sculpture in wire
DESCRIPTION
Teaching Material made by Kristen FuglTRANSCRIPT
Sculpture
A thematic based arts project modelled in wire
Approaches to sculpture
Method Ground rules Character Structure Level of abstraction
Joint form
Joining firm pieces
Non-homogeneous;
inorganic connections
and form meetings
Open
Concrete
Modelling
Organising and
marking soft
material
Homogeneous; organic
connections and form
meetings
Open or
closed
Concrete
Carving
Subtraction from a
lump of material as
a starting point
Homogeneous; compact,
firm volumes; organic
connections and form
meetings
Closed
Abstract
Modelling in WIRE
From observation to creating a figure
Take an A4 and divide it horizontally and vertically with slight lines with a soft pencil.
Key Questions
To help the student to see the proportions of the figure and relate them to the proportions on
the A4, the teacher can ask:
1. Where is the middle of the figure? Where is the middle of the paper?
2. How big is the head compared to the rest of the body? Where can you place it on the paper?
3. How long is an arm; where does the hand end? Draw it on the paper.
4. How long are the legs? Draw them on the A4.
5. How about the feet? Where are the knees and elbows?
Each student receives 1,50 – 2 meters of wire. Bending it in the middle, s/he then forms the figure
according to the drafted figure on the A4.
Aims/ objectives
The teacher will:
Outcomes At the end of this element the
student will be able to:
Challenge the student to observe the
proportions of a human being.
Challenge the student to understand the
body proportions
Stimulate the visual, tactile and
kinaesthetic senses of the student.
Draw the proportions of a human figure
2- dimensionally by measuring and
sketching a supportive drawing on A4
paper.
Use the drawing as support for bending a
figure in wire.
Be careful when buying the wire for this project. It has to be the right dimension;
- Not too thick and difficult to form for young hands and for adults when forming details.
- Not too thin, so it becomes unstable under construction.
To help the student to understand the right proportions of a human figure:
1. How can you form the head and neck?
2. How can you form/show the shoulders, the elbows, the hands?
3. Where is the waist?
4. Do you have enough wire for the legs? For the feet?
5. What can you do if you have too much wire?
6. Can your sculpture bend its arms and legs?
7. Look at its head and tell us what mood it is in!
From a static form to a figure in movement
Aims/ objectives
The teacher will:
Outcomes
At the end of this element the student will be
able to:
Challenge the student to observe
different body shapes and positions.
Stimulate the kinaesthetic sense of the
students.
Challenge the student to choose a body
position and create it by bending wire.
Understand the importance of body
shapes and positions in a 3-dimensional
figure.
Define the difference between a static
position and a dynamic movement of a
figure.
Body shapes and positions give signals. 4 examples of positions are explained below
Body shape Vowel Expression Feeling
Open A I am ready Glad
Long/peak E (i) I am “high” Happy
Closed O Don’t contact me Sad/concentrated
The four positions can be connected into a rhythmical flow, so one movement is following the
other. Vowels can be added and the sound combined with the shape makes the expression stronger.
From wire figures to an expressive story
From a sculpture in wire to a modelled sculpture
Aims/ objectives
The teacher will:
Outcomes
At the end of this element the student will be
able to:
Challenge the student to bring their
figures together.
Stimulate the students’ creativity.
See new possibilities in bringing their
figures into new constellations.
Use the frame of the topic and maybe an
item to create an expressive story in
pairs, groups or as a whole class.
Aims/ objectives
The teacher will:
Outcomes
At the end of this element the student will be
able to:
Introduce modelling in paper mass.
Challenge the student to give the wire
figure “body”
Stimulate the student’s further
understanding of proportions.
Use paper mass to model a “body” on
the figure in wire.
Use the gained knowledge about body
proportions and shape when modelling.
Understand the possibilities of
modelling with paper mass.
From a plain sculpture to a painted figure
Aims/ objectives
The teacher will:
Outcomes
At the end of this element the student will be
able to:
Create an inspiring and strong starting
point for the painting process
Challenge the students to know how to
paint properly/ the technique of painting.
Help students catch and understand the
expression of colours.
Inspire the students to give their figures
identity.
Create a beautiful product according to
his/her own idea.
Assign to distinct identity to their
products.
Present the idea of their figure verbally
by understanding the identity.