Art is a popular medium for self-expression, and coupled with a performance aspect, it can become lively and entertaining.
ACBU presented speed painter Evan Struck in the student center ballroom on March 2, where he painted large abstract portraits of pop culture and Bradley icons.
During the hour-long event, Struck displayed his skills in four different paintings on both black and white canvases with a variety of colors.
The night began with Struck taking the stage and introducing himself before getting to work, declaring, “This is what I like to call ‘paint power.’”
His first painting depicted singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, with variations of red and white paint being highlighted by a light blue background. This portrait was followed by portraits of Lydia Moss Bradley and Bradley mascot Kaboom!, both painted with white and shades of gray. Struck finished the show with a black light painting of singer Harry Styles.
Each time a painting was complete, Struck stepped back to admire his work before dipping his hand in paint and striking the canvas to leave a handprint.
Struck took time between each painting to discuss his history with art and reasons for his career choice.
“Instead of putting my work in a gallery for only maybe a few hundred people to view and see, I get to perform [my art] in front of hundreds and thousands of people … all across the country,” Struck said.
To engage with the audience, Struck used a color swatch book to tell students how they could apply art in their everyday lives. He compared the color bases in the book to people’s bases in life that might inspire them to discover what they want to pursue.
“Each paint swatch and color has a base to it [and they are] foundations that other colors can then be added to,” Struck said. “That base in your life could include your education, a job, your ethnicity, your background … After you find your bases, you can start mixing your paint … You then will hopefully find your own color in the hundreds of thousands of unique color combinations that are out there, and truly find your paint power.”
Struck hails from Jackson, Michigan, and travels around the country performing his art in different places. After watching videos of speed painters on YouTube when he was younger, he decided to try his hand at it. In high school, Struck performed for the first time during a talent show.
Students were thrilled to take part in the unique experience of having a speed painter at Bradley.
“I thought the show was really cool,” Katie Becker, freshman computer science major, said. “I think it’s great how we’re [being introduced] to more creative [performers].”
ACBU was also enthusiastic about how students received the show and its overall content.
“It was fun because we got to have a say in who he was painting,” Madison Edwards, English and accounting double major and ACBU Homecoming coordinator, said. “It was fun to plan and think about who Bradley students would want to see painted.”
