Cities Need Stories
I’ve spent much of my life observing cities.
Small cities.
Large cities.
Ghost towns.
Coastal cities.
Industrial cities.
All types of cities.
Sometimes to paint.
Sometimes, to get a vibe.
Some for a few hours.
Some for years.
I often zoom all the way out.
A bird’s-eye view.
What’s the attraction?
What makes a city good?
I’m convinced that a good city lends itself as the backdrop for a great story.
People rarely fall in love with a city itself.
They fall in love with the potential of the memories they will make there.
People attach stories to places.
The Eiffel Tower is a story.
The Statue of Liberty is a story.
The Hollywood Sign is a story.
The Bean in Chicago is a story.
Art is a story.
Stories transform locations into destinations.
Just like everyone wants a Las Vegas story.
The places we remember are often the places that gave us:
Something to laugh about.
Something to photograph.
Something to experience.
Something to return to.
And that’s why public art has always fascinated me.
It’s often the beginning of a story.
We met at The Bean before our wild night.
We kissed beneath the Eiffel Tower.
We crossed the river, and there was the Statue of Liberty.
The artwork moves beyond decoration.
It becomes a character in a person’s story.
Over time, that character is woven into the city’s identity.
I cherish all the stories people have shared with me about my art serving as the backdrop to their lives.
Art saves people.
Art brings people together.
Art starts conversations that can last a lifetime.
The most successful public artwork eventually stops belonging to the artist.
It belongs to the people who experience it.
That’s what’s remarkable.
And perhaps the best thing about creating it.
As my creative process continues to evolve, I find myself less interested in creating objects for their own sake.
And more interested in creating art experiences.
Experiences that spark curiosity.
Experiences that bring people together.
Experiences that yield a great story.
Because years from now, people may not remember their exact location.
But they’ll remember the art that fueled their story.