3-D Sculpture Mobile
Description: Students Use a range of paper sculpture techniques transforming a 2-D material to a 3-D form to construct an abstract sculpture in balance.
Discussion:
Discuss two-dimensional vs. three-dimensional art.
Asks students to identify sculptures they have seen and talk about different kinds of sculpture. Do all sculptures sit on the floor or the ground? If not, describe the types of sculptures you have seen. (No! They can be suspended, they can move, they can make sounds, they can hang on the wall, they can surround us.) What does 3-D mean? (height, width and depth) What are the concerns of the artist in creating an effective work of sculpture? (Point of view is important since sculpture can be viewed from many different places. Also the physics of a sculpture are essential: It needs to be stable and supported—balanced--so it does not tip over, fall down, crash or suspend lopsided.)
It would be great to have pictures of sculptures. If anyone has a good printer or some books, work from Alexander Calder, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois’s spiders or even Ernesto Neto.
Discuss and demonstrate ways of changing paper from being flat (2-D), to having form or dimension (3-D). Brainstorm verbs and write them on the board cutting, folding, curling and twisting, notching.
Practice
Distribute practice paper. Asks students to experiment with manipulating paper in order to transform it from being flat to having dimension in space.
Discussion
Explain that Counter-weighting forms can create a balanced sculpture and that students will construct a model that illustrates balance by securely suspending 3-D forms weighted equally on either side of a balance point in a mobile.
Review the concept of symmetry/balance in art, math, and science. When we talk about balance or symmetry in art and math what does it mean? Formal balance or symmetry means the same on either side of a line of symmetry:
Prompts: A mobile is a system of balanced beams and objects. We are going to balance our mobile by creating 3-D paper forms which will be suspended on either side of a balance point using string and sticks. Balance is a physics concept:
how would that translate into a mobile in balance? The exact same forms suspended on either side
would create balance of weight physically and visually.
How would I create informal balance in a mobile? I would need to construct and suspend forms that are asymmetrical—that are not the same on either side of a balance point, but equally balanced physically and visually.
Demonstrate a symmetrical and an asymmetrical mobile.
If possible, introduce the art of Alexander Calder. Prompts; Alexander Calder created large scale sculptures, mobiles and stabiles (sculptures which had a stable base and moving parts) throughout his career. Jean Paul Sartre, well known existential writer, described Calder mobiles in this way: “...they are nevertheless at once lyrical inventions, technical combinations of an almost mathematical quality, and sensitive symbols of nature...”
Process:
Pair up students and have them choose symmetrical or asymmetrical balance for their mobile (or students construct one symmetrical, and one asymmetrical).
Remind students:
- that they are working to create forms which are interesting to look at from multiple points of view:
- to check our list of verbs for ideas for altering paper!
- Remember that if you are working with symmetrical balance, you will have 2 forms (or more but an even number) which are the same. If you are working with asymmetrical balance, you will have 3 forms (or more but an odd number) which are different, and you will need to adjust, along with your helper, to find a balance point.
- Ask for help from your helper to stabilize the mobile while you tie the strings to the wooden sticks/beams Look at your mobile and check for balance. Do you need to slide the strings to make it balance (the same on each side of the suspending string) or to counterweight it?
- Notice how with symmetrical balance the strings need to be about the same length and tied at the same place on either side on my balance point (the string that supports the main beam).
Critique/reflective assessment:
Suspend/display all mobiles. Ask students to view.
Ask a volunteer student to:
- Find a paper sculpture technique in one of the sculptures that is interesting to you and describe it for the class—ask the artist how they did it.
- Find an example where a paper sculpture is very different when viewed from different places.
- Share your challenges in creating balance in mobiles and sculpture: what did you need to do create balance?
- How is your mobile formally or informally balanced (symmetrical/asymmetrical)?
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