- Describe your piece objectively, including the size, materials, and form. Be as accurate and specific as
you can without explaining its meaning.
An abstract silhouette with both round and flat edges cut from MDF with negative space in the center is supported by two circles attached by tabs on one side, and two C shapes interlocked by a slot joint on the other side. The piece is unevenly balanced, its orientation suggesting upward movement. Through the center of the clipper’s negative space is a spiraled steel wire, which connects the two C’s the the silhouette. Under the claw shape created by the interlocked C’s is an oval attached by tabs. The piece is about 11 inches in length and 6 inches in height.
- 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?
I worked from my skateboard and my hair clippers. I chose my skateboard because I received it as a gift from a close friend and I spent all summer prior to coming to New York going to the skate park alone and practicing so that I would be able to skate around the streets here. I chose the clippers because they were a gift from my grandma and they also represent my strong belief in not shaving any body hair, which is definitely part of my culture and personal identity. Both of these things also relate to the less “feminine” part of myself, I’ve always felt I have a lot of parts of myself that are not typically feminine and I like to embrace it. I used the silhouette of the clippers for the main shape in my piece, the wire and interlocked C’s to reference the cord of the clippers, the circles to reference the skateboard’s wheels, and the oval under the C claw to reference both the roundness of the skateboard and the clippers being plugged in. The orientation the top piece is referencing the movement of a skateboard, as if it were leaping into the air.
Discuss the ways (structurally, materially, formally) that you have chosen to reference each object in your project design (it’s a good idea to re-visit the assignment before completing this explanation)
- 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?
The negative space in the center of the largest piece, the interior of the interlocking C’s, and the space underneath the piece define the space. The spiraled wire and the interlocking C’s divide space by breaking up the negative spaces. The interlocking C’s, circles, and largest piece engage the space by both creating negative space and taking up space. My understanding of 3D spaced evolved by me experimenting with the different ways I could define both positive and negative space with the same form.
- Explain how you chose the materials to make your sculpture, and what information they give the viewer
about your culture.
I chose MDF because of its rough and perhaps unfinished feel, which I think speaks to how I feel about myself and the masculinity of the objects I chose. The wire was to have a contrast of color and to strengthen the hard look of the piece as a whole.
- 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 used tabs, wire connections, and slot joints in my project. The tabs and slot joints were a strong choice, they make the piece feel stable and it looks professional. I think I could improve on making more even cuts on my rounded shapes and how I finish my wire connections.
- 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?
My piece emphasizes some of the rugged and tougher parts of myself, they could deduce I was active, strong, imperfect, and perhaps unique. The mix of round and sharp edges and forms would suggest to them the complexity of my character and the variety of shapes could hint at different parts of my personality, for example, the caged shaped created by the C’s and the oval could show the ways I can be shy and the huge hole in the largest form could show the ways I am too open.