"Path to the Water"
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Inspiration & Research
My two main inspirations were Richard Serra's large scale curved sculptures and the movement of contrapposto and the S curve, common to ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. I wanted to combine the two because I liked the large, looming feeling of Serra's pieces, but I wanted to try something more subtle and elegant. His sculptures create a feeling of a wall being where it normally isn't, but combining it with the more subtle curves of ancient marble sculptures and giving it a function made it my own.
Serra's sculptures, like I said, are large and looming, and are capable of creating a feeling within itself. The particular two I picked are "Tilted Arc" and "The Hedgehog and the Fox". The latter is multiple walls like I wanted, and people often walk through it's walls. Both pieces are confrontations of their environments. The former was in Federal Plaza in New York City, which was much simpler and more solid than the surrounding area and buildings. The latter is on the Princeton campus, and it welcomes you to walk in between it's walls and experience the way the tight space receives light as the students go about their days. Both pieces also call to minimalism, with only one and three thin walls respectively.
Serra's sculptures, like I said, are large and looming, and are capable of creating a feeling within itself. The particular two I picked are "Tilted Arc" and "The Hedgehog and the Fox". The latter is multiple walls like I wanted, and people often walk through it's walls. Both pieces are confrontations of their environments. The former was in Federal Plaza in New York City, which was much simpler and more solid than the surrounding area and buildings. The latter is on the Princeton campus, and it welcomes you to walk in between it's walls and experience the way the tight space receives light as the students go about their days. Both pieces also call to minimalism, with only one and three thin walls respectively.
Planning
As planning for this project, I did mock-ups of the model rather than sketches. I tried a variety of ideas, all the while trying to keep the feeling that moving through these spaces would create.
The first model, the one in the top left, I did as a bit of a warm-up, and thought about how moving from an open space to a more narrow area would feel, and the resulting cut off view of the lake. Next was trying to create a feeling of grandeur, where you walk into this large space but it still feels like a room. There is only the top of an arc for a ceiling, but it all would come together and feel like a space. Next was an attempt at being almost kind of annoying. There is almost an arch to signify where to walk in, and all you see is a wall in front of you and walls keeping you in. Each wall hides the one after it, blocking your view to the lake, making it almost rewarding once you finally reach the lakefront. Next was trying to go for the opposite feeling of the first, where you're trapped in a small space with a short ceiling to get through, which eventually opens up into an open spot where you can enjoy the lake.
Next, in the image on the bottom left, I wanted to create a path leading to this space that is in and over the water, the pier sticking out far and creating a room in the shallows. Next is similar to one of the others where it starts with a small space, but with quicker gratification as you enter this strange room over and in the water, with a pier to the end of the room where you can see the lake uninterrupted. Next is a space with two paths, which are still separated up to the water, so there can be two separate sole experiences by the water. Last is an attempt to capture a chunk of lake, just to be a part of the experience that the person can experience.
The first model, the one in the top left, I did as a bit of a warm-up, and thought about how moving from an open space to a more narrow area would feel, and the resulting cut off view of the lake. Next was trying to create a feeling of grandeur, where you walk into this large space but it still feels like a room. There is only the top of an arc for a ceiling, but it all would come together and feel like a space. Next was an attempt at being almost kind of annoying. There is almost an arch to signify where to walk in, and all you see is a wall in front of you and walls keeping you in. Each wall hides the one after it, blocking your view to the lake, making it almost rewarding once you finally reach the lakefront. Next was trying to go for the opposite feeling of the first, where you're trapped in a small space with a short ceiling to get through, which eventually opens up into an open spot where you can enjoy the lake.
Next, in the image on the bottom left, I wanted to create a path leading to this space that is in and over the water, the pier sticking out far and creating a room in the shallows. Next is similar to one of the others where it starts with a small space, but with quicker gratification as you enter this strange room over and in the water, with a pier to the end of the room where you can see the lake uninterrupted. Next is a space with two paths, which are still separated up to the water, so there can be two separate sole experiences by the water. Last is an attempt to capture a chunk of lake, just to be a part of the experience that the person can experience.
Process
Next step was to sand down the wood. The edges were a bit rough and not always very straight, so I used some 150 grit sandpaper to clean up the edges. I did this for all of the edges on both pieces and tried to make them as equal as possible. I also made an effort to get rid of a particular dip, which took higher priority over making the two even.
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Now next was to dip them into the boiling water. Before this, I tried to just steam it, but that didn't work out well. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of putting it into the water. I did this so that I could bend the basswood easily into the shape I wanted. Making it wet and warm helped it bend easier without breaking.
Next, in order to bend it, I wrapped it around two bottles I had sitting right there because it was hot and I needed something fast. After holding it there and creating some dramatic curves, since it was inevitable that it wouldn't stay they way you start with it at. Then I put it between two containers to reinforce the curves a bit more without having to hold it.
Since the wood is still wet, after taking it out from between containers I decided to try and blow dry it. I wasn't really intending to keep the dramatic curves, so even though it undid itself while it dried it was fine. I used warm at first, then moving up to hot eventually, staying at a low power the whole time in order to try and still keep the curves as best as I could.
The next thing I did was cut some slots in the cardboard to place the wood pieces into. I positioned them the way I wanted, drew where the cuts would be, cut where it needed, and then pushed them into the slots. After this, I pulled them back out to put glue on the bottoms and in the slots to keep them there.
After putting in the glue, one of the pieces of wood didn't want to stay where I needed it. So I put a bunch of glue on it, and quickly put a piece of cheesecloth over it, then one of my textbooks and my sketchbook to keep it in place, and let it dry.
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Experimentation
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For my experimentation on this project, I tried out different methods of making the wood able to bend. First I tested it on an extra piece of wood, with just steaming it over a small pot. This worked out, though it took a while to get past point of the wood just warping. Eventually it was very pliable, and it kept its shape well. After that, I decided just to go ahead and start steaming a piece, but over a medium sized pot to have a wider radius of steaming. However, after trying to bend it in a second place, I found that it wasn't going to be enough. I tried to make two bends at one in my piece for it, and it broke at one of the bends. This was when it was determined that I needed to use a big pot and just dump the pieces into it, and then dry it afterwards. A new piece was made, plopped into the pot, and then blow dried before affixing it to the board.
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Reflection
I'm not very happy with the end result of my piece. I went with my simplest idea because I was encouraged to, and I feel like it looks lazy and boring. It was an extremely frustrating piece to put together, and boring at that. This kind of piece is not what I enjoy doing. I do like sculpture, but the pressure of creating something that is supposed to be completely measured and thought out completely, without room for error because if you do you're wasting materials. There also could not be little problems, like excess glue or something being a little messy. It didn't need to be immaculate, but it needs to be clean, which I struggled with for this piece. Overall, I didn't enjoy it and I don't enjoy my final piece. If I were to do this over again, I'd try to limit my wood pieces to the cardboard so I theoretically could've just made it so slots would be enough to keep it in place, but also have the glue there for extra strength. Other than that, I would try to come up with ideas to make it more detailed, like having trees or rocks or something. I considered it, but I didn't know how I could make it work effectively with the rest of the piece.
My piece is similar to "The Hedgehog and the Fox" in that it is there to encourage people to walk in and experience being in the space, or just to walk through. However, my piece is an encouragement to experience the lake independently as a space, but his piece is moreso used as a more interesting walkway. My piece is similar to "Tilted Arc" in that it is supposed to be relatively imposing, and possibly even interrupt the view. In my piece it encourages people to go through it and onto the pier to look out into the lake. It's different in that it is more inviting than his piece, and that it is more of a funnel than just a wall. This piece is similar to the concept of contrapposto by having a movement to it that is similar to the shape of the letter 'S'. It's very different though, considering my piece is a large scale minimalist sculpture and those pieces are incredibly detailed marble sculptures of figures.
My piece is similar to "The Hedgehog and the Fox" in that it is there to encourage people to walk in and experience being in the space, or just to walk through. However, my piece is an encouragement to experience the lake independently as a space, but his piece is moreso used as a more interesting walkway. My piece is similar to "Tilted Arc" in that it is supposed to be relatively imposing, and possibly even interrupt the view. In my piece it encourages people to go through it and onto the pier to look out into the lake. It's different in that it is more inviting than his piece, and that it is more of a funnel than just a wall. This piece is similar to the concept of contrapposto by having a movement to it that is similar to the shape of the letter 'S'. It's very different though, considering my piece is a large scale minimalist sculpture and those pieces are incredibly detailed marble sculptures of figures.
ACT Responses
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect on upon your artwork.
Contrapposto inspired the use of more relaxed and subtle movement and lines. Richard Serra inspired the use of tall, smooth walls.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
That Richard Serra is very obstinate and that his viewpoints on art should be considered.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc while you researched your inspiration?
People aren't big fans of things that block views, but if there's some sort of utilitarian reason for it to exist then it's fine.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The idea of a space being for a feeling, and the way the space is made contributing to it.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
That I don't like Richard Serra as a person, due to how he reacted when "Tilted Arc" was to be removed from the Federal Plaza.
Contrapposto inspired the use of more relaxed and subtle movement and lines. Richard Serra inspired the use of tall, smooth walls.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
That Richard Serra is very obstinate and that his viewpoints on art should be considered.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc while you researched your inspiration?
People aren't big fans of things that block views, but if there's some sort of utilitarian reason for it to exist then it's fine.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The idea of a space being for a feeling, and the way the space is made contributing to it.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
That I don't like Richard Serra as a person, due to how he reacted when "Tilted Arc" was to be removed from the Federal Plaza.
Sources
Mosley, W. L. (2015, March 9). Controposto. Retrieved from
https://walterlynnmosley.com/2015/03/09/controposto/
Richard Serra's Tilted Arc. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/visualarts/tiltedarc_a.html
The Hedgehog and the Fox | Princeton University Art Museum. (2013). Retrieved from
http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/campus-art/objects/55459
https://walterlynnmosley.com/2015/03/09/controposto/
Richard Serra's Tilted Arc. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/visualarts/tiltedarc_a.html
The Hedgehog and the Fox | Princeton University Art Museum. (2013). Retrieved from
http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/campus-art/objects/55459