Unit 1: SUBTRACTIVE CARVING
COURSE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What design and technical considerations are necessary for successful work with clay, and other sculpting materials?
To what extent does good design integrate form with function?
UNIT Essential Question:
How do forms or three-dimensional works of art convey an idea differently than two-dimensional works?
Supermarket Shopper
Artist: Duane Hanson
Period: 1970
This sculpture of the Photo realist movement shows a massive change to a consumerist culture. Duane Hanson used this work to comment on these changes, as well as portray the changes to society. He portrays the excessive buying of this culture, as shown in the overflowing shopping cart of various junk food items and ready made packaged materials like chocolate chip cookies and other foods like Coke. The shopper herself appears very lifelike, mostly because she is made out of fiberglass material. Duane shows the shopper as an obese, unhealthy looking female, with her hair still in curlers, showing the form that society is taking on.
Why This Artwork?
This artwork is very important because it very easily shows the consumerist mindset of "Buy, Buy, Buy!" This culture is very important for this time, and shows a change in culture and in artwork. Also this sculpture is important because it is one of the few photo realistic sculptures.
Family Trip Grocery Shopping, Dubin
Abstract African stone father and son, Kenya
Dorothea Lange, Manzanar Relocation Center, Manzanar, California, Grandfather and grandson of Japanese ancestry, 1942
FOR MORE EXAMPLES OF 2D vs 3D CLICK HERE
EXEMPLARS OF PROJECT (see below)
PART 1:
USE YOUR SKETCHBOOK/NOTEBOOK TO TAKE NOTES
Subtractive sculpture is the oldest form of sculpture and involves removing material, as in wood carving or stone sculpture, to create a finished work. Subtractive sculpture is by far the most technically difficult and due to the nature of the medium is the most restrictive in expression
GREEK MARBLE SCULPTURE:
The Classical period of Ancient Greece produced some of the most beautiful pieces of sculpture. The form "emerges" with careful chipping away into the marble's surface. The sculptor's magic wand or his "chipping" tools are the hammer, the chisel, and lots of patience. But just chipping away at the marble leaves a rough surface, it could be smoothed with a stone called an emery. (same idea as an emery board for shaping fingernails!) After the surface was smoothed it was polished with a softer stone to give it a shine known as a patina. (a gloss or sheen on a surface resulting from age or polishing. "the dining table will acquire a warm patina with age")
DAVID, 1501-04
During the Renaissance, the greatest stone sculptor ever known, Michelangelo, created his works first in clay. The clay would next be cast in plaster and a three dimensional pointing device would be used by a staff of assistants to transfer the dimensions to a block of marble Countless hours would then be spent drilling into the marble in thousands of spots to the proper depth required by the pointing device. *His latest sculptures, like David, were done directly into the marble.
La Pietá, 1498
Michelangelo
Moses, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome
Michelangelo
ABSTRACT SCULPTURE: This is sculpture as a purely aesthetic piece of art. Abstract sculpture is focused on strong design in THREE DIMENSIONS. Eye movement, focal point, positive/negative space, & fluidity are all factors.
Most abstract art is abstracted from real subject matter. It is "about something". It has ARTISTIC INTENTION.
MAQUETTE
Maquette is French for “scale model”… this is how you “thumbnail” a three-dimensional piece of art. A maquette is a small version of the sculpture that you plan to make. You will use it to figure out your design on all sides and to have a physical model to look at while working on your project.
WHAT IS PLASTER?
IMPORTANT-- PLASTER CAN NOT BE NEAR CLAY!!!
TEXTURE VOCABULARY:
PART 2:
Create a grid of 12 squares (3 squares by 4 squares).
Fill each square with a different type of texture.
Try to draw as much as possible from real life.
Use the images below as an examples.
PART 3:
Choose 2 TEXTURE words. Use examples above--but not limited to.
Embossed, Crocheted, flawed, gelatinous, icy, pointy, sharp, viscous, holey, silky, ornamented, knitted, grainy, cushioned, flaky, bumpy, furry, jagged, pattern, pierced, wooden, thorny, scraped, pleated, mosaic, feathery
Once you have chosen your two words, sketch out ways to combine the two different textures into one object. You might have the inside of the object be smooth while the outside is rough, you might juxtapose two different textures or let them merge into something else entirely.
Create at least TWO sketches of the proposed plaster carving that incorporates the 2 words you’ve chosen.
What happens if you change the scale or texture? Think about how you will be using the elements and principles before you start.
PART 4:
1. Think about the entire form of the object and how the viewer will interact with it. What will they notice first, second? Will there be an area that is very delicate and another that is very aggressive. How will you allow these two areas to play off of each other? How will light contribute to the work? Will you be able to see through it? What precautions should you take as you work – plaster is extremely fragile.
2. After you have chosen your words and created your sketches, students will create a small maquette out of air dry clay or clay. (WHAT IS A MAQUETTE!? Maquette is French for “scale model”… this is how you “thumbnail” a three-dimensional piece of art. A maquette is a small version of the sculpture that you plan to make. You will use it to figure out your design on all sides and to have a physical model to look at while working on your project.)
3. Once Maquette is created, next, the students will need to cast the plaster. Make sure you pay attention to the process demonstrated in class. Teacher will demonstrate the process and work with students to create the casts.
3. Once you have cast your plaster in its container, remove it and immediately start carving. The drier the plaster gets the harder it is to carve (but easier to sand).
4. The plaster will go through multiple stages. Soon after it is mixed it will get hot and start to become hard. At this stage it is fairly easy to carve and rough out larger portions. This is when you will want to take off as much material as possible. As it starts to dry it will get harder to work with and will require smaller tools and more delicate carving techniques. Once the plaster is completely dry it will become whiter and, using the back of your hand, will not feel cool to the touch. This is when you can sand your plaster to get a nice smooth texture.
5. Photograph your finished sculpture and upload your images to your Google Site. Teacher will demonstrate the photography process.
6. A note on cleaning up. Plaster is messy. Really messy. Do not ever, ever, ever allow plaster to go down the drain. It is like cement and will harden in the pipes. Use the waste bucket first to wash your tools and your hands. Once you are done using your carving tools, scrub them with your wire brush and water in the plaster waste bucket. Once they are clean, rinse them with water and DRY them. Always dry your tools or they will rust.
PART 6:(Reflection, Critique, Presentation):
1. Question for students to answer (prior to Critique)
Which 2 words did you choose and how did you use them in your plaster work?
How do your two words contrast each other in your work?
How do they complement each other (work together)?
Which elements and principles of design are most evident in your work? Choose a principle and define how an element (or elements) create that principle.
What was most surprising about plaster? What was most frustrating?
How does the texture of your piece inform the values seen in your work?