Final blog post for Texture and Form

What are the expectations?   What was the given Inquiry for this project?

Explain your intentions for the exploration of texture and form.

The expectations for this project for me was to experiment with unfamiliar mediums and also to really try out different types of textures and forms in my art. I tried to do this my experimenting with different abstract forms, and also with many different types of textures, ranging from the ridges on my clay, contrasting with the smoothness of the clay. I was also able to explore the mediums of clay, not a medium in which I am extremely skilled, and also plaster and wood, which I have never worked with. 

How did you approach this work?

-How did you take to explore and develop craft?

I felt that through the project, I was able to more fully understand the ideas of texture and form, as well as more fully understanding the mediums I used to make the art. I felt that I was able to fully experiment with the malleability of the clay, and thus by able to shape abstract ideas quickly using the power of texture and form, which are able to convey a message much easier than words in some cases. Thus, I was able to make use of this powerful tool and use it to communicate in a different way. 

-What opportunities did you take to explore risks and “engage and persist” in your artistic growth – translating ideas, inspirations, or concepts into form?

I think I took the most risks with my woodblocks, less with my clay, and not very many with the plaster. For me, the plaster was daunting in that it is unrebuildable if a mistake is made. With the clay, I was able to take risks in the form of the protruding arms, which were not stable but seemed to have an intriguing quality. The woodblocks for me were the ones with the most experimentation, being able to explore a single texture. I think this is where I failed the most, but also I learned a lot from my mistakes as well as my successes. 

Self Reflection – the assessment of your practice, process and ultimate level of aesthetic success.

Weigh previous insights with your work and honestly and insightfully appraise your work.

I think that I did a decent job with my woodblocks, but for me, they were used as a method of experimentation, not necessarily a final piece. I think I did a good job with, balancing taking the safe road, but through the clay, still able to experiment. I think the plaster could have been more experimentative, but I was able to still create a form that was not too risky. I would have liked to experiment with the plaster more, but for me it was a bit daunting. 

What I'm most interested in exploring

I'm excited about exploring the properties of plaster. This is because I have never worked in plaster and I am excited about the possible horizons with this medium.

What if you...

Fully smoothed out the sculpture?
i disagree with this comment because the ridges is the whole texture and idea of this sculpture
Added a heal?
Made things dripping/hanging off of it?

Greenware blog reflection

document your work and post an image on your blog. 

a. what excited you about the process of working with clay, of creating a an abstract form focused on texture? what are you most curious about?

the idea and process of working with clay excited me because clay is such a quick way to make an abstract form in space. It also allows for the third dimension. The malleability of the clay allowed for a high degree of variability texture as well as form. While making this project, I was curious about reinforcing the clay and the idea of sacrificing a cool form for the stability of the clay. The clay also allowed for me to quickly bring abstract ideas to life, and watching both how the clay influenced my ideas and how my ideas influenced the clay were both things that were interesting to see. 

b. if you were to begin the clay sculpture anew, what is the most important piece of advice you would need?

The most important piece of advice I would give myself would be that the flexibility of the clay is a good thing, not necisarily a detriment. The experimentation allowed with the clay brought a welcome complexity in the project. Early on in this project, I was afraid of the clay not taking the shape I had for it in my mind. Next time I might allow for the clay's properties to influence my work more. 

Abstract Form in Space

Texture

In the future, I want to incorporate a a ridged texture onto my piece. I think this would add the illusion of elasticity would could add some interesting aspects to this artwork.

Form

I want to covey the form of being steadfast and reaching into the world. I think I was able to convey this idea through the four study legs, and also the sensory outcroppings coming from the piece.