Erase
Pencil
Venue: Fountain Street Church
Artist: Greg Bokor
Age: 50
Home City: Beverly, Massachusetts
What was your inspiration for the piece?
“It was after the Newtown massacres in Newtown, Connecticut, at Sandy Hook School, and I just truly felt like as an artist I needed to do something using my talents to help. To help either continue the conversation, or pay tribute to the families. I felt like this was the best use of my time and talents.”
Was there something symbolic you were trying to portray with your drawing?
It’s really sort of this desire for gun violence to go away. And I think what people are going to find, when they start to erase, is that the image doesn’t totally go away, and I think that’s a metaphor that unfortunately it will still be around and we still have to work harder.
How long did it take to create your entry?
“About two months.” (Video Link)
What was the hardest part about creating your entry?
“Honestly? I think getting it out here and installing it. I took an overnight train.”
How did you transport it?
“In a carpet tube.”
How are people responding to your artwork?
“Extremely positively and emotionally. People feel very connected to it, and they want to be part of it. That’s exactly what I was hoping would be the reaction.”
What would you do with the money if you won?
“I’m actually starting a fund called Artillery, and it’s basically to fund artists doing cause-related work.”
By Rachael Ocampo
