3D Design

Final Reflection

I can describe my experience in 3D Design most simply as an upward curve. If you had asked me only a few months ago how I felt about the class, the answer I would have given then would be very different than the one I would give you now. I went into the class with a positive attitude and an excitement to do sculpture, which I had never explored very much in depth. The challenges that I faced in the class were not the ones I had faced in 2D design, where I simply had trouble adhering to deadlines, I was challenged on an artistic level that I hadn’t had to experience before.

For our second project we were tasked with creating a 3D representation of a picture of a person, place, or thing that was meaningful to us. I quickly—and possibly irresponsibly—decided that I would toss the idea of realistic representation and go for something way more subjective. I worked off the basic pose of a photo I took of my friend, but other than that, the sculpture was a hodgepodge of me throwing together any artistic ingredients that I saw fit. Very disappointingly everything came crashing down when I discovered that I disliked the final project. Although in a technical sense the project was well done, the actual visual appeal was minimal at best. This sculpture is a pretty clear example of a lot of my weaknesses as a learner. I didn’t like that when I experimented and tried to mess around that I couldn’t fall back on past skills to make my artwork more appealing, and I had to learn a lesson in balancing putting effort trying out new skills and putting effort into making projects have visual value.

I also struggled with technique quite a bit, most resoundingly with clay. The first project we did with clay was meant to be an introduction to clay techniques and sgraffito (if we hadn’t done it in Foundations already). I was excited to begin, but faced problems with being able to make a pinch pot not be too thick or too thin or too wobbly, and making connections to the head with coil. It was a frustrating project, but what was very valuable for me was having to start over and try again, something that I didn’t feel the need to do before this class. I could see the payoff of this when I did my third concentration and managed to make the shape that I wanted, with the desired shape, and a stable thickness, all within a very manageable amount of time.

My final project is sort of what made the whole class worthwhile. I had been struggling with putting lots and lots of effort into projects and not getting the results that I wanted, and this was where all of the lessons I had to learn in this class came together and allowed for me to make a project that I was proud of. The Anatomy and Autonomy project was interesting for me to create and think about as a concept, engaging to work on, and allowed for me to redirect my desire to mess around and have fun with art into a more disciplined way. I enjoyed the technical aspect of the reduction, and I wish now that I had done more projects using that method. The project was emotionally valuable as it connected to my passion for reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. The final project showed my growth as a student in being passionate in the making process and being passionate about the result.