Site Specific Project

A site-specific installation piece; group project
requirements: choose a site on campus and construct a piece that will create a "dialogue" of interaction with the site; the concept behind the piece should enhance the site it is located at and vice versa 2) the materials used by the group cannot exceed a $10 cost
materials: large sticks, wire, t-shirts, baseball caps, and a soccer ball





For this piece we created life-sized "stick figures" by tying large branches together using wire. We dressed them in plain colored t-shirts and gave them the quintessential baseball feel with baseball hats before inserting them as "players" into our site.

1 Minute Sculpture Project

Something a little bit different, this sculpture was a group project with no material requirements. Inspired by the one-minute sculptures of Erwin Wurm, our group was set loose on campus to find a site and create a list of instructions relating to that site. The instructions were to detail a step-by-step list of actions for any random person to follow in order to get a similar- but not quite the same -result as our group.
materials: ourselves and whatever we had on hand



Our instructions:
1) Approach the metal sculpture located between the CPA and the back of Hiestand
2) Defy the “off limits” feel of the sculpture by climbing on to it
3) With 2 props in hand, do whatever you like with your body weight being supported by the sculpture, and strike a pose.
4) Have fun!

"Duchamp" Thematic Chair Project

requirements: 1) create a chair from cardboard capable of holding your (the artist's) weight 2) the chair should be based on the work of a famous artist- design details, form, and decoration should be related to their work through your interpretation
materials: cardboard, cardboard tubes, hot glue, painter's tape and paint



Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" gained widespread infamy in the art world at the time of its creation. A "readymade," the "Fountain" was no more than a factory mass-produced urinal, signed with a fake name and submitted to an art competition. Through this sculpture Duchamp challenged the public's conception of art. Does art have to be made by the artist, or can the artist use found objects, change them in some way, and call it art? What is "art?"




I began my project by familiarizing myself with the toilet through building one. The pattern can be found here.






My model was an attempt at combining Duchamp's old-fashioned urinal with the more modern-day urinals. Due to the open "armrests" that formed the sides of the bowl, it gave my model more of a toilet feel than a urinal feel.



An in-progress shot. The base of the chair needed to support not only my weight, but the rest of the sculpture's weight as well. I made a grid within the base to provide the needed structural stability.




My primary reason for choosing Duchamp was the "Chrome AutoFlush Urinal" box my father helpfully used to ship my art supplies to me.

Wire and Plaster Forms Interaction Project

Non-objective abstract sculpture assignment
requirements: 1) create 2 sculptures- 1 in plaster and 1 in wire 2) the forms must be complete separate, but together create a more unified whole 3) sculpture should embody the feeling behind a song or poem of choice; I chose "Fell in Love Without You" by Motion City Soundtrack
materials: plaster and 2 gauges of wire






"Every aching wound will cauterize and bruise
In memory of what we used to call in love
And only time will tell if violins will swell
In memory of what we used to call in love
Used to call it love"

I attempted to juxtapose two very different images: that of a cauterizing wound, and that of a violin. The wire "bow" of the violin has jagged edges as it "saws" at the half violin, half heart abstract plaster form.

Bottlecap Design Principles Project

Non-objective abstract sculpture assignment
requirements: 1) create a series of 4 projects: 1 for each of the design principles- rhythm, variety and emphasis; 1 ambitious project that embodies 2 or more of the design principles 2) use a material that can be bought or found in bulk; if the material comes in different colors, color should not be the basis of the sculpture 3) despite odd qualities of materials used, all sculptures must exhibit balance and unity
materials: lots and lots of plastic soda and water bottlecaps and hot glue; Silo was used as modeling software



"Rhythm"




Probably inspired by my previous project, I was thinking of the motion made by a droplet of liquid falling into a container and caused a "splash," resulting in this simplistic vase design with the wave motion moving outwards into space from one side.








"Variety"




For this sculpture, I attempted to create a rising tower made of bottlecaps arranged in rings. I was thinking of the strange sight in nature of rock formations eroded unevenly, so that the base doesn't seem capable of supporting the peak. The small disjointed rings at the base of this sculpture are other formations, creating a landscape for the sculpture to rest upon.







"Emphasis"




In this sculpture I attempted to build the bottlecaps vertically, by creating a high wall with protruding structures meant to give the illusion of support. My inspiration was the innocuous image of a wine rack. I wanted to build upon the concept of a spindly-looking construction being strong enough to support something much heavier than itself.






Ambitious project- the design principles used were rhythm and emphasis





The driving idea behind this sculpture was that of a grand staircase, like the kind found in royal palaces or the stately interior spaces of ancient manors. Again, I played with the structural stability of the bottlecaps, by arranging them in an ascending staircase pattern, and then having them curve inward to support themselves entirely upon two small pillars. The "landing" was the sole time in this project I deviated from using soda and water bottlecaps.

"Bubbly" Paper Sculpture

Non-objective abstract sculpture assignment
requirements: 1) must be made of paper 2) follows a theme; mine was "bubbly"
materials: 2 sheets of Bristol board and tape



Small scale model with a size comparison on left.
The theme of "bubbly" evoked thoughts of water and liquid forms within my mind. I wanted to preserve the idea of fluidity and combine that with a cyclical form, like the hydrologic cycle or the spherical shape of a "bubble."




The main forms used in the sculpture are the origami water balloon with circular shapes cut out of the sides and a "burst" point; and a series of interlocking mobius strips of various widths threaded through the whole piece.




As I wanted the sculpture to be "fluid" and "mobile," the mobius strips are highly dynamic and interactive. They may be pulled through the openings and around each other to create an infinite array of winding lines, enough that the sculpture itself seems to be of two pieces: the balloon and the strips, though in fact the strips are multiple pieces.