel Chin pushed for Operation
Paydirt to excel and be known. To contribute to the funding of this
operation Chin formed the Fundred Dollar Bill
Project. It was ultimately a proposition to congress in exchange
300,000,000 fundred dollars for 300,000,000 real dollars. A fundred is a
drawing of a dollar that has the absolute same value as any other fundred; No
matter who the person or artist was that designed the bill.
The
Peabody College graduate was overflowing with energy and audience interaction
all throughout his presentation. He astonishingly made the transition of
playing the guitar to being an officer with a shovel and shotgun that was articulately
combined. He proudly sang us a song called “Time Flies like an Arrow, Fruit
Flies like a Banana”. Mel Chin was as entertaining as he was informative! He
enlightened the audience to not be afraid to ask questions and to actually be
attentive to the things that really matter. An eye-opening statement announced
by Mel Chin at his impressive artist lecture was “Why am I wondering about
beauty, when things are becoming extinct”. I know realize that existing alone
is a beautiful blessing.
