“What does it look like to wear your heart on your sleeve?” That is what Spark! Grant recipient Carey Phelps is asking. To get her answer, Phelps will be following around her friend Graham for a day and making him into one giant mood ring. “This project is an exercise in revealing the personal rollercoaster of emotions we all have roiling under our skin,” said Phelps. “I’m following around my best friend, bringing out the little triumphs and failures of life by painting waves of color on his skin.”
On November 7th and 14th from 10 AM-5 PM Graham will be walking around Stanford, going to lunch, to class, and just doing normal things. Except for one minor detail – he will be covered in paint. “I really like the idea of letting people watch someone painting,” said Phelps, “I see finished, static paintings every day; they’re hanging for years in hallways and staircases, quietly brightening some otherwise boring wall. I think it’s sort of exciting to make the painting itself a fleeting piece, but the process is a longer experience that people can watch.”
“It’s a way of letting the world know what’s really going on beneath the ‘perfect student’ facade.”
Walking around Stanford campus covered in colorful paint will attract attention. However, the project isn’t about shock value. Rather it’s about a personal expression, a way of humanizing the subject. “I like drawing attention to the fact that Stanford students are just people – we have skin and bones and embarrassing memories and projects we’re behind on,” said Phelps. “Painting on someone’s skin allows them to have the chance to express themselves to me.”
How is Phelps able to interpret the emotions of her subject? It’s simple – she asks. “I ask some leading questions about how they’re doing, how they feel about things that are going on around them, and then trace representative images on their skin,” said Phelps. “It’s a way of letting the world know what’s really going on beneath the ‘perfect student’ facade.”
The project is also about Phelps relating to her fellow students, and giving back to a community that she considers very much a part of her work. “The Stanford community has given me so much, and I am really grateful for all the incredible mentorship I’ve gotten over the years,” said Phelps. “I just want to give people a chance to see a fun, quirky thing happening right outside their door. I want them to pause and think for a moment, ‘now, why on earth is that man covered in paint?’”
With this current project going so well, Phelps looks to the future. “I would love to pursue more opportunities with the Arts Institute, because I have really appreciated the guidance and motivation that the network has lent to my project,” said Phelps.
So, when you’re on your way to class or grabbing a bite to eat, be on the lookout for a guy covered in paint. Who knows, maybe a conversation with you will turn those cold tones warm!
