Recycling Gone Ritzy
By Ellesse Sorbonne, Contributing Editor
October 8th brought perhaps the most diverse group that Union Station has ever welcomed. Guests in cocktail attire mingled among a miniature bejeweled knight, an intricate double helix model, an immense fourteen-foot bull—and all created out of aluminum scraps. Red Bull’s Art of Can has arrived.
The opening reception was attended by over 500 people and was a marked combination of elegance and playfulness. Crystal goblets were filled with Red Bull mixed drinks. Delicate roast beef appetizers were interspersed among bags of popcorn and Fruitloops-krispy-treats. And of course, the sleek galleria space was offset by the lighthearted sculptures it encased.
This is the first time the celebrated Art of Can exhibit has been hosted by Washington, DC. For more than a decade the contest has been calling for pieces made with—or inspired by—Red Bull’s distinctive silver, blue, and red cans. This year’s competition generated more than 350 entries, 56 of which were selected for the exhibit in the major metro hub. The show’s curator is none other than Val Lewton, the retired Chief of Design and Production at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The impressive variety of the pieces on display was only matched by the variety of the artists who ranged from 18-year-old students to prominent industrial and fashion designers. The works represented 14 different nationalities. Phillipa Hughes, one of the night’s EMCEEs and judges applauded the event for featuring, “people from all walks of life.” The panel of judges was similarly unique. It consisted of leading toy designer, Triston Eaton; New York graffiti legend, Stash; Philadelphia art director, Saga Moor; sculpture artist, Laurel Lukaszewski; and painter, George Charles Koch.
The submissions were evaluated by their overall creativity, execution, and construction. After a night of perusing the art and chatting with the artists, the winners were announced. The grand prize, which was an all expenses paid trip to Art Basel, the world’s leading modern art exhibit in Switzerland, went to Kathryn Beale for her piece, “Common Ground.” The sculpture depicts a donkey and elephant sipping straws out of the same Red Bull can. The 53-year-old Texan declared of her piece, “I believe strongly that when two opposites, people or nations, discover they have even the simplest thing in common, a door for further communication is opened, which can lead to acceptance.” Truly the international Art of Can show is inspiring just that.
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