Ceramics and Sculpture 11

Assignment #1

The Brutalist

Popular in the 1960s and '70s, the style originated post-World War II when the design of low-cost housing and government buildings was comprised of mainly raw, unrefined materials. The architects and builders sought to project a sense of strength through their fortress-like designs, while also celebrating the imperfect appeal of hand-made items.

Inspirations:

Inspired by the Brutalist artists of the 1950 and 60's  

Assignment

1. You will be given approximately 100 toothpicks (pre-counted in a zip lock bag)
2. You will begin by gluing two, three or four toothpicks together creating a unit. The unit can be a geometric shape such as a square or triangle or as simple as two toothpicks glued side by side. Make some thumbnail sketches of sculpture plan using unit.
3. You will then create as many units as possible using all the toothpicks. It should be noted that construction of the units couldn’t be done quickly. The wood glue will take approximately 30 minutes to dry.
4. Once all units have been created you will begin to create a three dimensional form using all the units. The form created must show movement, repetition, negative space, and line.
5. The base for the sculpture will be Styrofoam. Plaster wrap will be added to the Styrofoam to make the base sturdier and to keep the Styrofoam from disintegrating when spray-painted.
6. Once the sculpture is created and the Styrofoam base has been plaster wrapped with entire sculpture will be spray-painted all black, white or red. More than one coat may be needed to completely cover the sculpture.
7. Critique finished work. Discuss what is successful with each work.

Assessment: Brutalist Sculpture

Assessment Rubric
Student Name:						Class Period:
Assignment: Linear Toothpick Sculpture						Date Completed:
Circle the number in pencil that best shows how well you feel that you completed that criterion for the assignment.		Excellent	Good	Average	Needs Improvement	Rate Yourself	Teacher’s Rating
Criteria 1 – Thumbnail sketches/ planning		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Criteria 2 – Construction of modular units - uniformity		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Criteria 3 – Sculpture design and construction		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Criteria 4 – Effort: took time to develop idea & complete project? (Didn’t rush.) Good use of class time?		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Criteria 5 – Craftsmanship – Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the art tools & media?		10	9 – 8	7	6 or less
Total: 50 x 2 = 100  (possible points)	Grade:					Your Total	Teacher Total

Student Comments:

Teacher's Comments: