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Today's Class- Today the focus was on planes, broad areas that make up the exterior of a sculpture. I showed a few dozen slides of art (a lot of the industrial steel sculpture of Richard Serra) and discussed how materials can be manipulated for different effects. Then the class started on today's portfolio exercise, building a small model of an automobile of their choosing, then using an identical set of car parts to design and build an abstract sculpture. We also looked at some late arriving 100 Module pieces and talked about next week's revised schedule.
How to make this up- Students were asked to pick a favorite car from a purely design point of view. Using photos of the car, the assignment was to create a small model of the car, using the same rough proportions, paying attention to the broad exterior surfaces and major curves of the body, using a mix of foam core and bristol board to make the pieces. Meanwhile an identical set of car pieces was created and set aside. After completing the car, each student was asked to assemble the second set into some kind of abstract sculpture, looking like anything but a car. Above and below are two examples from today's class. The full detailed instructions and more examples from previous semesters can be found here.
This is a portfolio exercise and must be finished by the last day of class in order to receive full credit.
Homework- The foam core relief sculpture project begun in class last week will now be due at the beginning of class on March 10, 2015.
For next class 3/3/15- The original plan for next week was to start a project involving using materials from nature, but right now most of nature is under 3 feet of snow and ice, and that seems unlikely to disappear any time soon. So we are switching the order of things a little and going with a project involving only manufactured discarded materials.
Shown here are several examples of the work of Jersey Shore artist Lisa Bagwell. Her art is made from discarded materials she finds or is given from friends who know her interests. Above and below are images of a "giant hoagie", which has bread made from corks, and filling that includes plastic lids, gloves, sponges, fabric scraps, and disposable plastic razors. The olive on top is some plastic bottle caps.
The three pieces above include a bird made largely from information tabs commonly found in starter plants, a shell made from plastic mouthpieces from small cigars, and an ice cream cone made from popsicle sticks, bottle caps, and a plastic spout. The large bird below in the cork tree is made from some of the same materials.
The bird below is largely pencils and plastic utensils.
For this project you will need to create a piece of your own using only discarded manufactured items. It should be a recognizable object or living thing, and at least 12 inches in one dimension. Color and texture will come from the found objects that you use. You may assemble it by any means you wish, but hot glue will probably be the easiest. You can show up with a plan and materials to make it, or just bring a bunch of junk and get inspired in the classroom. Bring a hot glue gun (or at least hot glue sticks to use in one from the cabinet), sketchbook and pencil, and any disposable plastic or metal junk you can find.
Today's Class- Despite the weather complications, we had more than half the class in attendance. We started with a critique of the Make 100 Module projects. Although each was made with just one simple repeated shape, the combinations evolved into interesting patterns and structures, and the final pieces ranged from very orderly and organized structures to chaotic abstraction, all of them interesting in their own way. Below is a city made of some of these sculptures.
After that we began on the next graded project, involving the idea of relief sculpture. Relief sculptures are where 2D and 3D meet, generally things carved into a relatively flat piece of material, such as wood or stone. The image is just on the one side and is best seen from that side, so it offers fewer views than most sculpture. We started a graded project making reliefs from cut foam core.
How to make this up- I distributed drawings and diagrams of skeletons, both human and animal. Skeletons are nature's great structures, a framework that supports a body, provides the means to move, and protects all the vital organs. There are a mix of positive and negative shapes, all with interesting organic shapes.
Start with an image of a skeleton, human or animal. I'll have some in class, or you can find your own if you don't like my options. I used the student drawing above as inspiration for the foam core skeleton below.
Choose a portion of it to reproduce as a relief image using foam core. Crop it so that the portion you are reproducing fills the 12" square composition. You can cut the whole skeleton from a single piece of foam core, or cut it out as series of pieces. Glue the skeleton pieces to one of the 12" x 12" squares.
Come up with some other kind of design on a similar sized square using foam core again, using similar types of shapes and a similar ratio of positive and negative space. It should be based on a real three dimensional object of scene.
Below is a student example from a previous semester done with black and white foam core, based on a fish skeleton (left)
Homework- This relief sculpture graded project will be due a the beginning of class on March 3, 2015.
For next class 2/24/15 - We will do a portfolio exercise concentrating on surfaces, particularly planes. The subject will be cars, which have all kinds of complex mechanical insides, but we mostly experience their smooth curving exteriors. Choose a car that you love just because of the way it looks. Not necessarily the fastest, or the most powerful, or the most fuel efficient, just one that you think looks really cool. Have photos of it from all angles, so that you can build a model of it as the first part of our project. Also bring foam core and bristol board, which will be used to construct the frame/support and the exterior body, along with white glue. Bring enough material to make two cars of about 8 to 10 inches, along with pencil and sketchbook, and scissors and knives for cutting the material.
Another Tuesday morning, another snow storm. Up until a little past 7:00 am, Kean insisted that there was no problem, that school would be open at the normal time, and everything was fine. The view out my window this morning gave me doubts. Then around 7:15 they finally realized that many major roads are barely functioning, and changed it to delayed opening for noon. As I said at a previous meeting, the university feels that even if they cancel the first few hours of a class meeting, you are still required to show up for the rest of it. Based on the radar and my previous experiences with these things, they will probably have the roads in decent shape by then, so I plan to be there.
If I'm not at the room by noon, and there is no note with other instructions, just come back in about an hour. We will be starting the next graded project (see last week's post for details), but you'll have a few weeks to get it done.
In typical college fashion, yesterday afternoon while we were all in our classroom and away from mailboxes and computers, an e-mail about the Annual Fine Art Student Exhibition was sent to all faculty and forms were put into our mailboxes. Also typical, the initial entry deadline is before our next class meeting. However, if you are an art major, you likely have other studio classes and they are encouraging art majors to submit work to the show. (they want work done in classes) Deadlines:
February 16 Deadline for e-mail of label information
February 17-19 Drop off art work in Gallery
(just down the hall from our classroom)
February 23 Exhibition installed
February 26 Reception 3:00 to 5:00 pm
March 31 - April 2 Work to be picked up in gallery
For more information, check with the department or professors you may see this week. If you want to be a part of it and would like the gallery to label the work, you must send an e-mail with your name, work title, date, medium, and size to the show coordinator by Monday, Feb 16th. (school is closed that day for President's Day but luckily e-mail doesn't get holidays off) I can provide the loan forms that must accompany dropped off work when I see you next week.
Today's Class- Today we opened with a review of some book definitions of basic design principles as they apply to three dimensions. I also showed a few dozen slides of historical art as examples of symmetry/asymmetry, balance, movement, and negative space in sculpture. These principles will be useful when working on the final assembled module project due next week. Then we moved on to a portfolio exercise that made use of the ideas of symmetry and asymmetry.
How to make this up- Everyone was in attendance today, so everyone knows what we did. However, if anyone wants to relive the experience, above and below are photos of an example student project from a previous semester, and the full instructions and more examples can be seen here.
This is a portfolio exercise that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.
Homework- The Make 100 module project is due at the beginning of class on February 17, 2015. Bring the assembled piece. It will be graded and returned that day.
For next class 2/17/15- After the critique of the module project, we will begin the next graded project, which makes use of the idea of relief sculpture. Bring one or two full pieces of foam core, pencil and eraser, x-acto knife (spare blades are recommended) and glue.
Today's Class- Snow and ice came a day earlier in the week than last time, so despite some iffy road conditions, Tuesday classes were held and we could finally start our 3D Design semester. I started by distributing and reviewing the syllabus, as well as the museum assignment, and then the survey of student art experience and interests. After that we jumped right into our first graded project of the semester, making something out of 100 identical modules designed by the students.
How to make this up- The idea is simple, to use bristol board to make modules that will be used to create a complex sculpture. The modules are made by cutting, folding, and gluing the bristol into complex shapes that have three dimensions. Once you've made 100 identical modules, you will use them to create a sculpture. Below is a student example from a previous semester. All the specific directions, as well as additional student examples, can be seen here.
Homework- The completed Make 100 module project is due at the beginning of class on February 17, 2015.
For next class 2/10/15- We will review some principles of 3D design and then do an exercise with a focus in symmetry and asymmetry. Bring your bristol board, pencil and eraser, sketchbook, white glue, and two 8" x 10" flat pieces (mat board, foam core, or something else stiff) that will serve as bases.
