What did Cornell collect?
How did he make his artwork?
What inspired Cornell?
Find a picture of Cornell's work that inspires you or reminds you of yours...
Interpret the meaning of that piece
What have you learned in your investigation of Cornell that you can apply to your work?
What sound would you add to your work?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Materials for Audio
The school will be providing the materials for the audio portion. You guys/gals are in luck.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Sketchbook Assignment
find 5 objects of any kind that seem to have outlasted their use.
in your sketchbook, draw a composition using all these elements, consider relationships in form, how would these things look like they belong in the same place.
write a story about these objects, one that considers the content of why these objects would be together. be as surreal as you like.
consider the size and shape of the container of these objects and bring the wood to class on Monday. The size of the wood depends on the size of the box.
in your sketchbook, draw a composition using all these elements, consider relationships in form, how would these things look like they belong in the same place.
write a story about these objects, one that considers the content of why these objects would be together. be as surreal as you like.
consider the size and shape of the container of these objects and bring the wood to class on Monday. The size of the wood depends on the size of the box.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Project 3 Memory Music Box
You will be creating a boxed assemblage sculpture, one that plays sounds when opened, like a music box. Inside the box you will create a sculptural scene using found objects. Also inside the box will be the speakers for the sounds, and these may be hidden or used in the sculpture.
Music boxes are often known for being an early escape into a fantasy world for young boys and girls before the age of electronics. They are precious objects that were meant to strike the imagination. They are often frequent used symbolically in movies such as Citizen Kane, The Silence of the Lambs, and Black Swan. In these contexts, the music box becomes a reference point for the main character's momentary decent in the realm of fantasy.
We will be looking at the assemblages of Joseph Cornell, among other artists. Cornell had a knack for creating sculptures using found materials that were both evocative yet mysterious. The narratives in his works were often irrational, surrealist you might say, and contained a certain childlike quality. The addition of audio in your pieces can add an interesting counterpoint to your sculptures.
Due Dates, more will be announced
Oct 24: come to class prepared with materials for box construction, wood and hinges. Wood should be around 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch thick. You may use a prezisting box for this project as long as it is sturdy and nice enoughto be considered a "precious" object.
Collect materials for electronic portion.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Guide to Writing Artist Statements
1. Start off well right out the gate
Avoid starting off with the words "My work is", "In my work", or anything that address you in the first few words. Probably 70 percent of artist statements start off this way, and the first thing you want to do is position yourself away from the pack. Any gallery owner, grad school, scholarship committee, after looking through possibly hundreds of statements, will appreciate the effort you take to make something unique.
2. Keep it simple, straightforward.
Run on sentences are the most common mistakes I see in artist statements. It is like the artist is literally trying to use the sentence to illustrate the long journey it took them to get to an idea. Be ambitious, but also economical. Read your statement out loud before turning it in to make sure it sounds good. Ask someone else to read it aloud back to you.
3. Put the same love into your writing as you do your work
Short doesn't mean it must be so simple it is boring. Writing is an art in of itself. Please understand the use of active tense as opposed to writing in passive tense. Break out a thesaurus and use different words to describe things. Instead of saying "I carve plaster" say " I methodically chip away at the brittle surface of the object until it becomes as smooth and tactile as skin". Don't be afraid to use facts in your work, like talking about how you made the work. As long as it supports your artist intentions.
4. Avoid Cliche
It is easy to get carried away with your words until the words say things that the artwork doesn't. Avoid cliches such as " I am interested in beauty in art". Too vague, be specific. Unless you are prepared to write a paper about how you define beauty and how culture as a whole defines beauty, your work probably can't honestly speak for such a huge concept by itself. It is safe to stick to your experience until you have studied your subject enough to cite research on a broader social level.
5. Use words that match the work.
Is your work whimsical? Or is it violent? What is the scale? Make sure your prose reflects the qualities of what it describes. Using verbs and adjectives that really match the qualities of your creative output will create a statement that both excites and informs. Have you found a great quote from an artist, writer, philosopher, or theologian that you feel speaks to your process, form, or content? Consider using it as an introduction to your statement, or even as the statement itself! I recommend looking for inspiration online or in the art theory books gathering dust on your shelves.
Answer these questions in order in your artist statement and you will have a pretty good start. An artist statement for one body of work should be 1 paragraph average, and 2 to 3 or more for a whoe body of work.
WHY YOU MAKE YOUR ART, WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF (briefly), and HOW YOU ART SYMBOLIZES A LARGER CONTEXT (connect it to personal memories, research, sociology, other interests, relationship to the viewer.
Avoid starting off with the words "My work is", "In my work", or anything that address you in the first few words. Probably 70 percent of artist statements start off this way, and the first thing you want to do is position yourself away from the pack. Any gallery owner, grad school, scholarship committee, after looking through possibly hundreds of statements, will appreciate the effort you take to make something unique.
2. Keep it simple, straightforward.
Run on sentences are the most common mistakes I see in artist statements. It is like the artist is literally trying to use the sentence to illustrate the long journey it took them to get to an idea. Be ambitious, but also economical. Read your statement out loud before turning it in to make sure it sounds good. Ask someone else to read it aloud back to you.
3. Put the same love into your writing as you do your work
Short doesn't mean it must be so simple it is boring. Writing is an art in of itself. Please understand the use of active tense as opposed to writing in passive tense. Break out a thesaurus and use different words to describe things. Instead of saying "I carve plaster" say " I methodically chip away at the brittle surface of the object until it becomes as smooth and tactile as skin". Don't be afraid to use facts in your work, like talking about how you made the work. As long as it supports your artist intentions.
4. Avoid Cliche
It is easy to get carried away with your words until the words say things that the artwork doesn't. Avoid cliches such as " I am interested in beauty in art". Too vague, be specific. Unless you are prepared to write a paper about how you define beauty and how culture as a whole defines beauty, your work probably can't honestly speak for such a huge concept by itself. It is safe to stick to your experience until you have studied your subject enough to cite research on a broader social level.
5. Use words that match the work.
Is your work whimsical? Or is it violent? What is the scale? Make sure your prose reflects the qualities of what it describes. Using verbs and adjectives that really match the qualities of your creative output will create a statement that both excites and informs. Have you found a great quote from an artist, writer, philosopher, or theologian that you feel speaks to your process, form, or content? Consider using it as an introduction to your statement, or even as the statement itself! I recommend looking for inspiration online or in the art theory books gathering dust on your shelves.
Answer these questions in order in your artist statement and you will have a pretty good start. An artist statement for one body of work should be 1 paragraph average, and 2 to 3 or more for a whoe body of work.
WHY YOU MAKE YOUR ART, WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF (briefly), and HOW YOU ART SYMBOLIZES A LARGER CONTEXT (connect it to personal memories, research, sociology, other interests, relationship to the viewer.
Artist Statement
Write a two paragraph statement about your piece, and how it reflects your interests as an artist, and reflects what your art relates to culture as a whole. Talk about the decisions that you made in constructing and displaying the work.
Due date:
You will turn in your artist statements when you present your projects Monday, along with your sketchbook. I want the statement printed out on paper, though....typed.
Due date:
You will turn in your artist statements when you present your projects Monday, along with your sketchbook. I want the statement printed out on paper, though....typed.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Plaster Project due next Monday (the 17th)
You will be presenting your installation on Monday October 17. The critique will begin at 1:30pm, you will be expected to have your piece installed by then, with your artist statement ready.
Get your copies made in and out of class this week.
(it was Wednesday, but had to be pushed back due to the Chancellor visit....we will be going over the next project in class this Wednesday.)
Get your copies made in and out of class this week.
(it was Wednesday, but had to be pushed back due to the Chancellor visit....we will be going over the next project in class this Wednesday.)
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