I am not a big fan of the ubiquitous foam cup. I don’t particularly like the way they feel in my hand or on my lips when I take a drink out of them. I am occasionally impressed with the way some have used them to form letters and messages by wedging them in the cells of a chain link fence. However, artist Tara Donovan has taken the foam cup to an entirely different level. The piece shown here, entitled Styrofoam Cup Sculpture, is an installation of billowing cloud-like structures that envelope the observer. Some of the clouds measure up to 20 feet by 6 feet and are held in place by glue dispensed from a common hot glue gun you could pick up at any craft store. The way these structures diffuse light is stunning and magical.
Tara is known for taking common everyday objects and transforming them into something that surprises and gets one to think about the object in a new light. She has also made works out of No. 2 pencils and drinking straws. She specifically selects objects that are mass produced and when placed together can form unique patterns and experiences. Her process does not begin with a preconceived design, but rather emerges from a dialogue she has with the object — allowing the object to dictate the forms and shapes that develop. She explains, “With every new material comes a specific repetitive action that builds the work.” I have always been captivated by work that transforms a humble, everyday object into something inspiring and transcendent.