2004 Capstones | Visual and Public Art Department

	schedule of events • online press kit acknowledgements • home

For My Little Lady, Tay Ashley Johnson

Photograph by Taylor Brutzman

To honor the life of Taylor Brutzman, a student in the Department of Visual and Public Art who passed away last spring, I am placing a bench near the department’s complex. I want to share with others what Taylor has taught me: how fragile and precious life is.

This memorial is a place where people can sit, talk, think or wait for a ride. For this “everything” bench, I think it’s best not to have a backrest. Instead, I designed a flat area where people can sit anywhere on the L-shaped surface. The L works in the space, but it also represents the nickname Taylor and I had for each other: Little Lady. The memorial bench is a collaborative piece with Taylor’s friends and family. By using colorful tiles, I want to communicate the idea that life is good and worth living. The bench will become a temporary installation during the capstone festival when it will be used to display a tea party, some of Taylor’s art and a small altar.

Ashley Johnson's piece is one of a few semi-permanent works proposed for a capstone project in the Visual and Public Art program. The nature of this work requires additional time and she will install the piece at a later date.

Map and directions to campus. For more information, call (831) 582-4330.

Department of Visual and Public Art - California State University, Monterey Bay
100 Campus Center Seaside, California 93955-8001 USA

Dedicated to the memory of Hannah Balfour and Taylor Brutzman

webwerk:arthur