I got this note from Shaqe Kalaj regarding the upcoming Experimental Art Night class at Art & Ideas Gallery in Plymouth, MI:
I am excited to offer the 3D class that I have been waiting to offer. I just received the supplies for this Tuesday. We will be using assemblage in order to make a 3 dimensional object. I have a vision for this project is to do a group installation with these works. Come and experience it. You will use a particular kind of creativity that I will explain on Tuesday. The class is from 7-8:30pm and is $17. Please let me know by 7pm tomorrow night (Monday) to reserve your spot.
I thought, "well...I haven't participated in the last few Experimental Art Nights and I like 3D and assemblage so I think this sounds pretty cool." My friend Ruth and I both decided to take the class.
Although it turned out to be not quite how I would define assemblage, it was kind of entertaining. Mine turned into an exercise in forced patience.
We were given the words "build" and "gravity" and all we could use were popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue. Then we were directed to defy gravity and build whatever we wanted to while trying solve the problem of making the structure get as vertical as possible. Shaqe is planning on making some sort of installation with all of the pieces done by students of her classes.
Shaqe with an example while explaining the process.
Shaqe with another of her younger student pieces (she is listening to Kate talk about cantilever.)
the materials
I decided to try to get mine to grow vertically with as little visible support as possible. The glue works pretty quickly and I was surprised that the walls would stand up as they did.
I glued four sticks together side by side and added one more on top of the flat section in a diagonal so that it touched each piece in one small spot.
The forced patience came in the waiting for the glue to set up. It will dry clear(er).
I had to use a palette knife to slide underneath the flat glued sections to keep them from sticking to the paper on the surface of the table. Sometimes that would loosen all of the pieces and I would be forced to wait it out until the glue set up enough to move the section.
I wanted my piece to be three walls and have it be open on the fourth side so that you'd be able to walk around the walls and come inside on the open end (provided you were tiny enough to see this as a tall wall). It isn't a fort, it isn't a barricade or corral, it is just a sort of wall/structure that is open ended.
Everyone had such a different approach to working with the materials and concept:
Kate's piece
Nancy's piece
Sandra's piece
Ruth's piece
Another view of Ruth's piece -- she was going for a sort of house you might see in California with lots of decks and windows.
Another view of Kate's piece, with Nancy's in the background. Both of their structures cast really great shadows.
My completed piece. I don't think I need/want to make it any taller than it is. I accomplished what I set out to do and I am happy with it.
If I tried it again, I would go even slower and try not to use as much glue. The class session was from 7 - 8:30 -- I think we all got an impressive amount of work done in a short amount of time.
Yep -- that is plenty tall enough (for my liking) for materials of that size.
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