10/28/16- 3D Design

Today's Class- Today we started the next graded project, what I usually call the plastic project.  Just as we recently had the natural materials project, this time we are only working with the opposite- previously manufactured items.  And just as things like natural wood and stone have the potential to be turned into all kinds of art, manufactured and synthetic materials can also be the raw ingredients of all kinds of art.  I had posted some examples of artwork from a local artist, Lisa Bagwell, who makes representative images of known objects using discarded manufactured materials. Below are three such examples (pizza, giant hoagie, and bird) all made from plastic bottle caps, corks, and other forms of garbage.   The colors and textures of the cast off materials can still be used to make things we can enjoy looking at.

I had also posted images of student work from previous semesters that used the same approach, making artworks from cast off manufactured goods.  It's easy enough to recognize the origins of most of the materials used in these student works, and it's also easy to recognize what they are intended to be.

How to make this up- The assignment is to create a three dimensional artwork using nothing but cast off manufactured and synthetic items.  I brought in bags of plastic bottle caps for students to make use of, and they took whatever they wanted from this supply.  As I had advised last week, some brought in other things to make use of, and as they started considering the possibilities of this project, they thought of many other potential materials that they can put to use.  Here are the rules for this assignment:

All work must be representative and resemble the object it is supposed to be.

All colors and textures must come from the materials used.  No painting is allowed.

The materials all must be manufactured items created for purposes other than making art or building things.  No lego blocks, tinker toys, etc.

Materials may be physically altered as needed.  

Sculptures may be assembled using any desired means- glues, nails, screws, staples- however you can get it together is fine.


Homework-  This cast off materials graded project is due at the beginning of class on November 11, 2016.  

Students who still owe me past projects, such as the modules, and the foam core reliefs, should get them done as soon as possible for partial credit.


For next class 11/4/16- We will be working with another repurposed material, books.  Students are asked to bring in old hardcover books.  Books are three dimensional objects and as such can be carved and sculpted to make other art objects.  I recommend books with hard covers and with at least 250-300 pages, to provide space to work.  There will be two options available for this project:


A.  Single view sculpture- 

The book is opened to a specific point, revealing a three dimensional image, as in the student examples above and below.  All the dark areas are cast shadows created by carved images in the block of pages.

B. Gradually changing view

As a book is opened and the pages turned, the dimensions continuously change, but then close the book and it goes back to how it started.  In this option, you will create a sculpture that can change as you move through the book.  In this example, the shapes of positive and negative spaces vary as one moves through the book, almost like moving through a piece of architecture.  This one is mostly geometric, but the idea can be applied to more organic sculptural shapes as well.

Rules for the book project-

All pages must remain attached to the original binding.  

You may not draw or paint on the pages, though you may make use of any images printed in the book by the publisher.

The book must be able to open and close as originally intended by the publisher.

You may use glue to repair torn pages, but you can't use it to build objects.

More examples will be posted before next week's class.  

Bring a book (having a second one as a back up is not a bad idea), and x-acto knife, and spare blades are recommended as sharp blades will cut the paper better than dull ones.  This seems simple, but it takes a lot more time than you might expect, so we will be giving two class periods to this project, plus more time to finish it on your own.