Art of the Cup: Art by Boey

Mar 01, 2010 | Comments 0

Sendalgawa, by Artist Boey

The Styrofoam cup.

A sad icon of our throwaway consumerist society whose job is to feed our hungry appetites for a better faster cheaper world. The cup have become a villain in the environmental movement theater and a symbol of America’s packaging fetish. They gather like stray cats in alleys and fill coffee shop trash cans until they overflow into the street. It is the perfect metaphor for our values as a country: Convenience at any cost.

But now I would like you to imagine an artist, born in Malaysia, re located to California sitting in a coffee shop, perhaps bored, perhaps ripe with inspiration, spots one of these offending un-recyclables and sees something different, the potential canvas. An alien thought enters his mind and he submits to it and takes the used cup, discarded by another, and blankets it in a spontaneous drawing.

His thoughts are unknowing and perhaps unconscious. There was no grand intention or vision as he proceeded, but as he finished, he knew something special happened. Little did he know these cups would play such a significant role his future and would spark such a reaction with people and offend a few as well.

The result was delicate and beautifully creative, contrary to the coarse and industrial nature of the Styrofoam cup. He takes these items designed to be thrown away and transforms them into objects of art and permanence. He created value where there was none. This is the sorcery of art. Ugly trash, now becomes beautiful art with stroke of a black fine point sharpie and the mind of artist Boey.

So now the world debates it’s merits as he becomes the man of cups. Many pay several hundred dollars to own these previously discarded items and major publications request interviews. The cup takes on a whole new meaning and giving meaning is what artist help us do. I will drink to that.

Find out more about Boey’s art on his website at http://www.iamboey.com