Sculpture Studio Spring 2012

Project 4: Self Designed
Intention Statement

Throughout the semester I have explored different mediums and technique—wood, paper, and metal material have all centered the structures I have constructed.  In my last project, I wanted to create something personal, and I wanted to make sure I kept pushing myself out of any comfort zones I had created from past projects.  From the beginning of the semester I looked for ways to fit the concepts behind my project four piece into other works, but I did not feel comfortable exploring it until our final, self designed assignment. 

For the self-designed project I drew influence from my childhood and the famous glasswork artist, Dale Chihuly.  Chihuly and I shared concerns of color, shape, interactivity, and my childhood gave direct inspiration for the project concept itself.  As a child, I spent many afternoons immersed in kaleidoscopes.  I would tilt the majestic boxes up to light and relish in the colorful and mysterious images before me.  Although I am sure my mother attempted explaining the process behind kaleidoscopes to me many times as a child, I know I did not grasp it.  The reflections and geometric patterns amazed me; I found them truly awesome.  Any time I saw or passed by a kaleidoscope, I had to pick it up, to see what wonders hid just through the looking hole. 

While I knew I wanted to create some type of piece that was reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, without simply making a six-inch structure, I was not sure what direction I wanted to take the piece.  I did a lot of brainstorming, and in the end decided my main intentions would focus on interactivity anda sense of playfulness.  More trial and error, and I finally came to a final structural concept.  The piece is roughly two feet tall, one foot wide.  It is a wood box structure with three mirrors in the interior, forming the shape of a triangle.  Because the mirrors face each other, the image seen when a viewer looks down the box is reflected multiple times.  A circular base with a lip holds the material that is spun by the viewer, while he or she looks down, into the piece.

My designs for the piece were highly influenced by Chihuly, a renowned artist in the glass art movement.  His work draws on the physical and emotional properties of glass.  I wanted to create the same sense of wonder he does in his installations through my own piece.  At first I thought of simply having the material captured inside the structure play off Chihuly’s concepts, but I decided that to uphold my concept of interactivity, the best option would be to incorporate Chihuly’s concepts throughout my piece.

The exterior of the structure is collage with blue glass and mirror fragments.  The patterns, colors, and texture of the design aid in capturing the viewer’s attention, and in drawing him, or her, into the piece.  I hope that through seeing the exterior of the piece, the viewer will feel light hearted, will be reminded of whimsicality and innocence; of childhood. 

The interior of the piece also plays off my intent to create both an interactive, and a playful, piece.  The circular base that contains material viewed when looking down, into the kaleidoscope, is interactive in two ways.  The base is both manipulated by the viewer—the viewer spins the base, which distorts and alters the image he or she experiences, and the base is removable, allowing the viewer the opportunity to place whatever he or she wishes to, onto the base.  Found objects—trash, art tools, jewelry, small structures, even the viewer’s lunch, can be incorporated into the piece. I hope that through this level of interaction, the viewer is able to feel a sense of ownership when interacting with the piece.

Throughout the semester I have taken advantage of the opportunities to create something meaningful through my art.  Whether it be an opportunity for students to reflect during their busy schedules through entering an unknown space, or through calling attention to, and furthering the awareness of, issues on campus such as disparity between student body and administrative staff, I have attempted to make my work meaningful.  This year has been a difficult one for me, especially as I see my undergraduate career come to a close.  Through creating this piece, I feel myself take one more look back into my childhood, my innocence and ignorance, before I allow myself to let go; to move on; to graduate. 

I hope that the viewer enjoys this piece—that he or she enjoys the simple, yet complex, shapes and forms created in the mirrors.  I hope that the viewer takes the opportunity to observe and experience everyday objects through a different perspective.  Mostly, I hope that the piece instills that sense of wonder, of youthful glee that as we age, unknowingly disappears.