Tyler Armstrong

Lost in Time
Clay / multimedia
Dimensions variable

Photographs by Visionkit Studio

Lost in Time

In my work, I am trying to create a connection between the resilience and permanence of fired ceramic objects and the impermanence of most street art. Graffiti art works are only visible until they are painted over by another street artist or until the wall they are on crumbles or is destroyed.

Throughout this exhibition the “walls” of my work will be in an ever-changing state of decay and transformation, while still being used as a ‘canvas’ for a graffiti artist. As the walls change, so will the way the artist uses the wall. Graffiti artists use different techniques in an ever-changing environment, asserting their presence and dominance over the city spaces where they work. In many cities graffiti artists are modern day iconoclasts, fighting the cities’ efforts to keep the city clean from the disruption to the order that graffiti represents. I believe that in areas of urban decay, graffiti is not a disruption; it adds a new level of color to a city and should be embraced as it allow us to take a look at our history along with what is new.

A moment in time is revealed through the ages from the uncovering of what was once new. Where will my ceramics pieces be in the next 100,000 years? Will they lay deep in a landfill, to be uncovered by archeologist like the pottery found from the Neolithic Era, or just laid to rest? Consequentially, how do we as humans create buildings and cities that wear away into ghost towns in such a short amount of time, seemingly forgotten? In this work, Lost in Time, I am creating a connection between the strength of ceramics vs. the ephemeral nature of graffiti on the wall a decaying city.