Weighted Mobile

Project Description

We have worked on the floor, table, pedestal, and wall but now it is time to occupy a space in the middle of the room. Hanging sculptures look to be floating, only suspended by thin, unobtrusive support. Each sculpture will use a counter weight in the form of anything you like up to 10 lbs. This counter weight will give your piece mass while enabling you to work on the delicate process of balance.

Hanging Mobiles are free to move and are a great introduction to kinetic sculpture and well as exploring a more formal approach to making sculpture. Answer the following questions, as you prepare to research for your design:

1. Is my piece balanced?

2. Does my piece have tension?

3. Am I occupying volume?

4. Does it work when viewed from all sides(top, bottom, and all the way around since it is hanging in space)?

Documenting your process is hugely important. These projects may not be able to be viewed at juries so it is important to show your thoughts and experiments as well as document the final product.

Optional: Consider how your sculpture can have moving parts, and how it will function. Look for objects in your everyday life that you can use as source material. You don't have to make everything. Some things can be modifications of existing things you already own (or find).

Specifications

Your sculpture must be smaller than 24"x24"x24". There is no limitation on materials, but it must be safe (no dangerous electricity, fire, sharp objects, etc).

Your sculpture must hang from a single point in the room.

It must contain at least 6 hanging elements and the counter weight.

Find materials from the world around you. Be resourceful- there are free materials everywhere. 

Use all the skills you have learned through the year, and build on these. Challenge yourself to think outside of the box... literally. 

Evaluation

You will be graded on creativity, originality, and concept and craft. You will also be graded on your process (time-management, and working through multiple ideas). 

Please note: You will need to take photos through your entire process. These will be submitted along with the final project. No project will receive an A without this documentation. Process is important. 

Lastly, your project must have a title, and you must think of how it will be displayed. Presentation is part of context, and context drives meaning. 

Schedule
Homework- Due April 12th

Your homework is to exercise the research and development stage of the creative process. You will do this by walking through the steps listed below. Here are the things you will need to bring to class on April 6th:

5 References w/descriptions
One-page typed document (printed out) with a list of 5 websites that you visited for your research. At least one of these websites must be an actual article (not a how-to, or list of pictures) that discusses some type of mobile or hanging sculpture. Examples of an appropriate article can be a newspaper story, something written for a journal/magazine, or something from Academia/industry). The one-page document must be printed out (no exceptions). It must include one-line brief descriptions for each website. This must be fully complete to receive credit for this portion.

3 Detailed Drawings of your multiples
The drawings must be in your sketchbook using full pages(both sides when open) The drawing should show good use of the elements of design- line, form, color, texture, etc.  (Note: These are fully-resolved drawings, NOT sketches)

In addition, the drawings should be informative; they should give us helpful information. Please be sure your drawings answer the following questions:
1. How is your mobile physically organized? Show details.

2. How many elements will be used? Be detailed and use color/texture/collage to show this.
3. What do these elements communicate? Descriptions/diagrams in the drawings should address this.
4. What concept are you engaging? Again, descriptions/diagrams could be helpful.
5. How is the form of your elements communicating? Scale, shape, text, etc.
6. What is the working title? This should be clearly labeled in your drawing.Materials and project 50% complete
You must come prepared with all materials and tools to work. Project must be at least 50% complete.

Rubric for Homework
5 References = 10pts
3 Drawings = 30pts
Materials/Project = 60pts
--------------------------------
Total Possible  = 100pts

A =100 - 90
B = 89 - 80
C = 79 - 70
D = 69 - 60
F = 59 - 0 

Please be prepared at beginning of class with your own self-assessment based on the above rubric. 

Reading 

Krauss_mechanical_ballet.pdf


Write a 2 page synopsis of the essay. Due April 12th

Worth 2 Homework Grades!!! As much as a whole project!!!
Final Project Due Date

April 19th- Project Due/Critique

 

 Alexander Calder

 Aaron Curry

Jean Tinguely 

Multiples and Reliefs

Project Description

Reliefs

Relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term relief is from the Latin verb relevo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane.

Using provided Slab Molds, you will use clay to design, draw, sculpt your relief and then cast in plaster. Must have at least 3 relief tiles.

Multiples

Why would you need multiples of an object? Is more always better? Why would an object need to be replicated? Think about the following definitions:

Mold - a hollow container used to give shape to molten or hot liquid material(such as wax or metal) when it cools and hardens.

Cast - an object made by shaping molten metal or similar material in a mold.

            Multiples - Having, relating to, or consisting of more than one individual, element, part, or other component.

Using mold making and casting techniques, you will you plaster or latex to make a mold from an object.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Latex-Mold

https://snapguide.com/guides/make-a-two-part-plaster-mold/

Using what you have learned to develop concepts, come up with conceptual reasoning for making multiples of your object. You do not need to make complete reproductions of your object, but at least 3 casts.

Specifications

Your sculpture must have at least 3 multiples. There is no limitation on amount, color, or dimensions.

Use all the skills you have learned through the year, and build on these. Challenge yourself to think outside of the box... literally. 

Evaluation

You will be graded on creativity, originality, and concept and craft. You will also be graded on your process (time-management, and working through multiple ideas). 

Please note: You will need to take photos through your entire process. These will be submitted along with the final project. No project will receive an A without this documentation. Process is important. 

Lastly, your project must have a title, and you must think of how it will be displayed. Presentation is part of context, and context drives meaning. 

Schedule
Homework- Due March 8^th and March 13^th.

Your homework is to exercise the research and development stage of the creative process. You will do this by walking through the steps listed below. 

Here are the things you will need to bring to class on March 8th:

3 Objects
As I told you last class, you need to bring in 3 objects to see which you will make a mold from. The object must me no larger than 8”x8”x8” and non-porous(look it up).

For March 13^th:
3 Detailed Drawings of your multiples
The drawings must be in your sketchbook using full pages(both sides when open) The drawing should show good use of the elements of design- line, form, color, texture, etc.  (Note: These are fully-resolved drawings, NOT sketches)

In addition, the drawings should be informative; they should give us helpful information. Please be sure your drawings answer the following questions:
1. How are the multiples physically organized? Show details.

2. How many multiples will be used? Be detailed and use color/texture/collage to show this.
3. What do these multiples communicate? Descriptions/diagrams in the drawings should address this.
4. What concept are you engaging? Again, descriptions/diagrams could be helpful.
5. How is the form of your multiples communicating? Scale, shape, text, etc.
6. What is the working title? This should be clearly labeled in your drawing.

Molds 100% complete
You must come prepared with all materials and tools to work. Mold must be 100% complete and ready to cast.

Read Essay: In defence of the poor image by Hito Steyerl in the dropbox

Answer Questions
https://goo.gl/forms/1cj0ojIH8tUJ9Ol03

Rubric for Homework
3 Objects = 25pts
3 Drawings = 25pts
Mold Complete = 25pts
Questions = 25pts--------------------------------
Total Possible  = 100pts

A =100 - 90
B = 89 - 80
C = 79 - 70
D = 69 - 60
F = 59 - 0 

Please be prepared at beginning of class with your own self-assessment based on the above rubric. 


Final Project Due Date

Reliefs - March 20th
Multiples - March 22nd

Ai Wei Wei

Chris Burden