- Describe your piece objectively, including the size, materials, and form. Be as accurate and specific as you can without explaining its meaning.
My piece is is made from MDF wood, wires, and wool yarn. It is 6 inches high and 4 inches wide. Two pieces of circular wood with a hole in the middle has been attached by 8 lines of thick wire to keep the two pieces standing. The bowl figure is structured by wire and the sides represent cross contour. The bowls top and bottom are wrapped with wool yarn. The bottom structure and the top structure are connected by overlapping the bottom of the bowl and enclosing wires through the holes on the wood.
- (Re-visit you proposal, in which you should already have the answer to this question.)
Discuss your inspiration for the piece: what objects did you work from and how do they inform your cultural identity? Which formal qualities of your object(s) did you combine to create an abstract sculptural artifact?
My inspiration came from a vintage vinyl record player because music is a big part of my life and my family’s life. I grew up in a household where we explored all types of music and instruments. My mother would wake me up by playing the piano, singing, or turning up the volume on the speakers. Since I was little I was singing and I learned how to play the piano, cello, and clarinet. To this day music holds a big part of who I am.
The formal qualities I used is the horn on vintage record players because it is the most representational to my piece. I also wanted to embody the shape of the record player itself so the horn is on the top and the bottom is a circular shaped holder for the horn.
- Explain how your sculptural artifact uses planes and lines to do each of the following 3 things: divide space, define space, and engage space. How did your understanding of 3D space evolve through the planning and making of this project?
My sculptural artifact was able to divide space because of the cross contours from the wires and wool yarn. The wires were able to create a negative space on the top piece made of wires to make it feel like it is engulfing the air. The weight is mostly on the bottom because of the wood and thick wires used. My understand of 3D space evolved through the planning and making of this project by trial and error. I didn’t realize some materials weight and the distribution of the material was not fit for certain aspects of the piece. What is on paper cannot always be accurate to what you can make 3D.
- Explain how you chose the materials to make your sculpture, and what information they give the viewer about your culture.
I chose my materials to make my sculpture to fit into my budget. I chose the MDX wood because I liked the color and cutting through the wood didn’t leave harsh finishes to the wood. I used wires because I like how I am able to manipulate the shape of the actual lines I want to represent. It is also great to use as connectors of my individual pieces. The wool yarn was a nice finish to make it my wires a cleaner look and to represent a softer finish. The reason for that is to show that music in my life is a soft finish to who I am.
- Describe the processes, skills, techniques, tools, and joints/connections you used to make your project.
Reflect on one area where your craft is particularly strong and one thing that could be improved.
I first cut the wood into the shape I wanted it, which was two circles with holes in the middle with the bandsaw and drill press. Then I smoothed out the two circular pieces with vertical belt sander. I then drilled 8 holes on the outer skirt of the two circular pieces, but also for one of them I also drilled 4 holes on the inner side. I connected the two circular pieces with thick wire by connecting it with the drilled holes. I then made the top piece that is close to looking like a bowl with wire then wrapped the top and bottom with wool yarn. For the top piece I made a circle out of wire in two sizes, one to fit the bottom piece to connect by the drilled holes and the second circle bigger than the bottom. I connected those by creating cross contour lines with thinner wire going down each sides. I then connected the wood bottom piece and my wire top piece by the 4 holes I drilled earlier.
I think one area where my craft is particularly strong is the wire connections I made throughout the piece. Two things that could be improved is my wool connection and to learn how to make thicker wire tighter.
- Conclusion: How is your piece an artifact of your cultural identity? …If an archeologist found your piece in 500 years (in tact), what could they deduce about you from your abstract artifact?
If an archeologist found my piece in 500 year I think they can deduce what kind of person I was by the way I built my structure and what shapes I incorporated in the piece. I think they would learn about why I made it which is from my inspiration, vintage record player, and understand the purpose of music in my life. Music was to soothe and polish my life, it was a part of my everyday life. Another thing that they would learn is learn about who I was to make this piece. I think it showed patience, and tidiness through my piece.
