As an overcast sky hung over Columbia, RBHS Art Club members began turning on their Face-o-mat “machines” outside of the Columbia Art League, participating in the spirit of Artrageous. From one to three p.m. Oct. 11, the artists sat behind cardboard screens with rectangular viewing windows, drawing free portraits of pedestrians who decided to stop and sit down for a Face-o-mat experience.
With knobs, turning wheels and sliders decorating the front of the Face-o-mat, participants could choose which “settings” they wanted their portrait to include. Options ranged from the color of the paper to the color of ink used to the style of the portrait, whether it leaned more towards realistic or abstract.
Created and founded by Tobias Gutmann, the original Face-o-mat project has traveled around the world, from London to Tokyo to Copenhagen. Smitten with the bounds of the project, Abbey Trescott, teacher sponsor of Art Club, along with other Art Club members decided to start their own Face-o-mat project.
“This is the first time we’ve ever tried it, so it was hard judging how many people would be interested, if we would get an overflow of crowd or if we’d get no one, and it’s been a nice steady pace,” Trescott said. “We have just enough interested people that there isn’t a long line waiting, but we also haven’t been sitting forever with no takers. Regardless if people stop to actually do it, they’re intrigued by what we’re doing so they take a minute to look at what it is, so that’s really cool and good exposure for us.”
Recently engaged and accompanied by her pet pug Moose, Laurie Rhodes was one of the first pedestrians to stop by the Face-o-mat stand, opting for a black and white, cartoonistic portrait on green paper.
“I’ve had a really great day and so I decided that since I like art, I should probably stop and get a portrait,” Rhodes said. “It’s really interesting even from this perspective to look in and see kind of a portrait of [the artist] as well.”
Dachelle Kane and Joseph Palazzolo also stopped by the Face-o-mat as a part of their exploration of the Artrageous weekend. Coming from the Boone County Art Show hosted by the Columbia Art League, Kane and Palazzolo voiced their newfound inspiration in creating art. After purchasing a piece of artwork that wasn’t too expensive, Kane said she was determined to start painting as well — buying a few canvases and paints to put her plan in motion.
“I like seeing other people’s interpretations of the things that they see and feel and that’s what really interests me,” Kane said. “Sort of contemporary, now, what people are seeing in our world and how they’re interpreting it, like our faces, how they were interpreted.”
Drawing in art lovers as well as Mizzou fans walking home from the football game, Face-o-mat customers ranged from a single-person party to four friends who wanted to squeeze in together for a portrait.
Artists behind the Face-o-mat also brought in the art of conversation as part of the experience. Inquiring about the
day of the participant and then going on from there, Art Club members sought to combine human connection with the spirit of art to encourage camaraderie.
“I think it’s a blast. People are loving doing it; you can see when they sit down how much fun they’re having with it,” Columbia Art League Education Director Karen Shortt-Stout said. “They’re laughing and the artists are talking with them and joking with them and it’s just really fun.”
But behind their inviting nature and welcoming smiles, many members still harbored hints of apprehension. Worried about the “customer’s” reaction upon receiving their portrait, senior Alexander Isgriggs felt the pressure of painting a “perfect” portrait.
“It was a little stressful at first because I wanted to impress the people that I’m drawing and make it look like how they want it,” Isgriggs said. “But everyone always seems to like their portraits or say they do, so I at least get a sense like I did something right.”
By creating a platform for interactive art, the Face-o-mat not only provided artists a chance to showcase their skills, but also established a social connection with the community. Earning $76 in tips over just two hours, the Face-o-mat is earning itself a spot in the traditions of Art Club
“The great thing about Art Club is that it’s always evolving. It’s very organic depending on the students involved, so our interests change and if we find something that we love, we repeat it,” Trescott said. “It seems that the Face-o-mat is becoming a success so it’s something that I think we’ll keep turning to either at Rock Bridge events or at community events like Artrageous.”
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By Alice Yu
