Today's Class- Including today, we had three remaining meetings this semester, so it was time to start the Final Project of the semester. The idea for this project is courtesy of my grad school classmate John Siblik. In school John was primarily a painter, but he also enjoyed sculpture, and on one occasion produced a large scale outdoor piece called Emergence, but commonly known as the Farting Machine
We are not doing that, but the traditional process he went through for the proposal is a good example of how large scale pieces are commonly done. Our focus in this piece, creating a large scale inflatable sculpture comes from a project he has since done as a professor with good results.
How to make this up- You will be creating a large inflatable sculpture in the shape of living creature, either animal or plant. (no cartoon characters allowed- this isn't Macy's parade) The first step is to sketch out five ideas of possible subjects. The second step was to create a small model of one of these ideas using foam core and/or bristol board. The purpose is to help you gain some familiarity with the three dimensional proportions of your subject and to plan out the next step, and it's also part of your grade on the project. Above is part of my friend's proposal for the project. Below are some student examples of this first part from previous semesters.
The next step will be to create the final piece using clear plastic drop cloths (clear plastic typically used to protect things from splattered paint) and clear plastic sealing tape, both of which are available in any home improvement center or place that sells house paint. Students may work individually or in groups of up to three (choose one of your three models to expand into the inflatable). The final piece must be at least 8 feet in one dimension and must have some kind of articulations or extensions- you're not just making a ball or a long tube. It works best if it all inflates from a single point, so that as air fills the body, it also fills all the legs, fins, tails, etc. Below are some student examples from previous semesters.
Homework- This inflatable sculpture is due on our last day of class, May 12, 2015. The sooner they are finished that day, the sooner you will be done, but you may have up until 3:15 if you need it.
The book sculpting project is due at the beginning of class on May 5, 2015.
If you still owe any back graded projects, such as the figure and table installation, or the natural materials piece, they can still be turned in for partial credit. Those who have not yet turned in a museum paper may still submit it for partial credit.
Next class 5/5/15- We will look at the results of the book carving project, but otherwise it's a general work day for the class. Most of you will use it to work on your Final Projects, but you may use the time to work on anything related to the class. Bring whatever you need to work on whatever you plan to do.
