Possible Themes for Projects

THE THEMES

HOW IT ALL WORKS:

You will work at your pace, but you ALWAYS MUST BE WORKING. This may mean you are building, doing research, sketching/planning, or glazing. You may pick any theme you like. You do not have to go in order. If you would like to do a theme more than once, that is okay. Once you pick a theme, build style, size, and surface treatment are up to you.

ANIMALS MORPHING

  • What would combining 2 animals look like?
  • What would the stages look lik
  • e if one thing turned into an animal...say an onion turned into a kangaroo?

INTERACTION

  • How can one object interact with another object?
  • What kind of interaction would it be? good, bad, comfortable, loving, strained, uncomfortable?
  • What kind of sculptural gestures can help you to display that interaction?

MAN-MADE

  • What does it mean to be man-made?
  • Obviously, anything you build by hand will be "man-made". So how can you take this further?
  • Does it need to be a machine? Can it be non-mechanical?
  • Does it need to look like an exact replica?
  • Can texture and showing your finger marks be a factor?

INSIDE-OUT

  • Can the inside of a sculpture be just as important?
  • What goes on inside an object?
  • Can you highlight the inside or the outside to make it stand out over the other?
  • How can you show equal importance?

SURREALISM/FANTASY

  • What is surrealism? Unsure? Here is a quick video about it.

NATURE

  • What is nature?
  • How can you incorporate nature into your piece?
  • Is it inherent in the sculpture you build? Meaning, do you replicate a natural element as a sculpture?
  • Is it surface decoration?
  • Is it a feeling that nature gives that you try to bring out through your sculpture?

IDENTITY

  • How do you identify yourself?​
  • How do other identify themselves?
  • Is it something visible?
  • Is it a mask? Is it hidden?
  • Is what is on the outside the same as what is on the inside?

MASKS

  • Soft Mold information
  • Masks can be formed to how you see fit
  • Design a mask in a style that pleases you
  • You don't have to be able to wear your mask
  • If your mask is to be hung on the wall, include hanger pieces on the back.


LAYERS

  • What is a layer?
  • How can you depict layers?
  • Do you want to show something that has layers?
  • Do you want to create layers with the clay or the surface treatments?


MOVEMENT

  • Movement can be shown in several ways. You can have moving parts or you can imply movement.
  • If you were to have parts move, how would you do that? Do they move on their own? Does someone move them for you? How do the moving parts attach to each other (if applicable)?
  • If you want to imply movement, how could you do that? How can you get the viewer's eye to keep moving around the sculpture? What types of images can you show? Can you capture a moment of movement in time? What types of lines, forms, textures lend themselves to giving off a feel of motion?


TIME

  • What is time?
  • How can time be shown in a sculpture?
  • Going beyond a clock or a watch...what others ways can one depict the passage of time?
  • Is this artwork a single piece or is it multiple pieces?


OBSERVATION

  • What does it mean to observe?
  • How can you see beyond ordinary seeing?
  • Does creating a sculpture from observation always mean a realistic piece?
  • Do you need the actual object you are observing to create your piece?


INSTALLATION

  • What is an installation?
  • What permissions would you need to do an installation?
  • Where would you put an installation?
  • How would your artwork work within that space?
  • Does your installation need to work with that space?
  • Can it work against that space?
  • Is your installation stand alone pieces?
  • Is your installation comprised of many pieces?
  • Is your installation a wall piece?
  • How do you "hang" your installation?


CREATE A BUST

  • What is a bust?
  • How much of the body does a bust show?
  • What is the best method for building?
  • Do you want to use a structure underneath?


A SERIES

  • What is a series?
  • What is your "thread" that ties the pieces together?
  • Read this article to find out more about series.


A SET

  • What is a set?
  • What makes a set different than a series?
  • What "theme" do you want to work your set around?