AgilityWooden base, mixed media
30.5 x 30.5 cm 2016 Light play makes this piece seem to move on its own if one walks around it. Inspired by the sculpture Argo, the cylindrical and round pieces contrast with blocky and elementary looking shapes. The spread out pieces add balance and allow a viewer's eye to follow along every part of the piece. |
Planning
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Before we began this project, we had a professor from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design come in and give us some guidelines on how to start this project. The aim was to create an architectural piece that played with light cutouts and created shadows and impressions. He told us that we had to make five cuts in a one foot square base. To start, our whole class had to create five designs on paper and have the professor give input on which was the best so far and what we could do to make other ones better. The challenge was that we had to have at least one area that the wood would come out so there would be an area that light would go through. In my planning sketches, those areas are highlighted with pink. Another challenge was that two of the lines had to intersect and make a perpendicular line. I found this to be the most challenging part to create because my designs were very intricate. I settled on the last design in the gallery to the left; it had a shape that was conclusive to movement and that's what I wanted to create in my piece.
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My next step was to get the piece cut. A large table saw was used to cut my board; there was a problem however. There were little borders around the edges that were tough to get around, so the two lines that were close to each other ended up becoming three lines in the end.
To start gathering pieces, I needed an inspiration. I wanted my piece to have a connection to where I was born and raised, so I chose a piece on the Lake Michigan waterfront in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum. The piece is (ironically) called Argo and has cylindrical shapes as well as very interesting cutout pieces. It was easy to get cardboard cylinders and make those parts for my piece. |
Alexander Liberman, Argo. 1974.
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Process
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The pieces that I needed the most were wooden blocks shaped like triangles and large chunks of wood to create a contrast with the movement of the cylindrical pieces. The process photos to the left show how as I worked, I periodically put my piece onto the lightbox to see how the shadows worked around the center. I wanted to create an epicenter of light just off center and the shadows to hang around the sides to create somewhat of a "shadow border". I then was able to make sure that the movement of all the pieces of cardboard cylinders would move the eye around the edges of these borders as to be able to take in every part of the piece. I put small bridge like wooden rods over the large light in the center just to balance it out and make it less attacking on the eyes. I placed thin triangle shapes blocking one corner because the light bounced off the triangles in a way that make the light cutout only that much more exclusive looking. There is a contrast between that and the attempted inclusiveness of the border around the edge, which makes my piece that much more interesting. My piece focuses on the basics; triangles, squares and circles, and that's what counts.
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The hardest part about making my piece was that it was tough to find materials; all of my friends were able to get all the good materials before me because I didn't have enough time or money to get a board until later after the project was announced. I was stuck with whatever was left, but fortunately I'm good with working with what I have and I turned out happy with my project in the end. It was very difficult to clean up icky edges on the cutout pieces so I stupidly just left those as they were. However, I don't think it takes away from the sleekness of the project itself.
Reflection
Overall, my project was a definite success. While some of the pieces eventually fell off, I attribute that to my poor gluing skills. I think the movement in the piece was definitely needed, and the use of elementary shapes helped my piece get that extra edge of unity that it needed to look like it was more planned out than it really was. I think that one of it's successes was that you can definitely see the relation between it and my inspiration, Argo. The cylindrical shapes and cutouts and the elementary shapes, while unified and balanced, almost make an impression that the piece is supposed to be a dog agility park. I thought this was really funny, so I ironically named my piece Agility. However, if people knew the context, they would know that it is supposed to symbolize Milwaukee and the lakefront as a whole.
One of the disadvantages I remembered when I started the piece is that I absolutely despise three dimensional projects. Sculpting, modeling, you name it, I don't like it. It's not enjoyable or fulfilling to me, and I don't get any satisfaction out of the finished project. However, going to MIAD and displaying this piece as well as having a small group critique on it helped me realize that my skills in three dimensional mediums were better than I had expected and that I should continue trying to make them although they are not my favorite. The critique was very helpful as well; I learned that all the things I had been planning to really display with this piece were obviously noticed and taken into account. This project definitely shined a light on hidden skills that I may have had and made me feel better as a whole about presenting my artwork, especially artwork that I did not like from the beginning.
One of the disadvantages I remembered when I started the piece is that I absolutely despise three dimensional projects. Sculpting, modeling, you name it, I don't like it. It's not enjoyable or fulfilling to me, and I don't get any satisfaction out of the finished project. However, going to MIAD and displaying this piece as well as having a small group critique on it helped me realize that my skills in three dimensional mediums were better than I had expected and that I should continue trying to make them although they are not my favorite. The critique was very helpful as well; I learned that all the things I had been planning to really display with this piece were obviously noticed and taken into account. This project definitely shined a light on hidden skills that I may have had and made me feel better as a whole about presenting my artwork, especially artwork that I did not like from the beginning.