Meets: Tuesday & Thursday 01:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Sculpture Classroom 063, Venturi Art Building
Instructor: Kasia Ozga
Email: kozga@oberlin.edu
Office Hours: M/T/W 8 AM – 9 AM or by appointment
Office Location: Ward Art Building, Office 111
In this class, students will learn the necessary skills to replicate three dimensional objects through traditional means. By applying mold-making and casting techniques to original, individually modelled works in clay, living bodies, found objects and works of art, we will ask important questions about the nature of three-dimensional art.
Copying an existing form in a new material is one way to highlight the material and temporal composition of sculpture and to broaden public access to forms of art that are otherwise difficult to experience in person.
Students will work with both waste molds and re-usable molds to produce work for various projects. The class will guide students from working with simple one-part waste molds on clay and skin to casting body parts with alginate and plaster gauze/bandages. We will sculpt portrait busts from a model in water-based clay and cast the busts in plaster. Additionally, students will learn how to finish their casts using several patina methods.
With plaster, we will produce low-cost re-usable 3-part molds for casting wax and clay slip. Students will learn how to work together and use clay walls and metal shims as they construct these multi-part molds and we may even create molds for a glass-casting project!
Finally, we will produce a more elaborate rubber mold suitable for a variety of casting applications (from concrete to chocolate!) and students will get the chance to create works that take advantage of the capacities of silicon and latex-based rubber. Both brush-on and blanket mold techniques will be studied. Although there is no foundry component to this class, will discuss how to prepare a wax positive for metal casting.
Students are responsible for significant work outside of class, one research presentation, and participation in their fellow classmates’ mold-making since many of the processes discussed cannot be completed by one artist working alone! Field trips required. All assignments are supplemented by art historical content delivered through lectures, readings, videos and field trips and multimedia content from related disciplines.
This course is appropriate for students who wish to understand how formal and conceptual aspects of a piece come together to make meaning through the lens of mold-making processes.
During class, the professor will produce demos to instruct students on the relevant techniques involved with each project. Discussions will center on the relationship between, intention, interpretation, and creative decisions related to subject matter and materials. Sculpture-making is a process of creation that can facilitate communication between people. My goal is to inspire students to create art objects that engage the viewer in dialogues involving technical and conceptual issues. To this end, we will also spend focused time in class discussing and critiquing students’ work in a dynamic, constructive atmosphere.
Course Objectives:
Students will learn to use decision-making processes and applied skills needed to develop ideas into works of art. Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
– Create personal, interesting and unique solutions to course assignments
– Create an armature for a figurative sculpture
– Effectively manipulate materials including clay, plaster, and wax with an emphasis on craftsmanship, clay building, and mold-making
– Be able to explain the relationship between the forms you create and the concepts informing your work
– Speak critically about your artwork and that of others. Situate your work in relation to works discusses in class and seen in other contexts.
– Demonstrate the ability to learn from setbacks in the creative process and to evolve creatively as a project changes over time from conception through production. Apply time-management skills to plan and execute various steps towards creating finished works in a logical manner.
Expectations:
Students are required to use studio time both during and outside of class in order to improve their technical abilities while forming a personal response to the themes discussed. Expect to spend a significant amount of time outside of class preparing armatures and practicing techniques.
Finished works should address conceptual considerations and apply the skills demonstrated in class.
Students must come to class on time prepared to work on assignments and utilize scheduled studio time in an efficient manner. Assignments will be completed on assigned dates. The level and quality of participation in both class discussion and critiques impacts the final grade.
Due Dates:
Any readings, presentations, or written assignments are to be completed on assigned dates. All work handed in late or in poor condition will be significantly reduced. Attendance is stressed as the class is composed of demonstrations and studio practice. In mold-making each concept/skill-set builds on previous skills so it is very easy to fall behind and hard to catch up! 3 late appearances count as an absence, 3 absences result in a reduced letter grade. These 3 excused class sessions should only be used in case of illness: if you miss class because you woke up late or come back late from travel, I understand, however you will be docked a letter grade if you are sick later in the semester and need to miss more that 3 classes total over the course of the semester. Cell phones must be turned off before class begins, unless they are being actively used for research/ art production.
Methods:
Each class session will include demos, work time, and presentations or discussions of contemporary sculpture. In-class work time often involves explanations and projects cannot be “made up” at home. As the course progresses, a series of assignments/problems will be given to address specific aspects of the body in sculpture. Lectures, demonstrations and individual and group critiques are scheduled on a regular basis to expose students to different approaches to casting and mold-making. All students are required to attend critiques, where work in analyzed and students receive feedback from the professor and from their peers. Any late work will result in a lower grade, unless delays are cleared in advance in discussions with the professor.
Evaluations:
Your studio projects will be assessed and critiqued through individual meetings while work is being executed, through group critiques with professors, teaching assistants, fellow peers, and invited artists, and through a final critique where you will present work that responds to initial feedback.
Grades reflect technical knowledge and creative responses to problems and assignments as demonstrated by student work.
Criteria for grading and percentages are as follows:
Sculptures (innovation, craft, concept, technical proficiency, documentation) 60%
Writing and speaking (includes presentations, written responses, critique and group discussion) 20%
Formal installation and exhibition of work 10%
Class participation and attendance 10%
Materials:
Students should bring a sketchbook (at least 8 ½” x 11”) and pencil or pens to class. Since at least one of the projects deals with accumulations of found objects, students will be responsible for finding and sourcing a sufficient quantity of a particular object, to complete a successful project.
Basic casting materials and clay modelling/casting tools will be provided (buckets, spatulas, sureform, mold separators, etc). Your $65 materials fee covers these as well as the costs of clay, plaster, alginate, rubber molds, jute, etc. however, depending on the scale of individual projects, additional resources may be needed.
Storage of Work:
Do not leave work on the tables! Other classes use our space! Storage options are limited and students will not be allowed to house projects outside of designated and assigned areas. Please label all work that is drying/in process with your name on a piece of masking tape. Many pieces that you will produce will take up a lot of space for a short amount of time, after which they will need to be disassembled and moved or disposed of. Please see me if you require special arrangements for a limited period of time.
Safety and Clean Facilities Policy:
Safety is a primary concern. Every assignment will have a related safety demonstration on how to work with tools and materials. It is very important to attend these demonstrations.
Take care of your clay: we will use and re-use water-based clay multiple times for various assignments. Do not throw out your clay after casting plaster on it! Instead, carefully separate clay from excess plaster (which should be thrown away in the garbage) and always store clay in air-tight plastic bags in your locker so it does not dry out.
After you are done working, always clean the space you have been using and leave it in the same condition in which you found it. The studio is shared by several classes and it is normal for things to need occasional repair. If you feel something isn’t working properly, if something breaks, or you need extra instruction before using a tool or machine, that’s OK. Please see me, the studio supervisor or TA and we can get things repaired, refreshed, and running again.
The Art Department requires students to maintain a safe working environment for themselves, their fellow classmates, as well as for others using art facilities. No food or drinks in the sculpture studios, no casting with hazardous materials outside of designated areas. No sawing of Styrofoam in a non ventilated area. Any spray painting or casting with solvents must take place outside near the sculpture loading bay. Wear dust masks/PPE when appropriate. Please wear work appropriate clothing including closed toed shoes.
Content Warning:
Some artworks discussed might contain subjects that aggravate past or present trauma (in the past many artists have used multiples to explore themes of conflict, war, gender-based violence, etc.). Be respectful of your peers during in-class discussions and please care for yourself as necessary. It is impossible to forecast all content that might be difficult for students to encounter. Use your best judgement, and contact me as needed.
Areas of Study:
– Armature preparation
An armature is both a three-dimensional sketch and a load-bearing construction. We will focus on the Creation of an armature appropriate for a portrait bust. Students will manufacture basic armatures with wood and steel. The following tools may be used at this stage: drills, saws, clamps, cable cutters, pliers, chisels, hammers, clamps etc. Presentation of visual documentation of armatures used in larger projects. Discussion of scale and proportion.
– Clay Modeling
Creation of individual sculptures with clay on armatures resting on sculpture stands. Tools include hands, knives, hammers, blocks of wood, etc. Emphasis on developing observational skills. While most students will study directly from the model, students that have already had experience in modeling from life may work from 2-d media in consultation with the professor. Work sessions will be complemented by slideshows featuring contemporary and earlier works that use the techniques that are being studied.
– Casting
Students will learn basic casting techniques involving alginate and plaster.
Advanced techniques involving rubber molds will also be demonstrated. Whereas casting techniques will be shown during class, students will be expected to work on the mold making and casting of individual projects outside of class.
Students will learn several techniques for two-part plaster molds and mother molds including the use mold separators and keys, as well as clay walls and metal shims. They will learn how to work with layers of plaster reinforced with jute or oakum/hemp (plumbing horsehair), as well as when to use wooden crossbars.
Topics discussed include planning for larger projects, the technical division of a large mold into smaller sections, and surface preparation techniques. Students may choose to work individually or in pairs on a larger casting for their final project.
Skill Sets:
– The correct handling of tools and materials in relation to desired forms
– The basics of presenting new work to the public in different contexts
– Understanding sculpture fundamentals: the link between an idea and its representation, the importance of aesthetic choices, gesture, time, space, process, the end product, and audience interpretation.
Selected Artists:
Students may be asked to create short presentations on the work of the following artists:
David Altmed, Anthony Gormley, Janine Antoni, Rebecca Horn, Marc Quinn, Annette Messager, Subodh Gupta, Jaume Plensa, Giuseppe Penone, Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois, Lynda Benglis, Pawel Althamer, Eva Hesse, Subodh Gupta, Anita Molinero, Ann Hamilton, Hassan Sharif, Vik Muniz, Mona Hatoum, Motoi Yamamoto, Lara Almarcegui, Maren Hassinger, Wim Delvoye, Ai Weiwei, Cornelia Parker, Alina Szapocznikow, Charles Ray, Do Ho Suh
Individual projects:
Students are encouraged to consult individually with the instructor regarding project ideas during class. Finished pieces may be temporary or permanent. Each project can build on or depart from previous projects. Students will be expected to document their work via digital photography during the phases of project development. Finished pieces should also be documented following critique in class.
References:
There is no textbook for the class, however on some weeks, I may require students to read certain articles in preparation for in class discussions. I can also recommend books to students on artists and areas of sculpture that would provide useful departures, on a case-by-case basis, during individual critiques.
A selection of relevant books is available on reserve for students at the Art library. In advance of certain class sessions, students will be asked to complete short readings about relevant topics (exhibition reviews, papers in academic journals, artist interviews) that will be discussed in a collective manner.
Texts may include:
Rosalyn Krauss, Passages in Modern Sculpture
Walter Benjamin, Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Benjamin Buchloh, Michael Asher and the Conclusion of Modernist Sculpture
James E. Young, The Counter-Monument
Phaidon Press, Vitamin 3D: New Perspectives in Sculpture and Installation
Peter Rubino, Sculpting the Figure in Clay
Anna Moszynska, Sculpture Now
Project Assignments / Schedule:
The class meets 2 days/week (26 class sessions total). Each class session lasts for 3 hours and requires 3-6 hours of work outside of class. Students will complete 3 major projects in addition to shorter, required in-class technical exercises.
Week-by-week:
01/31: Introduction, reserve lockers, Prepare & separate out clay. Demo: open-face 1-part cast with clay and plaster, 02/02: Open-faced casting & plaster mixing exercise (*KO Absent) HW: find examples of artists working with 3-D portraits and casting in different materials in the library.
02/07: Review open-faced casts. body casting with alginate. Learning to use wire armatures for extremities, retouching body casts, 02/09: Wood shop overview and beginning armature construction with Alex Hanson in the Fabrication Lab. HW: retouch casts
02/14: Make an armature for portrait busts in the Fabrication Lab (*KO Absent).
02/16: Body cast with plaster gauze & casting waste-molds on hands/arms with String. HW: Finish casting positives from plaster gauze & plaster waste molds. Retouch casts Review and save all Hand Casts produced so far (for Project #2)
02/21: Begin Project #1 / clay figure sculpture (portrait bust) *with model or photo-based for more advanced-students, 02/23: Figure Drawing session at night with our portrait bust model (*KO Absent)
02/28: Continue sculpting Project #1 in clay with the model, 03/02: Finish sculpting Project #1 in clay from observation
03/07: Plaster casting Project #1 Day 1: position metal shims & produce negative mold, 03/09: Plaster casting Project #1 Day 2, plaster casting: cast plaster positive with splash layer + reinforced burlap layer. Remove waste mold with chisels and retouch. HW: Retouch sculptures and patina for crit.
03/14: Crit. Project #1 Bring in small, simple objects (ex. an apple) for 3-part casting demo (these will be combined w/ hand/body casts for Project #2 Crit.). Produce 3-part plaster molds of your objects using clay walls. 03/16 cast multiples in wax, HW: Cast at least 3 additional objects in wax – Remember to only use WET plaster molds that have been soaking in water for > 15 minutes when casting wax!
-Spring Break-
03/28: Combine wax multiples with hand/body part casts on a wooden base (Project #2), 03/30: Crit. Project #2 HW: Bring in object or sculpture for slip casting!
04/04: Produce a blanket mold with cottle boards for slip casting (seal boards with oil soap/water before use), 04/06 Slip casting at Pottery co-op. (*students that produce > 3 pieces need to join the Pottery co-op) HW: prepare additional porcelain casts.
04/11 Bring in objects or clay positive (produced in advance) for rubber mold-making (silicone rubber mold or food-grade). Begin lay-up silicon rubber mold. HW: add at least 3 layers. 04/13 Produce parting seams(s) on rubber mold + produce plaster mother mold for rubber mold
04/18 Cast positive forms in plaster & other materials, HW: Glaze porcelain at co-op, 04/20 Crit Project #3 (Slip Casting)
04/25, Continue Casting from Rubber Mold, 04/27 Retouch sculptures for Crit. #3.
05/02, Crit: Project #4 using Rubber Molds, 05/04 Crit: Project #4
Project 1
– 1 life-size portrait bust in cast in plaster and finished with a patina
Project 2
– A sculptural installation composed of life casts of body parts and other items cast in wax on a wooden base.
Project 3
– 2-part project around a common theme (free choice) composed of:
1 object or set of objects cast with a rubber mold
1 object in porcelain or glass
Each project will be developed in several stages. Students will first sketch out and elaborate ideas that will be reviewed during individual consultations with the professor. They will then physically elaborate their ideas into rough sculptures-in-progress that will be shared for feedback in small groups. Final pieces will be exhibited and critiqued in class or in a department exhibition space. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their work during each stage of project development and on their constructive contributions to their peers’ proposals and finished artworks.
References:
02/07: Didier Marcel’s Labours (Link 1, 2, 3) , Thomas Tronel Gauthier, Rachel Whiteread (House Video)