Syllabus, Part B - Possible Projects
Below you will find a list of possible projects to do in this class in alphabetical order.
We will not be doing all of these, or even most. The beginning class will not be doing multiple projects simultaneously, since this places an undue burden on the instructor. In other words, once a project is decided, all beginning students work on it at the same time. Keep in mind that intermediate and advanced students will be doing separate, more individualized projects.
As time and materials allow, we will proceed through a variety of projects, developing visual and technical skills along the way. Although some materials are mentioned specifically, budget and advancing material technology may result in different processes being used or tried. The semester’s schedule will be developed over time based upon the needs of the class.
The list below is a starting point, and may be modified and rearranged. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF PROJECTS AND DUE DATES provided in lecture.
ART INSTALLATION - Creating a large installation is lots of work, and lots of fun too. This project encompasses the ephemeral because, like theater, it has an end point in time. A key factor in installation work is to create a piece that the audience can interact with in an all-encompassing way. Sometimes it takes very little to make a big impact. At other times, a very involved piece may barely be noticed.
BODY CASTING - For students already having sculpture experience in my previous classes. Make a full or partial body cast directly from a live model. The process is expensive and the model must be able to trust you. Body casting is a skilled as well as lengthy process, and the mold must be constructed in one day, sometimes requiring extra time after class. Casting the actual sculpture is usually done in one day, but several copies may also be created, and then the casting must be refined and finished. In the end, the artwork must be displayable in a formal setting.
CASTING PROCESSES - We will explore several methods of casting smaller to medium sized sculptures. Plaster, latex, and silicone will be introduced. The latter materials are costly, and students may be required to purchase their own if they have special material requirements or use excessive amounts throughout the semester.
COMMISSIONED WORK - CMOSC, The Children's Museum of Sonoma County, occasionally provides the opportunity for students to create professional quality permanent sculptural exhibits, with the material budget covered by the museum, and often a stipend provided to students. This is an amazing opportunity to participate in a portfolio-level project of the highest level, seldom attained even by upper-division or graduate level students.
CONSTRUCTIVIST PROJECT - Work with industrial sheet goods, paint or other finishes, and simple tools to make a smaller than life, full-sized, or larger than life human bust, an animal, or larger than life insect. A full-scale model must first be made from paper. Use X-Acto knives, scissors, paper hole punch, Whitney punch, pop-rivets, electric drills, break, shear, and sandpaper.
COPYING A MASTERWORK - Studying and duplicating an existing work of art is an excellent way to develop an understanding of technique, materials, physical form, and artistic intent. This is an often overlooked but seriously useful project. Materials and tools vary.
FIGURATIVE GEOMETRIC - Using Plastelina and a base, work from live or representative human models. Proportion, scale, basic anatomy, and implied movement will be discussed. These works will not be permanent and materials will be recycled, unless purchased by you to take home. Preciousness and detail is not a concern. From this model, a more permanent piece will be built from expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) and coated with acementitious material such as Dry-vit and wire mesh for structural stability. This can then be finished with paint, stain, and/or sealer for outdoor use.
FIGURATIVE ORGANIC - As with the previous project, Plastelina will be employed, but only for practice and warm up. You will work directly in more formal materials on an accurate structural armature. Detailed organic elements will be explored, along with techniques for shaping with both additive and subtractive processes.
FOAM CARVING PROJECT - Work in expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) to develop a simple organic sculpture, emphasizing volume, movement, and penetration. Tools needed are hand saws (hack, coping, keyhole, Japanese, and crosscut), coarse files and rasps, coarse sandpaper.
FREEFORM BUIDING WITH CLAY - Experimenting with the medium of ceramic clay, students are to create the largest form they can, using a full bag (25lbs) of clay. The goal is to appreciate the possibilities and limitations of the material without the addition of other structural materials. Open, or negative space is essential to this project. The work will not be fired and will be destroyed at the end of the class period.
GEOMETRIC BASIS of SCULPTURE - Study an object which is not necessarily constructed directly from basic geometric forms, simplify the object to its underlying volumes by using cubes, cylinders, cones, and spheres. This will be done in a variety of media. Three iterations are to be created. Accurate study of the original is important. Using simple tools, proportion the form, working to be as true as possible to the original while breaking it down to the simplest number of parts. This project may be made more permanent through casting.
HOMAGE TO FUNCTION - Create a hand-scale sculpture piece following the principles of "form following function", "truth in materials", and other guidelines. The work will reference the artists Hilla and Bernd Becher, 20th century photographers whose works were so heavily influenced by human made structures that many consider their photographic collections a form of sculpture. Your work will be physical, real objects, not photos.
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH SCULPTURE - Creating a good portfolio is of utmost importance for an artist. A good portfolio is essential. Photography is a basic element of an artist’s portfolio. This is the tool used to communicate your work to galleries, potential clients, and the world through the web. Creating high quality images of artwork will be demonstrated and discussed. You will be expected to turn your work into me through your photographic portfolio.
LBC NORTHERN LIGHTS - Every Fall semester my students are asked to participate in a site-specific outdoor project for the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Students create large-scale works capable of being lighted by LEDs or painted with UV colors. The material budget is provided by LBC and tens of thousands of visitors get to see your work over two months of winter.
MAQUETTES - Starting from 2-D paper, learn to visualize and physically create simple geometric sculptural forms. This is accomplished through scoring, cutting, folding, and gluing or taping elements together. Works will be placed in an architectural model and critiqued on how they come across in this setting.
METAL FORMING PROJECT - Work with aluminum, copper, or other soft metals, and simple tools to make a full-sized human bust, an animal, or an abstract work. The work is to be in the round, though it can contain open areas and planes as the aesthetics demand. Joinery will be visible. Use X-Acto knives, scissors, paper hole punch, Whitney punch, pop-rivets, electric drills, break, shear, metal working hammers, sandbag, torch, hand-made rivets, and sandpaper. Silver soldering, annealing, metal raising and metal shrinking may be introduced.
MYSTERY PROJECT - Let’s try something new and untested! (Untested hours or class periods)
NARRATIVE ASSEMBLAGE - This project teaches you methods of working with found objects. You will be expected to gather materials for sharing. The goal will be for the class to produce work that integrates disparate materials in a formally strong and structurally sound manner. As with all assignments, these works must be presented in critique, and defended technically and aesthetically. Tools and machines will be introduced as necessary.
PLASTER, ADDITIVE & SUBTRACTIVE - As the name implies, we will be studying the additive and subtractive processes of sculptural creation using casting plaster. This project is 3-fold. You are to create one mold/casting from a simple object, a detailed carving of an actual object (actual size) using the subtractive process, and another work of a sculpturally complex abstract non-objective form, using the additive and subtractive process. Use low quality carving chisels, mallets, rasps, Shureforms, drills, scraping tools, cardboard and hot glue for mold making, and 20-minute casting plaster.
RELIEF SCULPTURE IN CLAY - MOLD MAKING - CASTING - Working with water based clay, create a small sculpture that utilizes at least one of the following: bas relief, mid-relief, high relief, and/or sunk relief. The subject is broad, and can include geometric abstract compositions, figurative, landscape, and many other subject matter. Make a latex or silicone glove mold or block mold as appropriate, with a mother mold as needed, and then cast at least one final piece. The casting should be in resin or other demonstrated materials.
RELIEF CARVING - Work with a pine board, quality wood chisels, coping saws, scroll saws, jigsaws, rasps, and files, you are to create an interwoven organic form, with hole penetrations over 50% of the board. Planning the work will be done on paper, and then transferred to the board. Drawing techniques will be discussed as well.
SOFTWARE PROJECT - A non-physical project that requires you to design and model a form with CAD software that can be either machined using a CNC router, 3D printed, laser cut, etc. This project may require access to the STEM lab. A variation might include using Illustrator to program the Cricut (thin material knife cutter) or Glowforge (laser cutter/engraver) in the classroom.