Scribblings of the Library

All images of these quintessential works of art are courtesy of author Aidan Lewis.

The Arthur Lakes Library is well known as a center of arts and culture at the Colorado School of Mines. Student photography, inspirational quotes, and abstract art all grace the walls of the building. However, a well trained eye will notice that the true artistic treasures are the various scribblings of students throughout the building. These insightful drawings and words have taken years to accumulate on the desks of the library and today, for the first time, The Oredigger brings the very best of them to you.

The first piece we bring to you is “KNOWLEDGE FARM”. In pencil on wood, it portrays the instruments of farming; two trees, a tractor, a house, and an IKEA KALLAX bookshelf. It aims to show the inherent brilliance of farming so humanity can eat as well as that of thrifty shoppers who buy cheap but stylish furniture from IKEA. It thoughtfully comments “MMMMMMM Learning” alluding to the taste of farm fresh vegetables and Swedish meatballs.

Next we go to “Cow During an Alien Abduction”. Its bold and fluid pencil strokes bring out the emotion of mild to moderate confusion the cow is feeling having been lifted off the earth in a beam of light by a species that probably respects it a lot more than humans do. The lopsidedness of his facial features adds a whimsical feel and symbolizes the artist’s inability to draw features evenly.

“ooga booga” stands out from the other pieces because of the artist’s choice medium of bold purple expo marker and whiteboard. The sun shines brightly on the central figure, a squid, whose lifelong dream to walk on land and live among the humans was granted by an evil sea witch. In his attempt to assimilate he finds a job as an actor in horror films.

The age old School of Mines question is posed and answered in “How do I get over a crush on my friend who has a girlfriend -> distract yourself w/ somebody else – time heals all wounds”. An insightful new take on a classic theme.

“MUSIC SUGGESTIONS” is a complex commentary on the nature of collaboration and separation at Mines. While the company of others for kissing, homework, and those strange events the fraternities and sororities put on is fervently sought, no one has time to collaborate on a simple back-of-a-desk music suggestion board. Mines students have misplaced their priorities and will inevitably face debilitating mid-life crises. Add a song to the list to avoid this fate.

“Fall ‘69” tells the story of how through time, DNA often forms random mutations which can cause advantages to some populations over others. The applicability of this concept to the novel coronavirus is examined through the inclusion of “Spring ‘20”, “FALL ‘20” and “SPRING ‘21”. On the left side, the eyes of science watch the process unfold, unable to intervene.

Finally see here “10.5 Scribbles”. The true embodiment of a scribble of the library, this abstract work symbolizes the minimal nutritional value of a meal from Mines market. Each scribble is a part of the body left shocked that so much food could deliver so little substance. Take note of the mouth, eyebrow, belly button, and hip.
We encourage you to find your own meaning in each work of art. For more meaningless scribblings, visit the Arthur Lakes Library or read the rest of The Oredigger.