One of the favorite projects undertaken by my Grade 9
Sculpture class was their creation of full size paper mache dogs that were used
to create a large collaborative installation piece. It was great fun watching
the students create these lovable art pieces and how remarkably they began to
take on a personality of their own.
The work was inspired by the photography and installations
created by Sandy Skoglund and involved each student building a structure of a
dog form using cardboard strips. The sizes varied depending upon the students
and the type of dog they wished to create. The structure was simply held
together with binding tape in the knowledge that the paper mache covering would
eventually add further strength to the structure.
The final lightweight forms were then painted in bold,
bright colours rather than following a realistic palette, adding to the fun
nature of the piece. This was then covered in a protective coat of varnish. To
provide a sense of ownership, a collar and leash were added, which would also
allow the dogs to be collectively tethered to the central columns that are a
prominent feature of our schools main foyer.
When the final piece was revealed, it created a great deal
of interest and certainly made viewers smile. The younger students in
particular loved the piece, with each quickly choosing a favorite.
Interestingly, many people commented on how many of the dogs
had somehow adopted a look that reflected the personality of its owners. You be
the judge, as below is a quick link to a video that shows the class and their
creations.
