A Closer Look (work of art)

Created: 2010
Artist: Tim Purus
Nationality: American
Birth/Death: -
Dimensions: 7 1/2 × 7 1/2 inches each (19 × 19 centimeters each)
Medium: Aluminum; Developed as part of the Active Community and Neighborhood grant program funded by the John Rex Endowment through the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch of the NC Division of Public Health
Object Number: U/2010.6
Culture: American
Department: Museum Park

Key Ideas

This installation is an example of site-specific public art. It was created to be displayed in its current location in the Museum Park, where it is accessible to everyone.
The installation encourages visitor participation and interaction.
The work consists of 14 aluminum plates that feature etchings of local plants and wildlife.
Etching is a printmaking technique.
Visitors may create their own artwork by making rubbings of these plates.

Learn More

These etched aluminum plates feature images of local flora and fauna (plants and wildlife). Etching is a printmaking technique that involves using acid or other chemicals to create lines or marks on the surface of a metal plate. Museum visitors may create their own works of art by making rubbings of the plates using paper and crayons or pencils. A total of 14 etched plates are located on posts along a winding, wooded trail in the Carla McKinney Volunteer Garden. A silver box located near the entrance to the garden contains pencils and scrap paper for visitors to use, to make rubbings of the designs.

A Closer Look is a site-specific art installation. It was designed especially for the woodland garden in the Museum Park. It is also interconnected with the natural elements in this location. The etched designs on the metal plates include images like sunflowers, honeysuckles, a rabbit in a field of flowers, a grasshopper on a dandelion puff, a caterpillar chewing through a leaf, and a butterfly on a blossoming tree. These images illustrate the connections between art and the natural world, in this specific place. When visitors interact with these works of art, they also interact with nature.

This installation is part of a larger series titled Art Has No Boundaries. The series was commissioned by the NCMA to encourage visitors of all ages and physical abilities to actively explore the Museum Park.

Additional Resources

Resources for Teachers

Watch a video of an artist etching an aluminum plate.
Explore a resource about etching for beginners.
Read a short article about site-specific/environmental art.

Resources for Students

Make your own rubbings using leaves or other flat objects.
View images of North Carolina native plants, some of which are featured in A Closer Look.
Visit a website to explore North Carolina wildlife.