Paper sculpture

Growth

paper

9 x 9 x 1/2

The main idea of the piece is growth, For this assignment, we were instructed to describe our first semester in one word, and then portray it in our art. I picked growth and tried to show it in colors, forms, and texture. I used different colors to show new versus old. Blue is typically associated with sadness, and yellow is typically associated with happiness and spring; new things. In the picture, there are yellow spirals growing in a blue surrounding, almost as if the yellow is pushing the blue out. For form and texture, I created spirals and a crumpled cracked look. I used the spirals to show new opportunities like they were growing out of the ground. I made the background full of crumpled up papers for texture, and to symbolize mess and confusion.

I used regular sketching paper for the back, spirals, and background. I cut pieces of paper into long lines and then spiraled them into circles, holding them down with hot glue. I used other cut pieces of paper and crumpled them up, also using hot glue to hold them down. My shades of paper differed a tiny bit, so I thought of using color, and I'm glad I did— I think it added more meaning. I used my dad's spray paint. I used blue, and a can called “gold”, but it was actually quite yellow. (Which was perfectly fine) I sprayed the colors on and left it to dry.

When I first thought of my idea to make spirals, I had to figure out a way to attach the spirals to the paper. My first thought was some type of glue; more specifically hot glue. But I also knew hot glue was quite irritating to work with and left a lot of lines and mess. I experimented with superglue and spray adhesive, but neither worked, so I decided to work with hot glue despite its cons. The hot glue ended up working quite well. Another problem I ran into was the difference of color in my white paper. I wasn't planning on making my art colorful at first, but when I finished creating the sculpture part, I realized that my paper from home was a different shade of white than the paper I got from school. I decided I needed to do something, and I revised my sketch from an all-white sculpture to incorporating color. I'm really glad I made this decision, and without running into this problem, my work would have been less meaningful.