Art Explorer # 2: Instant Sculpture with Found Objects 



Finished Sculpture

Elements of Art: Design & Composition

So here I am slightly tired, sitting on the couch watching the legendary Scooby-Doo movie with my little sister. Literally two-minutes after the movie ends, she begins wondering over to the kitchen in search of something to eat. She then calls me over with the biggest grin on her face. Knowing her, I knew exactly what she wanted seeing that she stood in front of the snack cupboard. As I was about to grab the box of Oreo's located on the top shelf, I turned around and told her we were going to make a healthy snack instead. Immediately that big ol' grin on her face disappeared... but this, is always a tactic she uses! As I opened the fridge and began pulling out an assortment of vegetables, this became my source of inspiration!

Materials Used

• Tall Table Glass
• 6 containers of Ranch Dipping Sauce
• Cucumber
• Carrot 
• Red Bell Pepper 
• Yellow Bell Pepper
• Broccoli  
• Tomato
• Sheet of Paper Towel
• Toothpicks

The Process

Quite often, individuals like myself may find it difficult to carry through an assignment such as this. The problem I seem to run into is the inability to see beyond the function of a given object. Yes, I have a pile of food on the counter, but that is all i see-food! I simply cannot envision creating a unique sculpture of some sort out of it. The breakthrough however, is to cease the critical thinking. Design thinking can stand in the way of creativity, as it can hinder the ability to imagine and see things in abstract ways. In saying this, I grabbed the broccoli and placed it in the table glass. From then on, I just "went with the flow"! The end result I was quite proud of as it resembled a coulorful wedding bouquet, or vegetable arrangement. If you truly know me, you'll stand in agreement when I mention my love for weddings. From the start, the bright sunlight beaming through the shutters, and the warmth of spring the in the air, reminded me of weddings and flowers. Furthermore, many will attest to the fact that we are our biggest critics, and hence I kept destroying and re-doing my creative piece. In a way, I felt it was not creative enough... or seemed plain silly! Regardless I persevered hoping the end result will some how match up with my creative inspiration, and I'm glad to declare it did!

Design & Composition

Design or composition according to Schirrmacher & Fox (2009), is said to be "the overall mark of success, the standard of achievement, and the frosting on the cake" (p.142). The pair went on further to say that with a good design and composition, the artist can feel a sense of accomplishment; balance; notice a unified blend between line, shape, colour, texture and form; ensures a focal point is evident, that captures attention (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009). Various elements of design and composition, are apparent in the sculpture which I have created. For one, as a viewer your eyes are immediately drawn to colourful vegetable pieces sticking out from the broccoli. In particular...the bright yellow, red and orange colours attract my attention. This can also be seen as the focal point of the entire sculpture. Furthermore, amidst the colour and shapes there seems to be a balance to the piece, in the sense that it is not overcrowded with a variety of elements.

  

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The Field of Early Childhood Education

It is quite evident that children in today's society lack the genuine appreciation for art, and the different meanings/interpretations it embodies. We as educators can "use the principles of design and composition to talk about works of art and make children aware of the planning and energy that often accompany the making of art" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p.142). Although young artists may care very little about the design and composition of their masterpiece, the discussion of such principles can generate meaningful learning opportunities. In addition, activities such as these can serve as a great creative experience for children. As I had mentioned, I found this assignment difficult to complete because of my inability to see beyond the function of particular objects. Children are naturally creative within this dimension, and we must continue to foster such creative expression. If we can get cchildren to actively interact with their environment by picking and choosing elements from around the classroom, as innovative individuals that they are.. the creations/sculptures they make will be a sight to see!

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"If you don't take chances, you can't do anything in life"

Michael Spinks 

 
Reference:

Schirrmacher, R. , & Fox, J. E. (2009). Art & creative development for young children. Belmont, California: Delmar Cengage Learning.