Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Dog Sculptures





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.

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