Project 6: Abundance and Nourishment- deconstructing the cornucopia. Due Dec 9th

Project Description

For this project, you will be making a sculpture based in the idea and form of a 
cornucopia and filling it with objects. The objects that fill the cornucopia can 
be made or found, but transformation is important.

Both the cornucopia and it's contents must communicate the ideas of 
abundance and nourishment. The sculpture you are making will be based 
in the historical shape of the cornucopia- a horn-shaped container. 

The cornucopia has a long history in Western Art and culture. The word 
originates from Latin - cornu copiae. It is also know as a horn of plenty. 
Today we often associate the cornucopia with the US holiday, Thanksgiving. 
This is because of its reference to abundance and nourishment. 

For this project, you will go back to the roots of the cornucopia as a symbol, 
not of Thanksgiving, but of abundance and nourishment. 

What does abundance mean to you? What could it look like? What form may it take?
what does nourishment mean to you? What could it look like? what form may it take?

IMPORTANT: You may not use any objects or images typically associated with
 the Thanksgiving holiday. Absolutely no turkeys, pumpkins, pilgrim clothes, or 
Native American imagery. 

Now, what do you have left? This is your starting point. 

Process and Limitations

For this project, you will use all the techniques you have learned so far this year.: cardboard, hybrid, packaging, soap carving, color relationships, platonic solids, colleague, and narrative.

Your sculpture must be a minimum of 2 feet in length (front to back). Remember, both the opening and the interior space have to be large enough to hold your objects.  It should be substantial enough to communicate the two key concepts: abundance and nourishment. 

Be resourceful and take advantage of all the free materials around us. There is a saying: "One person's trash is another's treasure".

Rubric

You will be assessed on the following:

• Creativity/Concept- Communicating key concepts: abundance and nourishment.
• Craftsmanship- Command of Materials, looks intentional, nothing falling apart.
• Elements of Design- Composition, line, balance, texture, contrast/similarity, color, etc
• Volume- Activating the space. Remember, this is sculpture class. Move beyond 2-D.
• Time-management- Is the project finished, and well resolved.  

Due Date

Critique is December 9th

Project 5: Platonic Solids and the Natural World. Final Project Due (extended) to Dec. 9th

Make sure that your project is amazing because it has been extended to Dec. 9th!!!

Project Description

You will be making a sculpture based in the platonic solids as a way to examine the 

relationship between nature and geometry. This project has three main parts: 
1. Build a set of the platonic solids (craftsmanship is key here)
2. Use collage to change the surface/further develop the forms. 

How will the introduction of color, texture, image and text, transform the objects?
3. Carefully choose elements found in nature to build a relationship between the geometric 

solids you have made and the natural materials. Examples of materials include tree branches,

palm fronds, coconuts, rocks, vines, etc). Examples of ways to approach relationship include: 

tension,semiotic, complimentary, contrasting, camouflage, parasite/host, opposition, etc. 

Through this project you will continue to develop your craft skills (cutting, measuring, ways of 

attaching). 
Conceptual skills through the building of a narrative exemplified by the relationship you set up 

between the elements of your sculpture. (How does material and form communicate?)

Found object and assemblage (one of the four basic means of creating sculpture)

Project Schedule

November 4th

1. Introduction to project

2. Workshop building Platonic Solids using provided nets.   https://www.mathsisfun.com/platonic_solids.html

Homework- Complete a total of fifteen (15) platonic solids using the nets provided in class. 

You must have three (3) of each kind. 15 objects total. 

For homework, you will complete a set of fifteen total solids. Three of each kind:

3 total tetrahedrons
3 total Octahedrons
3 total Cubes (Hexahedrons)
3 total Icosahedrons
3 total Dodecahedrons
-----------------------------
15 total platonic solids

November 13th

1. Homework due: 100 points total. 

A. Your 15 platonic solids along with your collage materials, and the natural materials 

you will need to work on your sculpture. (up to 75 points)

B. Sketches and notes that show a clear direction of how you will move forward with 

your project. (up to 15 points)

C. Title and what it means. Why you selected it. (up to 10 points)

Class time

You will have time to construct your sculpture in class. 

Please bring any tools and materials (glues, strings, branches, magazine clippings, etc) 

you will need to assemble your project.

November 18th- Critique

Projects must be ready to show at beginning of class. 

Please come prepared to set up the room for critique. 

Rubric

You will be assessed on how well you meet the following goals: 

Craftsmanship

Creativity

Time-management (homework finished by due date, and sculpture ready for critique)

Elements of Desigh (particularly volume, transformation and unity). 

Narrative. (Developing a relationship between different elements in a work of art. 

Creating narrative through form). 

Note: 

You will be aloud to use any gluing techniques that you have acquired from previous 

assignments, hot glue might be the best solution. 

Tape is not recommended, your modular/geometric objects will be covered 

with collage and attached to the natural materials you have purposefully selected.      

Relationship to Ms. Samimy's class

You will have class time in Ms. Samimy's class to work on the collage aspect of your project. 

When choosing collage materials, pay close attention to texture, color and image/text. 
Your  approach toward the color will come from what you are learning about color 

relationships in your 2D foundations course. You will be working with muted colors 

and will choose from the following color schemes:

     - Split or Double complimentary

     - Analogous colors

     - Monochromatic colors

     - Triad

Cursory info from wikipedia, also check the NWSA 2-D blog. 

Color Theory RYB (red, yellow, and blue) is a historical set of subtractive primary colors. 

It is primarily used in art and art education, particularly painting.[23] 

It predates modern scientific color theory.

In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the 

visual effects of a specific color combination. 

There are also definitions (or categories) of colors based on the color wheel: 

primary color, secondary color and tertiary color. Although color theory principles 

first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c.1435) and the notebooks 

of Leonardo da Vinci (c.1490), a tradition of "colory theory" began in the 18th century, 

initially within a partisan controversy around Isaac Newton's theory of color (Opticks, 1704) 

and the nature of so-called primary colors. From there it developed as an independent 

artistic tradition with only superficial reference to colorimetry and vision science.

Fun Links

Icosahedron with compass and straight edge video

Pdf worksheet to construct platonic solids with synthetic geometry from Canton.org