Metal

Beginning Sculpture
Professrors: Jenna Efrein and Alicia Eggert
Asiggnment – Welding

Open: non-functional:
Materials
2’ x 4’ sheet steel
6’ steel rod
plus any additional materials of your choice

Objective:
1) Your project must contain at least one cut, bend, and weld
2) You are free to discuss conceptually whatever you like
3) Please attempt to make this a non-functional art piece
4) Consider the qualities of your material choices

Timeline
Wed April 15th
-Art 21
-Demo
drill press
angle grinder
band saw
bender rose bud
-Work Day

Mon April 20th
- Art 21
- Work Day

Wed April 22nd
- Art 21
-Work Day

Moon April 27th
-Art 21
-Work Day

Wed April 29th Be installed Before Class
- Cirt

Mon May 4th
-Mandatory Clean Up of studio

Final Assignment

Project Documentation

Due: Wednesday, May 6th (must be in the Art Office mailboxes by 4PM!)   

Your final assignment is to turn in documentation of the sculpture projects you’ve made all semester. The more documentation, the better (but please no more than 5 images per project). We will look at your images along with your sketchbooks and they will help us determine your final grade for the class. This is worth 10% of your grade!   

Documentation should be either photographs or video in a digital format as follows:        

(follow these instructions carefully!)   

Make sure your photographs are .jpg files. You can also submit video, which should be .mov files.   

Name each file with the title of the piece it pictures, and number the files if you have more than one image of that piece. (Fore example, if the title of your sculpture is “Broken”, and you have two images of it, name your files broken1.jpg and broken2.jpg)   

Make an image list for all your work in Microsoft Word, and save it as imagelist.doc (please no .docx files!). 

Your image list should read as follows:   

Your name at top of page   

Title of Piece (in italics) 

Dimensions (height x width x depth - in inches) 

Materials used to make it (plaster, duct tape, wire, etc.)   

Burn all of your files plus the image list on to TWO CD’s – one for each of your instructors. Write your name on the CD with a sharpie and place it in an envelope or plastic case so that it will not get scratched.   Drop both of your CD’s and your sketchbook off in either Jenna’s or Alicia’s mailbox in the art office by 4PM on Wednesday (ask one of the secretaries to show you where they are).   We highly recommend you take the documentation of your work seriously. Re-photograph projects if necessary. Make sure the images are clear (not blurry) and well lit. Show us how you want us to see the work. Show us how much you care!
 

Time and Space

Beginning Sculpture
Professrors: Jenna Efrein and Alicia Eggert
Asiggnment – Casting 2 or more part mold

Time and Space:

20 plus
working with repetition and multiples

Objective:
1) Your series must contain a minimum of 20 elements
2) Express the idea of time and utilize space to emphasize your point about time.
3) No pedestals are permitted in your presentation unless it is integral to your concept of time!
4) Consider the qualities of your material choices

Timeline
Wed March 25th
-More Demos
-Work Day

Mon March 30th
- Work Day

Wed April 1st
-Work Day

Moon April 6th
Work Day

Wed April 8th Be installed Before Class
- Cirt

Mini Assignment: Time-Based Media

Mini Assignment: 

Time-Based Media 

Due: Monday, March 23rd   

The object of this assignment is to find everyday evidence of the passing of time in the world around you. This should be considered research for potential use in future sculpture assignments. Think of yourself as a detective, investigator, journalist or scientist who has been given a field assignment. Notice things, look for clues, and document what you find.   

Take 50 pictures that relate to the theme of time. Try to stay away from obvious or literal examples of time, like clocks, schedules, etc.   

Pictures can be taken with a digital camera or your camera phone.   Put those pictures together into a power point presentation, which you will present to class on Monday (meet in the glass classroom). Come to class prepared with your presentation on a disk.   

Some Ideas to get your gears turning:   

Take a picture of yourself every time the clock is 11 minutes after the hour for 50 consecutive hours.   

Document things that erode over time (take pictures of an ice cube melting).   

Take a walk and take a picture of the ground every ten steps.   

Document the progress of an assignment for another class (for example, take screen shots of your computer while you’re writing a paper).   

Look up the word time for inspiration.

Tension

Beginning Sculpture
Professrors: Jenna Efrein and Alicia Eggert
Mini Asiggnment – Kiln-Cast Glass Plus

Tension:
OED-
The action of stretching or condition of being stretched: in various senses.
1. a. Physiol. and Path. The condition, in any part of the body, of being stretched or strained; a sensation indicating or suggesting this; a feeling of tightness. (The earliest use in English.)
2. b. Bot. Applied to a strain or pressure in the cells or tissues of plants arising from changes taking place in the course of growth.
3. 2. fig. A straining, or strained condition, of the mind, feelings, or nerves. a. Straining of the mental powers or faculties; severe or strenuous intellectual effort; intense application.
4. . Nervous or emotional strain; intense suppressed excitement; a strained condition of feeling or mutual relations which is for the time outwardly calm, but is likely to result in a sudden collapse, or in an outburst of anger or violent action of some kind.
5. c. Esp. in Psychol. A condition of strain produced by anxiety, need, or by a sense of mental, emotional, or physical disequilibrium; also attrib. or as adj.
6. d. The conflict created by interplay of the constituent elements of a work of art. Used esp. of poetry. (See also quot. 1941.)
7. 3. a. Physics. A constrained condition of the particles of a body when subjected to forces acting in opposite directions away from each other (usually along the body's greatest length), thus tending to draw them apart, balanced by forces of cohesion holding them together; the force or combination of forces acting in this way, esp. as a measurable quantity. (The opposite of compression or pressure.)
8. c. transf. The degree of tightness or looseness of the stitches in machine sewing or in knitting. Hence (also tension-device), a device in a sewing-machine for regulating the tightness of the stitch.
9. 4. Electr. The stress along lines of force in a dielectric. Formerly applied also to surface density of electric charge, and until about 1882 used vaguely as a synonym for potential, electromotive force, and mechanical force exerted by electricity: still so applied, in industrial and commercial use, in high and low tension: see sense 5.
10. 6. attrib. and Comb., as tension area, device (see 3c), thrill; spec. applied to parts of a structure subjected to tensile stress, as tension-member, -rod; (in sense 2) tension state, system; tension-relieving adj.; tension bar, (a) (see quot. 1879); (b) a metal bar used to apply pressure or exert tension; tension-bridge, a bridge in which there is tensile stress between parts of the structure, as a bowstring-bridge (see BOWSTRING 3, and quot. below); tension-fuse, a form of electric fuse which is fired by a spark at a break in a circuit; tension magnet (see quot.); tension-pulley, -roller, a free pulley or roller over which a belt, etc. passes to keep it stretched tight; a tightening-pulley; tension-rail, a rail for stretching cloth during the process of printing; tension-spicule, in sponges (see quot.); tension spring, (a) a spring for carriages, etc. composed of inner and outer leaves, connected at the ends, but free in the middle, so as to elongate independently under strain; (b) a spring used to maintain a required degree of tautness; tension wood = reaction wood s.v. REACTION 5.





Objective:
Through the use of visual language express the idea of tension. One of the elements of you piece will be a kiln-cast object and the will be a material or performance of your choice.

Considerations:
-The two elements must work well in creating the idea of tension.
-Think about how presentation/performance can enhabce or create your point of tension.
-Think about how the qualities of your material can aid the tense feeling.

Timeline
Mon March 2nd
- Have a drawing of your full piece
- Know what your glass component will be and be ready to make it in clay during class time
- Bring any clay modeling tools you may have
- Prep kiln
Wed March 4th
-Get pieces from kiln
-Cold work/ Augment IMPORTANT- Come to class with materials that you need and ready to work!

Mon March 16th PROJECT DUE
-Have pieces installed and ready to look at in Sculpture Gallery, Cell Space, or Box Jr for class.

Wearable Wood Sculpture

Major Assignment #2:

Wearable Wood Sculpture

Due: February 23^rd (Fashion show in Nevins Theater)

In-Process Critique: Wednesday, February 11^th

The object of this assignment is to introduce you to general wood construction techniques, as well as gain an understanding of wearable sculpture and performative objects.

For this assignment you should construct a wearable sculpture using wood as your primary material. However, other materials may be combined with wood, such as fabric, ropes, wire, metal, etc. The sculpture must be able to be worn on the body for a “fashion show”, but the object doesn’t necessarily need to be fashion-oriented. The fashion show will provide you with the opportunity to incorporate performance into the project’s concept, but it could also just be a way for you to convey how the object is meant to be worn. Performance is not required. (If you would not be comfortable wearing your sculpture for the fashion show, feel free to ask an outgoing friend to do it for you).

While thinking of ideas, please answer the following questions and bring your answers, ideas and sketches to the in-process critique on Wednesday:

What kinds of things do we “wear”, besides clothing and accessories? (for example, parachutes)

What is the difference between objects that are functional, decorative or sculptural? Which attributes would you like your object to achieve?

Could you invent a function that your object would provide (for example, make noise)? List some ideas.

Will this sculpture assist, prevent or encourage any particular kind of movement?

What is the concept behind your sculpture? Is there anything you would like it to communicate to the audience? How can it make a powerful statement?

Duct Tape

Beginning Sculpture
Professrors: Jenna Efrein and Alicia Eggert
Asiggnment #3 – Duct Tape

Performance/ Or Object at Large

Design an object or outfit which you will utilize in public or situate in a specific context, consider the object your ‘prop’. The object must be portable. The performance or object must have a life in public (outside of your living or studio environment). You will need to document the action or situation of the work.

For critique you will need to bring the object to class on Monday and email your photo or video documentation to jhefrein@gmail.com by Monday no later than 12 pm.

Considerations:
How does the object enhance or contrast with the environment in which it is performed or placed?
Keep in mind the relationship to your audience; initially the audience will be limited to those within your immediate proximity. The documentation will have to convey the flavor of the performance or the concept of its context.
What is your anticipated response to your performance/ placement and how did that correspond to the actual response you received or felt.

Monday’s Class will meet in the glass classroom.

Major Assignment #1: Found Object Deconstruction / Reconstruction

Due: Wednesday, February 4th 

In-Process critique: Jan. 28th (bring objects and ideas to class for discussion)   

This assignment focuses on transforming an everyday functional object – one that normally has a purpose other than art – in order to create a sculpture. This will involve altering the object’s purpose, either by changing its function or making it altogether nonfunctional.   

An object’s meaning in every day life is usually derived from its context – the way we normally use it or interact with it. By altering an object’s context or form you will change its meaning, or conceptual content. What will this new meaning imply? How can an ordinary object be made into something more significant?   

The artist Sol Lewitt said, “Successful ideas generally have the appearance of simplicity because they seem inevitable.” So, keep it simple!   

Resources for finding/buying interesting objects: 

Unwanted household items you already own (clothes, furniture, trash, etc.) 

REPO (in the Harder Hall Parking lot, 11am-1pm Mon-Fri)

Ivan’s 

Salvation Army 

Eerie Line Antique Store (Hornell) 

The Op Shop (Tuesdays 12pm-6pm)

Mini Assignment #1: Learning to Love You More

Due: Monday, January 26th 

(must be emailed to Alicia by noon!)   

Your first assignment is intended to instigate a discussion about what is and what is not art (in your opinion). The aim of this class is to show you that art can be almost anything, but it always begins with an idea, and ideas usually come from being able to look at the world in a new way.    

For this assignment, you should visit the website learningtoloveyoumore.com, which was created by artists Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July. It was created to guide people through the process of turning everyday experiences into memorable art projects. It contains a list of assignments that anyone can complete and submit to their website via email.   

Your job is to read through the list of assignments and choose 1-3 that you find interesting and would like to “accept”. Note: it’s very important that you find those assignments interesting, and think they would be fun to do! You will be required to explain your choices in class on Monday. Some of the assignments are easy, like “take a flash photo under your bed”, and some are more involved, like “reenact a scene from a movie that made you cry”. Completing the assignments should take approximately two hours, so it’s up to you to decide how you would like to fill that time. 

Once you’ve completed your assignments, follow the website’s instructions for how to submit them via email.   Your emails submitting your assignments to learningtoloveyoumore.com should be copied to Alicia at AE1@alfred.edu. Alicia needs to receive your email by noon on Monday, in order to prepare for sharing and discussing them in class that evening.