Unit 4: Pottery

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

1) Insert picture later

How is your pot a personal expression of your ideas? (Think about what makes your pot unique compared to others)

My pot is unique and different because of its shape. I wanted to use a another shape by not using a circular base. I changed it to an oval shape creating a different shape from the others. My pot is almost like a tea pot, but different because it has a curve. My pot is static but can be used to pour a liquid.

Is pottery still a relevant form of art today? Agree or disagree and please explain why.

I agree that pottery is still a relevant form of art today. Although people of the 21st century barely use pottery as an art form, now a days I will hear more about paintings and sketching. But I believe pottery is still alive, just a bit extinct. Now I believe we need to bring back pottery to be more relevant. Pottery is an amazing art form which is peaceful and creative.

Look at the following link about the artist, Li Lihong:

http://www.hollistaggart.com/artists/e/li-lihong/0/thumbs

What message does Lihong convey in his work? Provide an example and upload a photo of one of his works.

Li Lihong creates sculpture that acknowledges global change in the twenty-first century. He wants to show past to future using modern items and bringing back the past. He uses major companies logos to incorporate Chinese art. The artist was raised with an understanding of the tensions between old and new, and a balance of these influences is at the heart of his current work.

Does Lihong focus more on the form or function of his sculptures? Explain how that is evident in his work.

I believe he focuses more on form because his sculptures are more to show a message then rather to have a function. In order for a sculpture to have a function it needs to have a purpose or use, like a tool. His sculptures are not used as a tool but as a visual image to show his message.

Explain how you have focused more on the form or function of your piece (or perhaps both).

I think I could have focused on my form by putting more thought into it and creating a more creative or unique pot. My function is quite good as it serves its purpose as a pot to pour liquids.

Unit 1: Book Art (Project 2)

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

How did you develop your idea for your sculpture? (What was your starting point? What challenges did you face? How did your ideas change?)

My idea first came to me when I read the book title. The title and black mysterious cover told me I need to include a symbol that represents secrets. That was my main build off idea. But I also wanted to continue the books style by adding a city and a night sky. This carries on from the cover page. Some challenges I faced was the cutting of the pages. It was hard to cut out a lock from the pages so I decided to include that separately. My ideas needed to change by printing out a city skyline as the time did not allow me to carve the city.

What was the most crucial step or major turning point in making your sculpture?

When I realised I could not cut a lock out of the pages due to time constrains I had to come up with a new plan. My plan was to use extra sheets of paper as material to build the lock from scratch and then sticking it on. That was my major problem when building my project that I was able to overcome.

Do you think your sculpture is creative? Explain (Think back to our discussions on creativity: Thinking outside the box, new and personal perspectives, risk-taking and trying something different)

I think my sculpture is creative. I managed to use the books meaning to create an art form that expresses the words inside the book. In my opinion my sculpture is a sneak peak to what the book holds. I took a risk in using water color painting and it turned out great.

What are some new ways in making art that you have learned about through the 2 book projects?

Art can be anything, you can make art out of anything. No material cannot be used to make a new creation. There are endless possibilities of what someone can create. The book art technique is defiantly something I will remember.Its a new type of art that I love and have never seen before.

What is a book?

A book is most known for containing words on pages. Now I know a book can be anything you want it to be. A book can be used to create art. Before this unit I had never seen any art create using a book. Now I know what art really exists. It also inspires me that art can be made out of anything.

Unit 2: Popsicle Stick Final Reflection

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

1)Yes we were able to achieve our final end product. Our inspiration was the Hong Kong China Bank located in Central. We were inspired by the innovative and unique design so we decided to create a scale model. Our final product is a small replica of the building.

2)What helped Jimmy and I was building each layer one at a time. That way we were able to make each level unique. Every slope on the building has a different angle, so we decided to change it up. Since our only material was popsicle stick that did restrain our ability. We were also restricted from using paint. But we compromised and I think I like this version better.

3) I love our final product, I don’t think we can do much better. If I had to go back and change something it would be being more exact. I feel like the building is slanting and some squares are uneven. That’s just my perfectionism coming in. But overall I love the final product.

4) The intended purpose of my sculpture is to show a miniaturized version of the Hong Kong Bank. Building this showed me and hopefully showed others that the process of building that building took a long time. But in the end it is worth it.

5) Looking at another groups work, one aspect I could include was patterns. Maybe adding patterns would create more of a appealing and unique look.

Unit 2: Popsicle Stick In-Progress Post

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

1) When creating our sculpture, it was a smooth process but we did run into some issues. Our main problem was deciding the angles for each level. On the building each column slants. Measuring each one was tough because each one is unique. Another problem was creating our base. In the beginning our base was not flat. We needed to go back and add another layer to flatten the surface.

2) We have had areas of success when creating our triangle shapes to have a strong structure and design. The triangles provided a strong base and the actual design on the Hong Kong Bank.

3) The building we created is creative because of the design. On the original building the triangles are a bit different. When creating ours we changed it up by not having triangles on the smaller surfaces.

Unit 3 Pottery: Ceramic Lantern

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

1) Later

2) Since this month is October, I have decided to base my ceramic lantern on halloween. I wanted to create a unique character similar to casper the friendly ghost. On halloween jack-o lanterns are created. I decided to use a similar concept. After getting the basic shape of my lantern, I decided to treat carving the face as carving a pumpkin.

3) There were three important factors I had to remember while making my ceramic lantern. The first main rule that I had to use was scratch and slip. In order for clay pieces to stick together they needed to be wet and have friction. Scratching the clay allowed the surface to create friction. Adding slip (dried up clay mixed with water) acted like a glue substance. The second element I had to remember was to make sure the width of every piece is about pinky height. If the pieces were too thin, they would easily dry up and start to break. The last important rule I had to follow is to make sure there isn’t a lot of air and the clay remains moist while working with it. Clay easily drys up when being handled, that causes it to harden up. If clay has lots of air inside it will crack because the air wants to escape. To avoid that predicament you can need the clay before use.

Unit 2: Form and Function

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

The empire state building was created on April 11,1931. The architects for this building are Shreve, Lamb and Harmon. This building costs a total of 40,948,900 dollars. It has a height of 1,454 feet. This building was created because the U.S. was in the middle of a great depression. The buildings main purpose now a days is to house major companies. It is also a wonder of the world with an amazing observation deck.

This TCL Chinese theatre is located on Hollywood boulevard. The architect that created this site is Raymond M.Kennedy. It was created on January 9, 1926 but broke down several times. Its main purpose is to be a theatre, but since it’s located on Hollywood boulevard it is also used as main red carpet events. It’s style is recreating olden Chinese buildings.

The bank of china building located in Hong Kong is one of the most unique buildings on earth. You can’t find anything like it. Architect Leslie E. Robertson created this tower to house many major corporations like banks. It was created on April 18,1985. It’s architectural style is quite modern.

What is Jansen’s vision for his art?

Jansen’s vision for art is to have moving sculptures. He wants the “animal” to be powered by wind and be able to move by itself. He wants them to move by themselves on the beach. They are his creatures that he created.

How do his sculptures work? Explain with detail.

They work by wind. The structure is made out of electric poles. One of his sculptures uses the wind like wings to move forward. It has its “own” life and will save itself from drowning. The wind fully controls where they want to move. When it turns dawn the wind will push his creations further up land where they are safe. When it turns day they will go closer to the shore. They are made out of wood and hinges. The hinges give them the capability to move around.

In your opinion, are his creations “alive”? Explain.

In my opinion they are somewhat alive. To be alive in scientific terms is to have its own way of surviving. This creation does survive on its own and does move by-itself. But he describes them sorta like animals. Does it have a heart beat and breathe? No.

Post an image of one of his most interesting sculptures. What makes this most interesting to you?

In my opinion this is my favourite work of Theo Jansen, its own wings impresses me on how its does not need to fly and uses the wind to push its self forward. He thought about which way the wind would move. I also like the unique design of it. I have never seen anything like it before. It shows how much effort Theo Jansen put into this piece of art.

Unit 1:Book Art

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

My finished folded book sculpture is an abstract piece of art. I believe it can represent and show many things. In my opinion it represents life’s journeys. It has different and many levels. Each level may be easier or harder. But there is an endless amount of levels to complete. This piece of work can be anything you want it to be, it may look like a shuttlecock, or a feather. It’s anything. Overall I enjoyed this project, before this I have never heard of a folded book sculpture. Even with the amount of time I enjoyed it. I am very happy with the end results.

Part 2: Book Sculpture

Why I added a lock and city? The novel middlesex is about a girl finding out a big guilty family secret. So the lock is a metaphor represents the secrets of the family. In the book the family moves to the streets of Michigan. The city in my sculpture represents that and it is my literal representation.

Questions below from worksheet:

1)Choose a book that interests you. You may or may not have read the book previously.

What is the title?_________________Middle Sex____________________________

Who is the author?_____________Jeffery Eugenides_______________

What genre does this book fit into? This book fits the family and realistic fiction genre________________

2)What interests you about the book/story? (Ex. The characters? Setting? Specific scenes? Plot twists? The ending? Do certain words or phrases stand out?)

This book interests me because its about a family that has to escape by boat and tells them their journey. Its a heart warming story which are the kinds I like to read so I find it very interesting. I also like the book because it has the aspect of violence and the theme of being mysterious.

3) How can we use these elements to create art, specifically a paper sculpture? Add your ideas to the list below:

What literal representations can you make? (Identify)

-boat

-family

-boy and girl

-a locked book (to show secrets)

What metaphors are there? (Identify)

There is a person whispering to another person on the cover to show that inside the book is mysterious and has a secret inside it

Smoke to show that someone in the family has a guilty secret

Are their any personal associations (or connections) you can make? (Personal)

I can make one personal connection, one time I found out some secrets about my brother. Through that we promised not to tell anyone.

Contradictions (Different perspectives)

One contradiction is that the book does not say which character is bad or good.

I can make my sculpture more attracting and interesting by bringing in key or hidden factors into my art work.

First Written Response

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Jonathan CHOW

The function of sculpture is to represent your feelings and opinions. It’s to create something you want to create, to make something you are happy with. Sculpture benefits humanity by letting people show how they feel. It allows them to express themselves.

Hello