2008 Woodie Awards
Monsters attack walls around New York City
The Monster Project by Kylin O'Brien brings children's fantasies to life
KIM BUI
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Features
The building and walls of this city are covered in layers of graffiti. "The Monster Project," a collaboration between New York City public school children and local artist Kylin O'Brien, efforts to change the community by using children's imagination and putting them on walls around the city.
Earning degrees in fine arts and philosophy, it is not shocking that O'Brien has channeled her education into helping the community through her art. Working at Philosophy Day School in 2007, O'Brien assisted children to expand their creativity through the development of their art skills and learning new techniques.
With her recent efforts with "The Monster Project," O'Brien uses the outlets of art to not only help children expand their artist abilities by using their works, but also contributing to the community by using the pieces children create in school to create murals around the city.
These mysterious monsters are not meant to scare or to draw caution to the local area, but rather call the attention of passing onlookers, and bring a sense of protection to the walls of the city. The monsters themselves not only represent the imagination of the children, but also represent their desires and can also been seen to represent their fears. The very things they want to see may be not what they want to see. "The Monster Project" was not only designed to hone the children's art skills, but help them realize their strengths, and to understand their emotions better. Instead of viewing the monster pieces as villains or enemies, the project was created to promote them as neighborhood guardians to the city of New York.
Currently a Holistic Life Coach, the idea behind "The Monster Project" is also a way of O'Brien helping the children of New York to discover more about themselves. Seeing their very own vision drawn to 10 feet tall and scaling the side of a building can be rewarding and empowering, which is one thing O'Brien wants the students to feel and understand.
Earning degrees in fine arts and philosophy, it is not shocking that O'Brien has channeled her education into helping the community through her art. Working at Philosophy Day School in 2007, O'Brien assisted children to expand their creativity through the development of their art skills and learning new techniques.
With her recent efforts with "The Monster Project," O'Brien uses the outlets of art to not only help children expand their artist abilities by using their works, but also contributing to the community by using the pieces children create in school to create murals around the city.
These mysterious monsters are not meant to scare or to draw caution to the local area, but rather call the attention of passing onlookers, and bring a sense of protection to the walls of the city. The monsters themselves not only represent the imagination of the children, but also represent their desires and can also been seen to represent their fears. The very things they want to see may be not what they want to see. "The Monster Project" was not only designed to hone the children's art skills, but help them realize their strengths, and to understand their emotions better. Instead of viewing the monster pieces as villains or enemies, the project was created to promote them as neighborhood guardians to the city of New York.
Currently a Holistic Life Coach, the idea behind "The Monster Project" is also a way of O'Brien helping the children of New York to discover more about themselves. Seeing their very own vision drawn to 10 feet tall and scaling the side of a building can be rewarding and empowering, which is one thing O'Brien wants the students to feel and understand.
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