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.

Tessellated Sculptures

At some stage throughout their school experience students encounter the wonderful world of tessellations. These are mathematically constructed interlocking shapes that can create a myriad of interesting patterns. In Visual Art the introduction to tessellation designs usually comes through the works of famed Dutch artist M.C.Escher who was the master of these form of works. This was certainly the case with my grade 10/11 Sculpture class who were investigating tessellations as the inspiration for abstract sculptural forms.

The process of design began with two-dimensional paper cut outs that allowed students to experiment with the possibility of positive and negative shape. At times students focused on a single shape, while others chose two shapes that would form the basis for their design. Once the design ‘units’ were decided upon, the student then enlarged the scale and began to ‘extrude’ each shape individually into a three dimensional form taking inspiration from the works of the American artist Robert Indiana. The final construction was done with a combination of cardboard and tissue paper.

Each student constructed 8 units with which they could experiment further to achieve the final composition. A colour scheme was considered (one colour for front and back and another for the sides) which would enable the sculpture to be viewed alternatively from both front and back. Once these were painted, the final construction was assembled using hot glue.

The final compositions were all very considered with the end results being not only colourful, but also reflecting a certain sense of order, which is the hallmark of tessellation design.

Fish Sculptures in Metal

It is always interesting for students to explore the use of texture in art. Both in our Mixed Media and Printmaking courses this is a significant area for experimentation for creating visually interesting works. Likewise, the students undertaking the Sculpture course are also exposed to a range of textural possibilities when creating three-dimensional forms. Recently my Grade 9 class applied their investigation of texture into a sculptural piece based upon fish.

Following a number of research tasks and media experimentation exercises, each student began to develop an idea based upon a series of line drawings. These were then adapted to the use of wire to create a central outline, which was then given width by adding loops of wire around the body of the fish. In this process students were taught basic techniques in wire cutting and soldering. In the end this provided the skeleton for the fish, which could then be clad with a range of metal textures and surfaces (ie copper, brass and aluminum). For the most part these materials were simply bent around the wire frame with pliers resulting in only minimal glueing.

The eyes were added using metal washers and the final sculpture was attached to a single metal rod, which was then set into a wooden base for stability. The students seemed to like the way that the original skeletal structure wasn’t always totally obscured by the added surface materials. Most of the works were confidently executed, with the bold scale of the works resulting for some impressive finished pieces.

Positive and Negative Tower

Quite often when teaching sculpture to my grade 9 class we talk about the use of positive and negative spaces and the need to be conscious of not only the shapes we create, but also the spaces around that shape. A good little task to emphasise the point in three dimensions involved the students creating a small freestanding tower in black cardboard.

This is a quick exercise in which the students create an abstract design within a rectangular template. This is then traced and flipped to create a symmetrical version of their design. The students need to quickly identify what are the positive areas (the black card) and what would be cut away to create the negative spaces. Once this is done they are then able to cut out the negative areas with a small scalpel knife. The process is repeated with a second piece of card and slots are added to enable the two pieces of card to stand without using glue.

While each sculpture in this exercise stands around 20cm it would be interesting to build larger scale versions, as in the end they are quite interesting forms. The use of symmetry and repetition combined with positive and negative shape are certainly effective. Something that is recognized by quite a few contemporary artists and now also by my young group of grade 9 sculptors.

Positive, Negative and Neutral Spaces

A focus of recent discussions in my Grade 9 Sculpture class was about how artists explore the use of space in their works. We initially experimented with 2D shape before moving to 3D exercises and at the same time looked at contemporary artists such as Australian sculptor Simeon Nelson. As composition is often a challenging aspect of sculpture for students at this level, I decided to set them some perimeters from which they could develop their own abstract sculpture to be based upon the use of positive negative and neutral spaces. It became like a game in which the rules should be strictly followed.

So here were the guidelines…

• Each student would use 10cm square panels. Solid squares (made of coreflute card) would represent the positive areas. The empty spaces in and around the sculpture would be the negative spaces and perforated squares (plastic weed matting from the hardware store) would be the neutral spaces.
• For visual interest, three coloured panels of primary colours were also to be added somewhere in the sculpture.
• Reinforcing sticks would be used to support the panels and may be incorporated as part of the design.
• No more than two panels of the same type could be placed along side each other (that included internal negative square spaces too).
• The sculpture had to stand at least 3 panels high, but should have a base no larger than three square panels.
• The panels and stick frame would be held together with a combination of PVA glue and hot glue.

The exercise not only tested the student’s compositional skills, but also their measuring and construction capabilities as well. While several students went beyond the 3 panel high limit, they quickly realized that the higher they went, small errors at the base became more and more exaggerated. In the end the better designs were lower in format and remained relatively simple, with the overall effect of looking like they had come straight from the Bauhaus workshop. The students certainly enjoyed the challenge that this project provided and the game format made the notion of developing abstract composition far more interesting.

Collaborative Sand Sculptures

Continuing the over-arching theme of collaboration through Visual Art, my Grade 8 class tackled a smaller sculptural project based upon the theme of ‘cultural structures’. They investigated architecture and building structures that are identified with various cultures. With a range of collected visuals in hand, each student set about creating a simplified shape that could be repeated and adapted into an interesting sculptural form. As a class group we began to study the early ‘pigment works’ of Anish Kapoor and used these particular floor sculptures as inspiration for the pieces we would eventually create.

The first task was for each student to further develop their initial idea into a small ‘mock-up’ style sculptural model built from coloured cardboard and composed with each shaped piece rotating around a centre axis. The class was then divided into groups of four, with each student bringing their mock up idea to the table and discussing collectively the merits of each design in order to determine which one could be developed further into a larger scale presentation. Once a final decision was made, the group set about creating a template of their chosen shape and each member took responsibility for building one quarter of the final piece.

The groups used ‘foam core’ boards to cut their shapes. This is quite a rigid material that would allow the piece to stand reasonably tall but was also easy to cut with a knife. Once the shapes were cut, coloured sand was applied with PVA glue. While this technique wouldn’t totally replicate the finish of Anish Kapoors works, it would provide a distinctive presentation and identify each group by its own specific colour. The students enjoyed the process of construction and worked well in delegating tasks to each other.

We initially displayed the mock up models of the design, which were quite effective in themselves. However the final sand sculptures were much more successful in capturing the scale, goals and inspiration behind the work. The end result looked equality strong individually and as a collective whole. Once again the learning in this particular piece was not only from the research and idea development, but also from what was gained through working in a collaborative way to produce a creative artwork.

People Pots

One of the popular units of the Grade 8 course combines both ceramics and drawing as the students look at both functional clay artifacts and the cult of personality as inspiration for their studio work. In particular, students investigate a person who is significant or inspirational to them at that time in their lives. The choice of people is always quite interesting, but generally students will tend to choose high profile personalities from the entertainment world, sports or notable people who have been in the recent press. They are asked to find a quotation from that person and associated imagery that might provide inspiration for a ceramic piece which captures the essence of that person, much like a canopic jar from ancient Egypt, but created within a modern day context. Of course there is plenty of class discussion that allows the students to arrive at their final design. Likewise, other lessons focus on drawing and clay building skills, which are essential in gaining the confidence to achieve their goal. The range and detail of the lidded pots they develop are always fascinating as they grapple with the theme and also the subtleties of ceramic hand building. This year their pottery pieces and the drawing of their chosen person were combined together for a diverse and impressive display of creative forms.

The Artists Bag

An interesting sculptural project that was undertaken by my grade 11 students was to create ‘an artist bag’. This would not be a functional bag, but a creative and expressive bag that would be influenced by specific culture in which the artist had a personal connection. Of course, with such a project there was plenty of discussion and pre-planning, but once the final concept had been arrived upon it was down to getting on with the construction. Each student was given a standard file box as a starting point (this meant that the scale and format would be consistent), which could be cut with a knife or details added using hot glue. It was terrific that the students went bold and adventurous with this task adding materials such as plaster bandage, rocks, metal, fabric and paper mache. The most difficult was generally the strap of the bag, but as it wasn’t a functional bag and didn’t need to take any weight there remained plenty of creative options available. Set with the challenge of creating an open ended sculptural form, the students were able to achieve some brilliant results.

Extruded Forms

An easy way to adapt a two dimensional shape into a three dimensional form is to ‘extrude it’. This means literally lifting the image vertically from the paper to create a floating shape that can be bridged with a selected material. Of course, this is easier said than done and in sculptural terms it requires some major structural considerations. My grade 9 sculpture class was given such a challenge when they were asked to build an extruded sculpture based upon two combined and unrelated shapes. They began with a scale drawing, which was used to form the two cardboard ends. The gap between the ends was bridged with strips of foam core (a stiff cardboard material). The sides of the sculpture was then wrapped with a thin polished metal sheeting which was beautiful to look at but difficult to use as it had to be cut with tin snips. Hot glue guns that were used to join the initial foam core bridging and the metal. Through patient bending, folding and gluing the metal sheeting was wrapped around the form and carefully cleaned to remove excess glue and finger marks. The ends of the sculpture were then covered with then covered with a colourful plastic material, which also needed to be cut to match the shaped. The final sculpture was then tilted vertically and mounted upon a white baseboard. The final sculptures were very impressive, but it considering the simplicity of the forms they did require quite a number structural skills, so I was particularly proud of their achievements.

Ladder sculpture

This was a very successful project undertaken by my grade 10 Sculpture class. This class was smaller than usual, which allowed scope for a slightly bolder project. The task involved looking at the element of ‘balance’ in sculpture and the way in which some works emphasize this through dynamic composition. We set about the task by thinking about the process of a person climbing a ladder and the balance required for this simple action. We though about of all the things that could happen on the way up and unusual circumstances that might occur. Consideration to human proportion and body movement in the planning, but essentially the aim was for the sculpture to provide a narrative. The students began by creating a ladder with heavy gauge wire, which they soldered together. The figure was then created using thin wire then covered with plaster bandage leaving contact points of metal that could be soldered to the wire. When the structure was holding firm they then painted the whole piece black before burnishing it with bronze paint to provide the metallic finish. The final challenge was to drill holes at the desired angle into a wooden base to allow the sculpture to stand on an angle. The finished pieces caused quite a reaction when they were displayed around the school.

Wire Portraits

I was introducing my grade 10 Sculpture class to the use of the wire and solder as a sculptural medium by having them produce a continuous line portrait of someone they admired. Of course this initially involved them producing a continuous line pencil drawing first, which for most was a challenge in itself. However with this complete we enlarged it on the photocopier to produce a template that they could lay out their bent wire. While they generally tried to keep their wire to one continuous length, this was not always possible and it was clear that some simplification and adjustment would need to be made. Fortunately each student was able to have there own soldering iron for this task and they successfully achieved their goal quite quickly, with some really nice results. Legs were added to each corners of the final piece and they were finally mounted onto cardboard for display.

Wire Figures in Action

In my year 9 sculpture class we were investigating the human form and in particular the ability of the artist to capture those unique moments when the body is in action. As many of the students had not worked toward a three-dimensional form before, we decided to use some cheap light gauge wire to create a small maquette of a human figure as a trial run for a larger sculpture. As we were also looking at the form of the body, the aim was to try to make them proportionally correct. Using a small pair of plyers they created some very creative poses that included athletes, circus performers and rock guitarists that stood less than 10 cm tall. I particularly like the ones that had achieved a sense of tension in their pose. This comes at the moment in which energy is tranferred or expelled during the moment of action.

Wind Sculptures

For most students Sculpture is an interesting and challenging aspect of the Visual Arts. Working in three dimensions to create a form is not easy, particularly if you are working with lightweight materials such as wire and you’re also trying to make it look good and move at the same time. This was the case when my grade 10 Sculpture class was given the challenge of creating a kinetic sculpture that moves from the power of the wind. They had just learnt some soldering skills and were keen to build abstract forms (inspired by the works of Calder and other artists), but this task would require considerable research and planning. Initially they investigated a range of ‘wind capturing’ forms before developing their own unique design. As well as building the wire structure, the students applied tissue paper, which was later painted with primary colours for effect. There was considerable testing and design modification throughout the construction process, which was assisted by having a portable fan continuously in operation in the room. The students had to consider the balance between aesthetics and functionality, but particularly enjoyed seeing who could get the most dynamic movement from their sculpture.

Tumbling Letter Sculpture

This is a fun piece completed by my grade 10 sculpture class, where they were aiming to convey the sense of movement and energy through the repetition of a familiar form. In order to focus on the composition of the sculpture a simple alphabet letter was chosen which was then repeated on cardboard six times. Using a template of the selected letter form, the shape was overlapped to appear to be linked together. Once the composition was finalised the layout was extruded into a three dimensional form. A wire spine was added running through the form for strength. The final consideration was the use of colour and how this might also be used to convey movement or change in the sculpture. The final three dimensional form was then stood on end and the spinal wire drilled earlier was attached to a small base.

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.

http://youtu.be/eFAcChccxz0