Intermediate Studio: Mixed Media

Catalog description

How Do Things Connect? Even when a sculpture may appear to be made with a single material there are often complex connections between many elements that are intended to either be visible or invisible. How do physical connections between materials and objects affect our visual experience? Can the ways pieces connect create or reinforce meaning in an object? Might you need to invent your own forms of joinery for a sculpture? This class focuses on a variety of contemporary approaches to making mixed media sculpture with an emphasis on how things connect both physically and conceptually. Students will learn a wide range of techniques for assembling dissimilar materials including hot and cold metal joints, wood joinery, adhesives and kinetic and flexible joints. Basic metal fabrication and intermediate wood constructing techniques will be developed on an as needed basis to accommodate individual projects and inquiries. Through in-class practice, assignments, research, presentations, readings, and critiques students will take on self-directed projects that explore how things connect in a deep and meaningful way. The goal for this course is to develop a stronger understanding of materials in order to broaden your options when considering how you choose to put your sculptures together. Connections between parts are just one more aspect of developing your own personal visual language. It is recommended that a foundations sculpture course be completed as a prerequisite for this class.