Objective
Create a three-dimensional nonobjective freestanding sculpture using only toothpicks and wood glue to visually communicate a "struggle between human spirit and relationship with others". The sculpture must have a balance between the material (the toothpick) and the form so that the viewer can still tell that the objects used are toothpicks.
Relevance
The purpose of this challenge was to help me learn that, as a designer, I cannot make a plan and try to adhere to that plan throughout the entire design process, because the initial plan, no matter how well thought out, almost never satisfies the objectives exactly. there will always be modifications and unforeseen challenges along the way that will force a designer to respond, rethink, and readjust, or even start over entirely. This challenge helps teach that and helped me to not be afraid to take apart part of my sculpture in order to redesign to get a sculpture that would better accomplish the challenge. I believe that my weakness as a designer would be that I want to take the easy way out and stay in my comfort zone, which will often not give me the best result then if I had stepped out. On the other hand, it also taught me that you cannot go in blindly without some sort of preconceived idea and just start creating, because too much improvising with no structure will lead to a lot of wasted time and the designer will keep having to start over because they do not have a direction while working.
Inspiration
Process
Reflective Writing
Reflective Writing: 1/23
What is working- I am getting the shape I want in my sculpture. I am turning the direction of the squares gradually to give an implied line that will allow the eye to move through the sculpture. The way I have chosen to stack the squares allows the structure of the sculpture to be interesting from every viewpoint because it is nearly the same from every viewpoint. I am making squares out of flat toothpicks which is helping to create a visual balance between material and form- you can still tell that I used toothpicks to create the structure because you can see the separate squares, and you can also see the squares as a whole sculpture.
What is not working- The proximity of the squares is too close. It is making the sculpture too condensed and appear too grounded. The sculpture is still reading as a tower instead of an abstract form.
Goals- I need to find a way to make the sculpture more interesting to look at.
I need to develop a stronger sense of struggle and spirit.
I need to readjust my initial design and brainstorm ways to make my sculpture more interesting still using squares or using what I already have made.
Reflective Writing: 1/25
What is working- I have taken off the straight part of the tower so that it will no longer read as a tower. I have made a spiral which communicates a sense of spirit.
What is not working- When I had my tower part, I had a sense of other but it was too strong and created a visual stop instead of a visual pause. The transition from straight tower to spiral was too abrupt and created a division in my sculpture that I do not want. I still need a stronger sense of spirit and of struggle in my sculpture, and now that my tower is gone I need a sense of other. Because my sculpture is very uniform throughout, it does not have much contrast.
Goals- I need to create a sense of struggle, spirit and other.
I need to rethink my design again to make a sculpture that accomplishes in communicating these ideas.
I need to think of different ways that I can add to what I already have to make it better.
Reflective Writing: 1/27
What is working- I have created more of an implied line and a sense of direction with my sculpture by changing the directions of the squares so that they are tilting to one side gradually. I think this helps give a sense of spirit and maybe other because of the variety and contrast.
What is not working- I need something more still! The sculpture's design is too simple, I need more complexity. I still need more of all three aspects: other, spirit, and struggle. I feel my sculpture is too uniform right now to visually communicate any of these three.
Goals- I need to add a more dramatic element to my sculpture.
I need to brainstorm a way to make my sculpture stable without making it appear too grounded.
I need to look back at the rubric and figure out exactly how I can accomplish both of these goals.
Reflective Writing: 1/31
What is working- I have managed to create a gradual turn in my sculpture that gives a sense of spirit and struggle. I have created a slight shift in planes in two or three spots depending on the angle. I have managed to eliminate most of the gaps that were creating a visual pause. I added a spiral made of squares to add closure to my sculpture and give it more of a sense of struggle as it's changing directions.
What is not working- I am having a hard time trying to make my sculpture stand on it's own because of its turning. It no longer has a solid base to rest on and is not as stable.
Goals- I need to find a way to make my sculpture stable while keeping it's sense of dynamic struggling.
What is working- I am getting the shape I want in my sculpture. I am turning the direction of the squares gradually to give an implied line that will allow the eye to move through the sculpture. The way I have chosen to stack the squares allows the structure of the sculpture to be interesting from every viewpoint because it is nearly the same from every viewpoint. I am making squares out of flat toothpicks which is helping to create a visual balance between material and form- you can still tell that I used toothpicks to create the structure because you can see the separate squares, and you can also see the squares as a whole sculpture.
What is not working- The proximity of the squares is too close. It is making the sculpture too condensed and appear too grounded. The sculpture is still reading as a tower instead of an abstract form.
Goals- I need to find a way to make the sculpture more interesting to look at.
I need to develop a stronger sense of struggle and spirit.
I need to readjust my initial design and brainstorm ways to make my sculpture more interesting still using squares or using what I already have made.
Reflective Writing: 1/25
What is working- I have taken off the straight part of the tower so that it will no longer read as a tower. I have made a spiral which communicates a sense of spirit.
What is not working- When I had my tower part, I had a sense of other but it was too strong and created a visual stop instead of a visual pause. The transition from straight tower to spiral was too abrupt and created a division in my sculpture that I do not want. I still need a stronger sense of spirit and of struggle in my sculpture, and now that my tower is gone I need a sense of other. Because my sculpture is very uniform throughout, it does not have much contrast.
Goals- I need to create a sense of struggle, spirit and other.
I need to rethink my design again to make a sculpture that accomplishes in communicating these ideas.
I need to think of different ways that I can add to what I already have to make it better.
Reflective Writing: 1/27
What is working- I have created more of an implied line and a sense of direction with my sculpture by changing the directions of the squares so that they are tilting to one side gradually. I think this helps give a sense of spirit and maybe other because of the variety and contrast.
What is not working- I need something more still! The sculpture's design is too simple, I need more complexity. I still need more of all three aspects: other, spirit, and struggle. I feel my sculpture is too uniform right now to visually communicate any of these three.
Goals- I need to add a more dramatic element to my sculpture.
I need to brainstorm a way to make my sculpture stable without making it appear too grounded.
I need to look back at the rubric and figure out exactly how I can accomplish both of these goals.
Reflective Writing: 1/31
What is working- I have managed to create a gradual turn in my sculpture that gives a sense of spirit and struggle. I have created a slight shift in planes in two or three spots depending on the angle. I have managed to eliminate most of the gaps that were creating a visual pause. I added a spiral made of squares to add closure to my sculpture and give it more of a sense of struggle as it's changing directions.
What is not working- I am having a hard time trying to make my sculpture stand on it's own because of its turning. It no longer has a solid base to rest on and is not as stable.
Goals- I need to find a way to make my sculpture stable while keeping it's sense of dynamic struggling.
Post-Critique Writing
1.) a. The artist used the martial to create two different kinds of attachments: fan shapes and skeletal connecting pieces. The artist made fans in different shapes and sizes by attaching the toothpicks with lots of glue and then attached them to her sculpture by using the skeletal pieces. The artist's fan shapes accomplish connection between material and form since the viewer can see each individual toothpick.The fans also create movement because the eye follows the implied lines created by the ends of the fans with the toothpicks so the the eye moves around the sculpture. The way she connected the sculpture with the skeletal pieces supported the large fan shapes and kept the sculpture balanced and stable.
b. The fluttering effect created by the proximity of the toothpicks gives a sense of freedom and spirit. Because the fans were going in different directions, there was a shift in plane which added to otherness, along with the fact that the fans were connected in slightly different ways. However, the toothpicks were all basically connected the same which unified them so the sculpture wasn't too overwhelming and confusing. At some angles, the skeletal connecting pieces became visible and helped to add to a sense of other because they added variety by contrasting with the flowing movements of the fans. Because of their proximity and imbalance, the skeletal pieces also give a sense of struggle.
c. The sculpture is very graceful and it's movement is very smooth and free because of the fan shapes and the very gradual and smooth implied lines they create. This is a weakness because the sculpture does not convey a sense of struggle very well.
d. see above.
2.) a. The artist attached the toothpicks in several different ways, creating different shapes in the sculpture. The artist attaches the structure to a few squares at the bottom, which successfully lifts the structure off the ground. There is connection between material and form because of the simplicity of the shapes used for the sculpture.
b. The proximity of the shapes used creates a balance and unity, which contrasts with the asymmetry of the bottom section caused by the direction of the squares and gives a sense of other. There is a sense of spirit at the bottom section because of the lifting effect it creates. There is also struggle in the bottom section because of the contrast between the very stable squares on top and the shifting squares underneath.
c. There is too much "other" going from the square pattern to the triangle top of the piece because of the extreme and sudden contrast, which creates too much of a visual pause. The piece is very symmetrical and balanced, but because of this uniformity the sculpture does not have a sense of motion. This is also why the sculpture does not have much spirit or struggle.
d. There is hardly any visual movement in this sculpture, which is one of it's biggest weaknesses. There is a little movement created in the proximity of the toothpicks inside the squares, as well as in the squares at the bottom section, but there isn't enough consistency to give the sculpture movement. There is too much variety in the sculpture.
b. The fluttering effect created by the proximity of the toothpicks gives a sense of freedom and spirit. Because the fans were going in different directions, there was a shift in plane which added to otherness, along with the fact that the fans were connected in slightly different ways. However, the toothpicks were all basically connected the same which unified them so the sculpture wasn't too overwhelming and confusing. At some angles, the skeletal connecting pieces became visible and helped to add to a sense of other because they added variety by contrasting with the flowing movements of the fans. Because of their proximity and imbalance, the skeletal pieces also give a sense of struggle.
c. The sculpture is very graceful and it's movement is very smooth and free because of the fan shapes and the very gradual and smooth implied lines they create. This is a weakness because the sculpture does not convey a sense of struggle very well.
d. see above.
2.) a. The artist attached the toothpicks in several different ways, creating different shapes in the sculpture. The artist attaches the structure to a few squares at the bottom, which successfully lifts the structure off the ground. There is connection between material and form because of the simplicity of the shapes used for the sculpture.
b. The proximity of the shapes used creates a balance and unity, which contrasts with the asymmetry of the bottom section caused by the direction of the squares and gives a sense of other. There is a sense of spirit at the bottom section because of the lifting effect it creates. There is also struggle in the bottom section because of the contrast between the very stable squares on top and the shifting squares underneath.
c. There is too much "other" going from the square pattern to the triangle top of the piece because of the extreme and sudden contrast, which creates too much of a visual pause. The piece is very symmetrical and balanced, but because of this uniformity the sculpture does not have a sense of motion. This is also why the sculpture does not have much spirit or struggle.
d. There is hardly any visual movement in this sculpture, which is one of it's biggest weaknesses. There is a little movement created in the proximity of the toothpicks inside the squares, as well as in the squares at the bottom section, but there isn't enough consistency to give the sculpture movement. There is too much variety in the sculpture.