Explanation of the Assignment:
Students were divided into four different groups and were assigned a set of prompts/topics to recorder a museum display. To record our themes we could photograph, sketch, write, take the item back to the art studios, etc. There were topics like something that is painful or something that makes you cry. Each group was assigned a specific area to collect items from. Over the week we were supposed to record or collect objects relating to our topics. Each group had about 40+ topics to find so each person had about three or four topics to find and record. |
| Map dividing the groups and where to find their items |
Working on the Project:
For me personally I was in group four which meant that I had to go to the college across the road. I felt a bit intimidated because I had to go to a campus that I was not familiar with. However, I went by myself to do some exploring. My topics were: one thing that is circular, things that become one, and one object that is painful. I was wandering around campus a bit nervous because I did not really know where I was going but part of the assignment was to find things that are unexpected and not totally planned out.
I ended up photographing a hidden clock tower next to two buildings which I used for the theme of an item that is circular. I also wrote in my sketchbook of what I observed.
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| "One thing that is circular" |
The next thing I found was a building that had glass cubed windows. I was walking by it and I thought it was really interesting because it was unexpected and very low to the ground. After observing a few of the window panes I saw one panel that looked like it had been broken or punched through. My initial reaction was surprise because the missing cubes had plastic or paper trying to mend the open holes. It made me think of the prompt called something that is painful because it looked like the panels were trying not to break down and deteriorate even more than they already were.
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| "Something that is painful" |
The last topic that I had was something that had become one. I was walking around feeling like I couldn't find something to relate to that topic and I was just about to leave so I can go to class but then I see this tiny wooden pavilion and since I was walking around aimlessly lost at the college's campus I sat there and took a break. When I was resting my feet I looked up at the roof and I saw all these different panels together to form the roof. It looked like the wooden panels were supporting one another to make a sturdy roof and that made me realize that it would be the perfect example for my last topic. I photographed it and I did a write up about how I found it and why it related to my topic and I left campus.
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| "Something that has become one" |
Setting up the Display:
Thursday night I went to the art studios to bring my objects and photos of my experience of going out and exploring my group's designated area. Not everyone was present but we had over half of the members there to show their objects and findings. At first we did not have a specific vision for our display so I decided that we used a nearby table to set out all of our object to see what we had for our display. I noticed a group member had a small branch of berries and a flower stem and I instantly thought of making a wreath of leaves and branches. I suggested it to the group and they all were a bit taken back because they did not know how to make a wreath. When I was younger I remember helping my mom make Christmas wreaths for the local museum in town to donate money to charity and I knew how to make them. So I had some members help gather the branches we found and I used tape to bind the branches to make the wreath. My group decided to have the pictures on both sides of the wreath and made a sign to put in the middle. We had a few three dimensional objects to set up in the center of our exhibit which had viewers walk around the pieces. In the images shown there are other elements added to the display as we were working.
Reflection:
In my opinion I really enjoyed this project because it made me work with other artists that did not have the same style as me but it helped us all work together and understand each other more. I thought it was great to see what people brought and how they interpreted the themes they were assigned to. I think that I would enjoy doing na project like this agin because it made me go out and explore more of Alfred. It was fun to see everyone working together as a team to finish the project.
