A line is a dot that went for a walk—Paul Klee
© Dangerdust

Life Lessons in the World of Chalk Art

It’s after midnight. The classrooms at Columbus College of Art and Design are deserted and dark. All we hear is the unexpected sound of chalk on chalkboard.

Two shadowy figures, in a small pool of light, are hard at work on their weekly masterpiece. Vandals? Some might say so. But they are vandals of the best kind— capable of beautiful chalk art integrated with inspiring life lessons.

Covert Operations

The anonymous duo calls themselves Dangerdust. Their medium: motivational chalkboards that appear, mysteriously, every week in the hall of their Ohio art school. No one knows who the creators are (well, maybe a few friends and a professor or two). Dangerdust’s desire is to stay undercover.

Who is Dangerdust? We may never find out who the stealthy artists are.
Photo © Tyler Dunlavy (CCAD 2014)

The two Advertising and Design students have known each other for years. They say it’s easy to work together since they share the same work ethic and aesthetic when it comes to art and design.

To keep themselves from falling into a creative rut, last September they began to create the surreptitious chalkboards.

The tools of the trade
© Dangerdust

It was a way to stay creatively motivated, they said, through the long projects required for graphic design classes. “Chalking” got them away from the computer and back to the art of free design. It was also a way “to spend even more time not doing homework.”

Add to that some powerful inspirational quotes and the intrigue of anonymity, and the results attracted widespread attention. The chalkboards became a much awaited weekly event . . . and a social media sensation.

Coughing Up Chalk Dust

The first chalkboard paid homage to the elusive street artist, Banksy—appropriate given the duo’s own stealthy nature and their passion to deliver messages through a fleeting medium.

Dangerdust Debut: A tribute to Banksy and aspirations of anonymity
© Dangerdust

After Week #1’s success, the ideas and artistic styles continued to evolve. Relatively simple monochromatic designs grew more sophisticated. More color. New typography. More hours. More coughing up chalk dust. Different tools (Q-tips, brushes, cloth). Art that adopted the style of the person quoted.

It always seems impossible until it’s done—Nelson Mandela
© Dangerdust

Doing What You Love

The quotes came from a diverse range of people—Claude Debussy, Bill Cosby, Julia Child, Mark Twain, Maya Angelou, Paul Klee, Nelson Mandela—but often delivered a message about doing what you love doing.

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.        —J.M. Barrie

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.  —Steve Jobs

The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.  —Jessica Hische

Dimensional inspiration
© Dangerdust

When asked “What is the place of art in their lives?” the Dangerdust duo admits “It just sort of spills everywhere. We’ve always drawn, and we’ve always enjoyed any kind of creative pursuit. We expect it will always occupy, in some way, all of the space in our lives.”

Places to Go, Things to Do

Their last college chalkboard, presented on their graduation from CCAD in May (Chalkboard #24) offered the ultimate foreshadowing, a quote full of promise from Dr. Seuss.

Oh, the places you’ll go . . .

“It perfectly sums up where everyone is when they graduate,” the Dangerdust duo explained.

Words of graduation wisdom from Dr. Seuss
© Dangerdust (in collaboration with Casey Ligon)

And onward they go. Like most new graduates, they are forging their after-college path—doing freelance design, managing their social media celebrity, and turning some of that fan adoration into a revenue stream via their Etsy store.

They have also, just recently, begun to post new chalkboards to their Facebook page. Still anonymous. Still rich in design. Still inspiring.

If we wait until we’re ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives.             —Lemony Snicket

The most effective way to do it is to do it.  —Amelia Earhart

There is a recurring theme in the life lessons of this post-graduation chalk art. The “Oh, I see” moment is clear. Dangerdust believes in “doing it.” Artistic expression that kicks ass.

Post-graduation inspiration
© Dangerdust

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