Local artist creates sculpture from thousands of stacked solo cups in Columbus library
As is customary, keep quiet and don’t run around in the library, lest your slight breeze accidentally knock over the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s new gravity-defying art install.
A multicolored sculpture crafted using thousands of loose cups was installed in the Main Library’s atrium on April 11. It’s the latest creation by Midwest-based artist Elijah Farrales, who goes by Elijah the Cup Guy and has stacked cups into beautiful, large-scale displays for over 15 years.
“I have always been fascinated by patterns and how repetition can turn any little thing wonderfully complex. Cups happened to be both an accessible medium but also a form that has lots to offer,” Farrales reflected. “Upside down, right-side up, stacked up high, scattered out wide–there really are a lot of dimensions to play with when it comes to cups!”
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Let your imagination run wild on what you see. Farrales didn’t have a specific vision of what the sculpture is—the process while creating the structure being fairly spontaneous—and viewers of the display told him they saw a city, castles, and even a mountain range. “Those could all be true!” he noted.
Visitors will be able to join workshops led by Farrales and hosted at the Main Library, located at 96 S. Grant Ave., on both Saturday, April 18 and 25 at noon. Participants can learn about his craft and even potentially create their own sculpture with cups from his collection.
Stop by the installation while you can, because the sculpture will come tumbling down following the April 25 workshop during the library’s special knockdown event at 2:30 p.m. And Farrales teased that this ceremonious moment might just be a group effort.
“Key aspects of this whole venture with the Columbus Metropolitan Library are community engagement and sparking creativity. I think that means I’ll need some community participation for the epic knockdown, right?”
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