Maxwell Rushton's 'Left Out' Project
When did you get the idea for this project?
The idea began to be formulated in 2015 after an almost insignificant experience; without thinking I apologized to a garbage bag after tripping over it! For a second I thought I had tripped over a homeless person sitting on the ground. That tenth of a second seemed very surreal and symbolic to me. I realized that after this experience I had a greater understanding of the plight of the homeless and I wanted to create a work of art that would also change the perception of others.
What materials have you used to create these sculptures?
It's a relatively simple technique I learned from a fellow artist that uses a casting material called Jesmonite. The casts are my own body so I need help. I have to position myself and be covered by Jesmonite while it's wet and wait for it to harden to rock-like. So I sneak out of the mold, remove the excess Jesmonite and spray it with glue and put in a garbage bag. Of all my artwork, this is by far the most technically simple piece.
Maxwell Rushton's 'Left Out' Project
Where did you place the sculptures?
Since London seemed to be the city the sculpture was made for, I wanted to see how different demographics within the city would react to it. I experimented with the bridge Westminster (next to Parliament), and the Waterloo, Bank and Piccadilly areas . I wanted to see what kind of reactions the work would provoke in a political context, in a wealthy area, next to the tourist industry, and in an area with a high concentration of homeless people.
Did you want to create a dialogue with the viewer?
Yes, of course. Like most of my work, I consider how the viewer might experience it. This piece only makes sense if it's on the streets. Only when people do not know that it is a work of art does it become one, when people see it as art the dialogue is lost.
Left Out from Maxwell Rushton on Vimeo.
Do you remember any particular interaction or response?
Yes, two interactions have seemed particularly interesting to me. The team placed the sculpture under Waterloo Bridge; while keeping my distance I noticed two men who lived on the street showing an interest in the sculpture. They crouched down next to her and started posing playfully with each other. I could tell they weren't at all impressed or sympathetic to the work because they too were homeless. They were simply identifying with their own situation in a humorous way. I became much more aware of the homeless situation after seeing their reaction to the sculpture.
The second interaction touched me deeply. We place the sculpture in an area called Bank. Again, we move away a little and we saw a man run and rip the bag at the height of the sculpture's face . It was evident that he was greatly concerned and was trying to help what he thought was a person in danger. I went over and explained the work to him and thanked him for his compassion.
What is the objective of this project?
I guess he wanted to evoke compassion.
Maxwell Rushton's 'Left Out' Project