Find something in the street and give it to someone random.

He admirably and gratefully accepted the "street" branch.

Concept Cloud

my inspiration for my art and my life

          We were asked to create a concept map of our artistic inspirations.  Without many limitations or restrictions, I decided to create a map focusing on language and color as a means of expression.  I enjoyed varying color and font with each new idea too.  I began in the center of the page and then moved outward from there...though the location of the word on the map does not determine its importance.  I realized that I am inspired by both the difficult or negative and the joyful parts of life.  My passions in life are numerous and it is nice to know that I will not run out of inspiration too soon!

Elevator Talk

My name is Maya McFaddin.


My art is inspired by the world around me and current social or cultural issues.


Some recent subjects of my work include issues of immigration and communication in society.


Although I have worked in a variety of mediums, I really enjoy painting and drawing. Lately, my art is becoming more conceptual and idea-based.


I like to work in large-scale formats, whether it is a mural or a series of works.  I like for my work to immediately catch the viewer's eye and draw them in for more.


I incorporate a lot of color, recognizable symbols, and text into my work, because I think that symbols and language surpass boundaries.  With this larger scale and incorporation of text I hope to reach the mass population and a more universal audience.

Faith, December 2010, acrylic on canvas, 24"x36"

Body

            Our bodies are the foundation for much of our actions and thoughts throughout the day.  Our bodies enable us to do everything, and yet we often forget about it completely.  My artwork often reminds viewers of their bodies and their place in the greater society. 

First, I often create work in large scale formats.  I want my work to catch the viewer’s eye and make them stop in their tracks to take and look.  Large scale works often have this effect on the body and I strive to replicate this.  Furthermore, the creation of my murals, large drawings and paintings, and sculptures require a lot of body movement.  Instead of being able to sit at a desk and paint on an intimate scale, I challenge myself to working with larger scales that require me to get on my hands and knees. 

Secondly, I enjoy making series of works to be presented at one time in an exhibition.  With a series, the viewer is encouraged to walk and move in order to see all of the pieces.  Of course, the spectator can see all of the works from a distance without much movement, but in order to see details, they may have to approach the works individually.

                The majority of my work is centered on themes about contemporary society and cultural issues.  These themes deal with the human population and our thoughts, decisions, and ideals.  I use a lot of symbols in my work and I commonly use a simplified, symbol-like image of the human body to represent deeper themes.  For example, in a series of drawings about the relationships between the individual and society I used cross-hatching lines to create a rough representation of the human figure.  I created a group of these figures on one corner of the paper and then a single, larger cross-hatched figure in the middle of the page (see below).  In this case, the inclusion of the human bodies was not a depiction of the physical human body, but the societal associations of the body.

                Although it is not often a central theme of my work, the body plays a role in every one of my artworks, whether it is during the creation process, the viewing, or the what the body represents in our world.