Watch: Artist Drills Hole in Can of Paint To Create Mesmerizing Work of Art
Some artists pour hours into their creations, putting the finest details into every inch of canvas. Others slop paint across their workspace, creating patterns just as intriguing off the canvas as on it.
Many people who wouldn’t consider themselves artists can still find ways to make their own creative mark in their homes.
One recent viral video illustrates a method that just about anyone can use.
For this painting, you don’t need a brush — but you will need a power drill, along with a length of rope, a quart of paint, a surface to paint and lots of plastic to protect the surfaces you do not want to paint.
Originally posted on “The Ryan and Amber Show” Facebook page on May 9, the video was also shared by Rick Lax, where it got even more views. The video shows Ryan drilling through the lid of a quart can of discounted ceiling paint after presumably having drilled a hole in the bottom as well.
The can of paint was tied to the ceiling somewhere out of view, and Ryan basically created a giant freeform version of a spirograph with the pendulum setup.
As paint poured out the bottom of the can while it swung back and forth, a beautiful pattern began to appear on the canvas. The white paint popped against the black material, and it’s difficult not to watch the lines appear against the black: It’s mesmerizing.
In this particular video, only one canvas was used, but in another video on “The Craft Show” Facebook page (run by Ryan and Amber), the two used four canvases and a can of red paint to create a similarly mesmerizing pattern across separate panels.
The videos have certainly gotten people’s attention, with a combined total of more than 290 million views and over 120,000 shares.
People have had mixed reactions to the end result, with some applauding the creativity and others questioning whether such pieces can be called “art.”
“Look up Foucault pendulum,” one person commented on their video. “I applaud the artist for using known science that proves earth’s rotation to produce art. Art and science together make something we can all enjoy.”
“The Windows 95 screensaver of the art world,” commented another. “I feel like I just beat solitaire.”
While these paintings might not be everyone’s cup of tea, they could be just right for a fun experiment/project with kids, especially if you have an outdoor area you can use to spare your floors. Or maybe you have some bare walls that could use a little brightening up with a few of your own original works.
At the very least, you can join in on the scintillating discussion of what counts as “art” in the comment sections of the videos.
Is this a project that you would try?
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