Person, Place and Thing: Found Object Impermanent Sculptures

by Elizabeth Van Allen for scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com 

This impermanent sculpture 'place'
 is a home, complete with
front walk, garage, and tin box car!

Created for e-learning with middle school 3D art students, but can be modified for upper elementary and older.  This is a great way to work with sculpture without worrying about storage, and to experience creating impermanent art in a controlled environment!

OBJECTIVES:

I will create three impermanent (temporary) sculptures out of found objects: a person, a place, and a thing.

So that I understand how some art is temporary, only lasting through images, and that it can be made out of everyday objects found around our everyday environments

I will know I have it right when I have created 3 sculptures, a person, a place, and a thing, taken pictures, and returned the objects to their original places.

This impermanent sculpture
 'person' was built horizontally
instead of vertically

REQUIREMENTS:

Students will:

1. Brainstorm­­­­­­: Sketch out 3 ideas for found object sculptures: a person, a place, and a thing or object.  These sketches will be recreated from objects from around the house. 

2. Submit sketches through EDSBY

3. Collect, with permission, objects from around the house to use for the sculptures

4. CAREFULLY re-create the sketches in sculpture form

5. Photograph the sculptures from different angles

6. Complete the project in a timely manner

7. Submit all 3 pictures with the teacher through EDSBY

8. Clean up by carefully putting all objects back where they belong

VOCABULARY:

Composition - the placement or arrangement of visual elements or 'ingredients' in a work of art

Found Object – objects or products that are not normally considered materials from which art is made, often because they already have a non-art function.

Sketch – a quick or rough drawing an artist makes to express ideas that are intended to be used in later works

Impermanent Art (also called temporary art) – art that is not intended to be permanent 

Make sure you have permission
 to use the found objects you
gather from around your home!

TIME BUDGET:

1 week

MATERIALS:

·  paper

·  pencil or pen

·  Objects from around the house

·  Camera/camera phone

DIRECTIONS

1.    Read the lesson plan thoroughly, including all vocabulary

2.    Brainstorm­­­­­­: Sketch out 3 ideas for found object sculptures: a person, a place, and a thing or object.  These sketches will be recreated from objects from around the house. 

3.    Submit sketches through EDSBY

4.    Collect, with permission, objects from around the house to use for the sculptures

5.    CAREFULLY re-create all 3 sketches in sculpture form.  Be mindful of the environment you’re building in, that is also the place that will be viewed in the pictures!

6.    Photograph the sculptures from different angles

7.    Submit all 3 pictures with the teacher through EDSBY

8.    Clean up by carefully putting all objects back where they belong

This impermanent sculpture 'object/thing' is an ice cream truck!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

for after assembling your impermanent sculpture 

(to be completed as a survey in EDSBY):

1.    What surprised you when making your 3 sculptures?

2.    When creating your sculptures, what was the easiest part for you?

  

3.    When creating your sculptures, what was the most difficult part for you?

4.    Which sculpture do you think was the most successful and why?

5.    Which sculpture do you think was the least successful and why?

6.    If you were to do this again, what would you do differently?