Organic vs Industrial
"Dissonance"Size: 19.5x17cm
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Process
Brainstorming1. Write down potential ideas, materials, artistic inspirations and metaphors you can incorporate into your piece.
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Planning2. Create two to three planning sketches. Incorporate concepts from your brainstorming. Consider the ideas of organic and industrial materials and forms to guide your sketches.
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Light Bulb Disassembly
3. Using a thin blade, remove the bottom terminal contact of the light bulb. For stability, place the light bulb in a small box with the glass facing down. Run the blade around the circumference of the contact to create a gap. Then, insert the blade into the opening and pry the terminal off of the light bulb.
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4. With a small flat head screwdriver, remove the base glass insulator from the light bulb. Insert the head of the screwdriver into the opening in the light bulb and push the screwdriver down. This will crack the insulator into large pieces that can easily be removed by hand or with needle nose pliers.
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5. Once the insulator is removed, break the pressure discharge tube along with the remaining internal glass elements of the light bulb. This can be achieved with a flat head screwdriver. Apply pressure to the glass elements with the screwdriver and they will eventually break. Once all of the glass is broken, invert the light bulb and safely dispose of its contents. If necessary, use needle nose pliers to remove the glass elements in the light bulb.
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6. After all of the internal glass elements have been removed from the light bulb, rinse the bulb with water and allow it to thoroughly dry before continuing.
Securing Artificial Flowers
7. Once the light bulb has completely dried, insert one artificial flower into the opening. Compress the petals and leaves of the flower to get it in the opening, then push the flower into the light bulb completely. After the first flower is in, insert the next flower using a similar technique. Finally, insert the final flower into the light bulb in the same manner.
9. With a hot glue gun, secure the stem of the flowers to the metal base of the light bulb. Then, create a seal for the light bulb by applying hot glue to the opening in a circular motion. Start from the inside of the opening and extend the hot glue outward until the glue reaches the rim of the opening. Allow the hot glue to dry completely then clean it up with a knife. Remove all hot glue strings. Once the flowers have been secured, glue the light bulb to a glass base with hot glue.
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Experimentation
In the final stages of the creating process, I experimented with the height of the flowers among other things. Not only was this an aesthetic decision, it was a decision that could affect the meaning and tone of the piece. I noticed that the closer the flowers were to the base of the light bulb, the more crowded and lifeless they appeared. This of course means that the taller the flowers, the more vitality they appeared to possess. I preferred the latter aesthetic because I wanted the flowers to seem as if they were blooming. I intended for the piece to be full of life and for it to possess an ethereal quality. In addition to the height of the flowers, I also experimented with different bonding agents throughout the creating process. Initially, I used super glue which didn't work well for bonding plastics and glass. The super glue simply couldn't form a sustainable bond with the materials I worked with thus I switched to hot glue. Though it is uncontrollable and messy to an extent, hot glue produced fairly strong and resistant bonds between plastic and glass.
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Artistic Inspiration
The piece "Dissonance" draws inspiration from the art movement Minimalism. Popularized in the 1960s, Minimalism was a response to Abstract Expressionism and its emphasis on personal expression. Minimalist art reduced forms to basic geometric figures devoid of symbolism or emotion. Minimalist artists such as Katsuhito Nishikawa and Robert Morris instead emphasized material and positive and negative space. A characteristic of Minimalist art is the use of ready made industrial materials. This is a prominent feature of my piece as the base is an industrial and ready made glass form. Furthermore, "Dissonance" includes a light bulb and artificial flowers, both of which are industrially crafted and mass produced. In addition, my piece features the repetition of geometric forms and distinct planes of color. Minimalist art generally possessed repeating geometric shapes and independent colors. Despite this, "Dissonance" does not successfully emulate Minimalist art. While it is true that my piece has an elegant simplicity, it is not completely devoid of metaphor and expression. The artificial flower is too free a form and lacks the geometric structure prominent in Minimalism. Furthermore, the flowers within the light bulb are a strong metaphor that cannot be denied or missed.
Reflection
Through the completion of this piece, I have come to understand more about sculpture, material, and space. Prior to this piece, I never worked with assemblage or sculpture. Upon analyzing the work of sculptural artists and the work of Minimalists, I've started to recognize the interplay of materials and positive and negative space. Material is crucial to sculpture because the fundamental building blocks of a piece possess just as much meaning as the piece itself. For example, a cross made from wood is innately different from a cross manufactured from stainless steel. While the objects are essentially the same, the material changes their meaning. And a sculpture isn't necessarily what is physically there and tangible. Rather, sculpture is more than positive space; sculpture is the combination of the space upon which the piece exists and the spaces surrounding it. I believe my piece takes these ideas into consideration and effectively incorporates them. "Dissonance" is a simple yet elegant piece that offers the viewer a puzzle with infinite solutions. In other words, the piece has strong relationships between materials and forms that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. There exists repetition of geometric forms in the glass base and heavy use of ready made industrial materials. In these ways, "Dissonance" can be seen as a successful emulation of Minimalist art. However, the piece as a whole lacks the spirit of Minimalism. The flowers within a light bulb introduce an obvious metaphor that conflicts with the purpose and intent of Minimalist art. Additionally, the piece is comprised mostly of organic forms than geometric and rigid forms. In regards to areas of improvement, I believe my craftsmanship needs improvement. The hot glue bonded to the glass base is a strong yet fragile connection that is aesthetically unappealing.
Meaning
"Dissonance" is the juxtaposition of Industrial and Organic to illustrate the synergistic relationship the two possess. The glass base and the light bulb are the industrial elements whilst the flowers are representative of the organic. Ironically. the flowers are artificial and thus they are also industrial. The flower within the bulb is a bit of clever word play. Furthermore, the flowers replacing the filament of the light bulb is a metaphor for the relationship between organic and industrial. I believe that the two are complimentary and are not necessarily at odds with each other. Organic cannot replace industrial and the same is true for the industrial. The two must coexist and work together. This idea is illustrated by "Dissonance" where the industrial objects combine to produce an organic form. Notice how the glass base possesses a form reminiscent of the wavy petals of flowers. Then consider the play on words of a bulb within the glass form. My intention was to create a flower out of the industrial forms. This is to say that the organic and industrial both have a place in the world and that neither one is more important than the other.
Connection to ACT
1. I am able to identify the cause-effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect upon my artwork by analyzing the use of repetitive geometric forms in my piece. As repetitive geometric forms were characteristic of Minimalist art, it is evident that my piece was inspired by Minimalism.
2. The author's point of view regarding Minimalism is that it was a revolutionary art movement concerned with the relationships between material, form, and space.
3. While researching, I've come to the conclusion that material possesses just as much meaning as a final body of work.
4.The central theme of my inspirational research was organic versus industrial.
5. While reading my research, I inferred that Minimalists focused on materials and their relationship with the other elements of their pieces instead of aesthetics.
2. The author's point of view regarding Minimalism is that it was a revolutionary art movement concerned with the relationships between material, form, and space.
3. While researching, I've come to the conclusion that material possesses just as much meaning as a final body of work.
4.The central theme of my inspirational research was organic versus industrial.
5. While reading my research, I inferred that Minimalists focused on materials and their relationship with the other elements of their pieces instead of aesthetics.
Sources
Websites
The Art Story Foundation. "Minimalism Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-minimalism.htm>.
Museum of Modern Art. "Minimalism ." MoMA Learning. Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/minimalism>.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. "Minimalism." Guggenheim. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/movement/minimalism>.
Books
Meyer, James. Minimalism: art and polemics in the sixties. New Haven, Conn. ; London: Yale U press, 2013. Print.
Baker, Kenneth. Minimalism: art of circumstance. New York: Abbeville, 1997. Print.
Marzona, Daniel, and Uta Grosenick. Minimal art. Köln: Taschen, 2009. Print.
The Art Story Foundation. "Minimalism Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. The Art Story Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-minimalism.htm>.
Museum of Modern Art. "Minimalism ." MoMA Learning. Museum of Modern Art, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/minimalism>.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. "Minimalism." Guggenheim. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/movement/minimalism>.
Books
Meyer, James. Minimalism: art and polemics in the sixties. New Haven, Conn. ; London: Yale U press, 2013. Print.
Baker, Kenneth. Minimalism: art of circumstance. New York: Abbeville, 1997. Print.
Marzona, Daniel, and Uta Grosenick. Minimal art. Köln: Taschen, 2009. Print.