Klimt
Art Statement
We are going to use Visual Thinking Strategies to analyze works of art.. To do that we are going to answer these three questions:
What is going on here?
This is the meaning, the narrative; figure out what the artwork is about.
What do you see that makes you say that?
Think about what you are saying and observing.
What more can you find?
Continue thinking.
I am so excited to do this project this year! We will be making a copper relief. There are several different types of relief work, but we will be focusing on low relief (also known as basso-relievo, or bas-relief), where the sculpture projects only slightly from the background surface. A good example of a low relief would be the face and decorations found on a coin.
After learning about Klimt and The Tree of Life, we will design our trees. Here is mine. Note that the lines are clean so that they can easily be transferred to the copper.
I included a raven, which represents my daughter who moved out of state this summer. She is transitioning to a new chapter in her life, so my tree, instead of representing life and death, represents the transitions she is going through. The roots are her past, the branches are her future.
White working with the copper, I discovered that folding back a thin strip of copper around the edges helps to maintain a clean border, otherwise it tends to bend and look less finished.
NOTE: Edges can be sharp so handle with care.
Use a ruler to fold down a this strip of copper.
Fold and press the copper down.
Here is an example of a clean edge.
This piece does not have the edges folded, making the edge ripple.
After creating a border, trace your copper onto a piece of paper and draw your design on the paper, using the who space.
Tape your copper to the back of your paper, flip it over, so the copper is underneath your paper and trace your lines, using firm pressure.
You will know if you are pushing hard enough when the pencil leaves a dent in the copper.
Note: your design will be reversed!
Once your design is transferred, remove it from the paper and place your copper on a piece of cardboard.
Using your pencil, press down the negative space (the area around an object). Imagine that you are coloring in the background.
Flip the copper over and press down the positive space. Imagine that you are coloring in the tree.
When pressing down areas, you can create designs of patterns, like these vertical lines.
Front side, beginning to press down negative space.
Back side, beginning to press down the positive space.
Front side.
Back side.
And there you have it!