Sculptural Illusions

My grade 10 sculpture class were recently investigating the visual illusions that can be achieved by artists who effectively use the element scale. We were looking at the works of sculptors such as Ron Mueck, Antony Gormley, Jeff Koons and Claes Oldenburg who have often used scale to great effect. In the process we also looked at media and noted how its selection can also provide its own sense of illusion…lightweight materials can be used that give the illusion of weight, while familiar forms that appear lightweight can sometimes be made of quite heavy material.

The project we chose to represent this notion was inspired by the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade where hot air balloons are led through the streets of New York. The students carved from compressed foam then painted it. This would in turn represent a lightweight balloon. The sense of scale of the object was derived from the human form (constructed of wire and tissue paper) that was holding the balloon. With both the balloon and the figure constructed, the students used fine wire to link the two objects in such a way as to create the illusion that the carved form was floating like a balloon.

The students had to consider balance and the length of the wire that could effectively support the wire object. This was an interesting exercise, with the students realizing that the longer the wire the less stable the sculpture would become. It was a fun project, which involved quite a bit of problem solving. Since the pieces have been on display there have been many positive comments with viewers often smiling at the novelty of this visual illusion.