Art is everywhere

By Tanner Grubbs

Thursday, November 5, 2009

I’ve always had a fascination with the small things in life. Not necessarily small things in the literal sense (although they catch my eye, too), but the things our eyes tend to glance over on our way to work or school, when a million thoughts seem to be racing through our minds at once.

Photo Gallery

It's easy to find beauty in the small things around Lawrence.

I consider myself a fairly normal student — deadly in the art of procrastination, while reserving time to complain about not having enough time. This really is an art in itself.

Yet for some reason, during the tumult of the day, I still find myself glancing to objects, patterns, textures and colors of all sorts, whether they come in the form of old bricks beneath our feet or neglected sewer caps tinged with rust.

To me, all of these things have a beauty unto their own. Art truly is everywhere; you just have to look for it.

To convey this to the best of my abilities, I took a stroll around campus and my neighborhood block in the student ghetto, photographing various things that caught my eye. The German poet Ranier Maria Rilke once wrote, “The future stands firm … but we move about in infinite space.” Why not explore this space a little?

Malicious Intimacy

Four students' experiences with domestic violence.

/news/2011/may/04/malicious-intimacy/

Catch of the week: Hannah Villa

Our weekly peek at a fish in the KU sea.

/news/2010/nov/11/catch-week-hannah-villa/

Malicious Intimacy: Chloe and Luke

Violent Suppression: artist re-emerges after half a decade of abuse

/news/2011/may/04/malicious-intimacy-chloe-and-luke/

Samp: Find a resolution that makes you ...

Resolutions are meant for self-examination, not to make you miserable or self-conscious.

/news/2012/jan/19/samp-find/

The heat is on

An alternative form of yoga in Lawrence puts pressure not only on ...

/news/2007/nov/15/heat/

Editor's note: April 15

Associate Jayplay editor Kelci Shipley gives her take on this week's issue.

/news/2010/apr/15/editors-note-april-15/

Q&A: Wallpaper's Ricky Reed

We have questions. Celebrities have answers.

/news/2011/nov/10/q-wallpapers-ricky-reed/

Third time's a charm

One Jayplay writer's experience watching her mom find "the one" and another ...

/news/2012/jan/25/third-times/

Hiding Daddy

I tried to block the person I needed most

/news/2007/apr/26/hiding_daddy/

Q&A: Paul Benjaman Karleskindt, guitarist/vocalist of Paul ...

Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.

/news/2010/jan/28/q-paul-benjaman-karleskindt/

24 hours of Lawrence

A journey through the town at all hours.

/news/2009/oct/29/24-hours-lawrence/

To hell and back

A fight outside Naismith Hall began Thor Nystrom's year-long journey into the ...

/news/2008/may/05/hell_and_back/

Catch of the week: Matt Araiza

Our weekly peek at a fish in the KU sea.

/news/2010/sep/23/catch-week-matt-araiza/

Reframing the worlds of art and science

Collaborations encourage students to garner new ways of learning these seemingly separate ...

/news/2009/sep/17/reframing_worlds_art_and_science/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jul/11/kansan_departments/

Editor's note

Campus beauty offers respite from woes.

/news/2009/nov/05/editors-note/

A little art with your coffee

Lawrence coffee shops offer an alternative to the art-gallery scene.

/news/2009/nov/12/little-art-your-coffee/

Baby Steps

How five days without a car helped Jayplay writer Courtney Hagen realize ...

/news/2007/apr/12/baby_steps/

Distorted perception

Shaking the self-deprecating lies to see myself as beautiful

/news/2011/oct/20/distorted-perception/

Ridin' the RipCord

How one Jayplay writer overcame her fear of heights and learned to ...

/news/2011/apr/14/ridin-ripcord/

iPod iSolation

Is our campus becoming more anti-social because of our iPods? Do we ...

/news/2008/nov/06/ipod_isolation/

Sundays with Delores

How a bus drive on the wild side opened one writer’s eyes

/news/2008/mar/27/sundays_delores/

Finding My Way

Two majors later, I'm finally happy.

/news/2011/dec/08/finding-my-way/

Editor's note: Feb. 4

Jayplay editor's take on this week's issue.

/news/2010/feb/04/editors-note-feb-4/

Stressed in the city

My first job interview in New York

/news/2010/nov/11/stressed-city-new-york/

Eat. Pray. Learn.

Leaving behind one country for another.

/news/2010/dec/09/eat-pray-learn/

Models enhance classroom experience

Students learn more by drawing nude models than drawing mannequins.

/news/2009/sep/25/models/

Home is Where the Fight Is

Going home can be a struggle, but it doesn’t have to be ...

/news/2007/apr/26/home_where_fight/

Overworked students' dangerous race against time

Is too much work and too little time putting students' health at ...

/news/2011/apr/28/time-not-our-side/

These are my people

Finding spiritual identity in Italy.

/news/2011/sep/07/these-are-my-people/

Out of the Dark

The worst questions are the ones without answers

/news/2011/mar/31/Speak-Personal-Essay-Metz-Loss/

Best enemies

A sisterly tale wrought with rivalry

/news/2008/mar/13/best_enemies/

Artist turns her junk into art

A UMKC professor uses her trash and her camera to create collages.

/news/2010/sep/15/artist-turns-her-junk-art/

Clearly an eye opening experience

A new life without glasses

/news/2009/sep/24/clearly_eye_opening_experience/

Forget the apple

Give your teacher a chili pepper: the Rate My Professor phenomenon.

/news/2009/sep/17/forget_apple/

Courses in art history inspire new career ...

/news/2005/apr/12/opinion_perspectives_jordan/

Q&A: directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, ...

Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.

/news/2010/oct/07/q-directors-anna-boden-and-ryan-fleck-actor-zach-g/

Day Tripper

Discovering the beauty and oddities of rural Kansas

/news/2011/apr/14/day-tripper/

Second education

KU joins the list of universities using the virtual world of Second ...

/news/2008/nov/13/second_education/

Dance company returns member to his roots

Jun Kuribayashi, a Lawrence native and member of the dance company Pilobolus, ...