Assemblages of Wood and...

We work with recycled or found materials a lot in my 3-D Art class, depending on my sources and finds. My community and co-workers are great at sending things my way. It's not unusual for people to drop things off inside my garage door or hang a sack on my door knob. Last semester I made a couple sculptures along with my students. I usually am so busy helping them I don't get to make one with them, but put in some extra time out of the school day to complete these.

This face sculpture was interesting to build out of found scraps, trying not to alter the finds too much. I did cut up some broken arrows donated from PE class and made some cuts in a piece of moulding, a ruler and some barn wood for the lips. The lines are simple, but I think it's the search for unique pieces and how they are used that make it fun.

This assemblage piece is actually one of our first assignments of the semester where we studied the work of Sculpltor Louise Nevelson. I took a 2" x 6" piece of wood scrap and attached it to a base, covering all sides so it became a sculpture with viewing strength from all sides. The textures and variety of objects became more important than the center core. We worked on balance, rhythm and repetition and focused on how we used the space. I had the students spray paint theirs one color so the objects lost their focus. I didn't paint mine, so I could show future students the variety of objects they could use and adapt. Everyone loves this project and the success they can have creating it.