Winter Open Studios: Sculpture
Home • Project I • Project II • Project III • Group Project
Sculpture I & II
Instructor: Dana Hemenway
This class is an introductory sculpture course for students who wanted to gain the basic skills and understanding of materiality, form, concept, and contemporary art. Students discovered new ways to work with sculptural techniques and processes, engaged in group critiques, attended artist talks, and discussed readings on contemporary art. This class challenged expectations of what defines “sculpture”. Sculpture today is a wide-ranging field and there is no one medium or material that adequately encompasses it, sculpture is about material processes, ideas, and aesthetics (or anti-aesthetics). In this quarter of virtual learning, we explored how documentation, time-based, and virtual practices intersect with three-dimensional form.
Project I: Cardboard Body Extension
In this first project students expanded the boundaries of the body using constructed cardboard extensions. We asked how can sculpture comment on, build on, and/or absurdify the relationship between the human form and objects? The resulting projects introduce a model of Interdisciplinary art practice that encompasses performance or performative action, photography/video, and the creation of objects.
Irmak E., Trauma
Gabriella Bertran, Rooting
Melissa Santos, Carrying My Weight
Emir Kirdan, Ziyafet
Charu Jain, Internalized Corset
Emmy Li, Dwelling Thoughts
SS Liu, January at the therapist's
Mad Pilch, Aftermath
lidia uresti, isolated nightmare (2021-???)
Project II: Fabricated To Be Photographed (3D Printer Project)
For our second project of the quarter students started working with their 3D printers (that were offered this year as part of the P3D program). The goal of this assignment was to incorporate 3D printing into a conceptual project that straddles sculpture and photography. The final format for the project was lens based so finding a context for their prints was key. Students were also asked to consider 3D printing critically and conceptually as it relates to contemporary art.
Anonymous, Melting Gold
Irmak E., modern pandora
Shelly Deng, Glorified Slum
Emmy Sharp, Picking Flowers
Emir Kirdan, The Masturbation Station
Charu Jain, Inside and Out
lidia uresti, frogject: iteration 3
Emmy Li, The Forbidden Crunch
SS Liu, Molecular Addiction
Mad Pilch, Room 1
Melissa Santos, All I Want for Pasko Is...
Project III: SITE-SENSES (Armature/Skin Project)
For our third project of the quarter students explored the armature/skin construction technique using chicken wire fencing, plaster, paper mache and/or cardboard. The goal of this assignment was to incorporate these discrete objects into a site-specific presentation. Students really opened up to the idea of site-specificity considering virtual spaces (such as Tik-Tok), moving spaces (such as cars) and performative actions in space.
Anonymous, Remembrance
Gabriella Bertran, Bedroom Travels
Shelly Deng, Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
lidia uresti, manifesting a movie prop role for the future
Irmak E., take my hand,
Emir Kirdan, The Monsters We Make
Charu Jain, comfortable discomfort
Emmy Li, I Will Immediately Forget You All When I'm Famous
SS Liu, Zen Garden
Mad Pilch, Mirror Hood Ornaments
Melissa Santos
Group Project: Materials Database
The materials we choose to make sculpture out of make meaning in the work. The options are endless, as a class we explored the limits of possibility by forming a materials database on Instagram. Students worked in groups of 4 and identified themes to explore together. The themes this quarter were: Cooking for Content, Powders, and Packaged Art. Each student posted explorations into 3 materials and how these materials could be used to make sculpture, as well as the meanings these materials could conjure. Each post was meant to be a quick gestural experiment into how a material could be used in art–enjoy!