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Today's Class- Today we discussed the idea of positive and negative space and looked at slides of sculpture that dealt with (or not) negative space, as well as relief sculpture. After that students started a new project that makes use of both ideas. We also had a quick critique of the Make 100 module projects, which were graded and returned. For those who missed today's class, I have posted a few photos of student sculptures from today's class on the original page for this project.
How to make this up- This graded project requires the construction of a corner out of foam core. The corner should have two sides that are each 12" square, and have a top and bottom triangle piece, each of which is half of another 12" square divided diagonally. The unit should be assembled so that the edges are all even with no overhanging parts. Either white glue or hot glue will work.
Once the corner is finished, you will use additional foam core to create relief designs on the two square faces and the top triangle piece. Start by sketching out ideas for designs on paper. When you are satisfied with your plan, redraw it on more foam core, cut it out with your x-acto knife, and glue the pieces to the surfaces. You may do it from a whole 12" square piece and glue it down as a unit, or cut out the pieces individually and glue them in place. In my example above, the left side face is from one whole piece, while the other two faces are assembled form separate pieces. The area immediately around the top center corner should not have relief elements added, but otherwise the design is up to you. The design should be non-representational, no recognizable images. Remember that positive and negative space are equally important in a relief, so the resulting negative spaces should be just as interesting as the attached positive pieces. Sharp blades do a much better job of cutting foam core than dull blades, so have replacements handy.
Homework- This graded Corner Relief project is due at the beginning of class on October 8, 2013.
Anyone who hasn't yet turned in their 100 modules project should turn it in as soon as possible for partial credit.
For next class 10/1/13- We will start a new portfolio exercise influenced by cars. Choose your favorite automobile purely from an exterior design philosophy; one you like because of its appearance, rather than speed, economy, reliability, usefulness, etc. Bring photos of the vehicle from all sides, as one part of what we will be doing will involve adapting its exterior design. You will also need two square foot bases (foam core or mat board), foam core (remnants from today's construction should be sufficient), a few sheets of bristol board, glue, scissors, x-acto knife, your sketchbook, pencil and eraser.
The Assignment- I had students do some simple memory sketches of items that had some degree of symmetry, either bilateral or radial. Then I assigned the exercise, to make a mounted three dimensional asymmetrical sculpture using nothing but bristol board and glue. The subject could be one of the things from a earlier sketch or something brand new, but it had to be something (object or life form) that was normally symmetrical. but here would be asymmetrical due to its placement on the base or to it being distorted in some way. (Picasso's guitar sculptures are good examples of the approach I'm seeking)
Above is a student example from a previous semester. Here we see the view from above, which includes interpretations of a flower, tall weeds, a lily pad, and ripples in water. While the flower itself is radially symmetrical, the placement of the other items makes the whole composition asymmetrical. Below is a side view. It's ok if your sculpture has one best viewing position, but it should be interesting from different angles.
Use a foam core base, anywhere from 6" square to 8" x 10". Cut pieces of bristol board with scissors or knife and attach to each other or the board itself. Spend about 4 hours on it. Take advantage of the physical property of paper, which can be folded or bent into many shapes, and consider your experience in building modules last week to make stable structures that can support some weight.
This is a portfolio exercise, so it must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit, but I suggest you do it soon, as the experience will be helpful for some future assignments.
The Assignment- This project is called Make 100. Students were asked to design simple three dimensional modules out of bristol board (above are a few examples I made), produce a prototype of one of the ideas, and once worked out, create 100 identical modules. The completed modules are to be turned into a piece of sculpture. The project specifics-
The 100 modules should be more or less identical.
At least one side should be 1.5" long, but no sides can exceed 1.5"
They should be three dimensional, having height, length, and depth.
They should be stable, strong enough to support their own weight.
Once you have completed the 100 modules, you will use them to create a sculptural work. Account for all three dimensions in your design, and glue it together to make the shape permanent. It can be a freestanding object, or you may attach it to some kind of base (such as foam core or mat board). Your design can make use of regular patterns, or just be seemingly random groupings of the modules. In grading the completed sculpture, I'll be verifying that it contains 100 modules and that it is a stable construction, and consider how it deals with all three dimensions and multiple viewpoints. The complexity of the modules and the final piece will also be accounted for in the grade.
Below are a few examples of projects from a previous semester using a variety of types of modules.
Today's Class- Today was our first meeting of the semester. I distributed the course syllabus and reviewed it with the class. Then I had students fill our a survey regarding their art experiences and interests, which we discussed as a class.
How to make this up- No one missed class today, so everyone is caught up.
For next class 9/10/13- We will start our study of 3D Design with some exercises in some basic design principles. Bring 3 large pieces (18"x 24") of bristol board (or 6 to 10 pieces if you have small sheets), x-acto knife and/or scissors, white glue, and sketchbook and pencil.
This is the blog that I have set up for my art classes at Kean University. To avoid confusion with other classes I have taught, all information for my 3D Design class (Tues 9:30 to 3:15) will be posted in orange text. Any information that applies to all students will be posted in black text.
I will use this each week to post information about the class. I'll include a detailed description of what we did in class, as well as homework, due dates, art materials required for the following class meeting, and student images of the classwork and big projects if applicable and available. The title of each post is the name of the class and date. About a month's worth will appear on the home page, and those from earlier in the semester can be found by looking in the archive function in the right hand column.
Certainly this blog will be useful to anyone who has to miss a class for any reason. Some students will even have the work made up before the next class meeting. However, even those who never miss a class may find it useful, as a place to see additional student examples, or get a reminder of the due date or what they need for the following class. It's available to you 24/7 without having to wait for me to reply to your questions. Of course, if you have any questions that aren't answered by what I have posted you are welcome to e-mail me, and I'll probably get back to you before the day is out, but in my experience you'll find most of what you need right here.
