Room with a View
Portal
Medium: cardboard, wood, rock Date: April, 2017 This piece is meant to embrace the beauty of the lake by leading those through a pathway that opens up to the water. My artistic inspiration is Richard Serra. I used asymmetrical balance to create a space that flowed peacefully on the beach and with the surrounding area. |
Inspiration
My artistic inspiration is sculptural artist Richard Serra. Richard Serra's work consists of many large-scale site-specific sculptures. His work is presented in many different settings around the world, including urban, rural, and organic spaces. His use of space and shape in his work creates feelings and emotions. These different emotions that are evoked in the viewer are determined by the area the viewer in standing. Richard Serra creates a sense of path and place in this work. The combination of setting, shape, and design bring out the meaning in all of his pieces. This 20th century sculptor alters the viewers perception of space and proportion and changes the meaning of well known spaces. Serra uses mostly large-scale sheet metal pieces. His work is mostly abstract, and brings upon elements of minimalism. Serra's use of sheet metal also tells a viewer that his work is meant to imply that materials can stand on their own... meaning that materials like sheet metal don't have to be combined with others and produced in a factory or line of people in order to be beautiful or considered art.
I chose to use Richard Serra as my artistic inspiration because I am interested in the controversial aspect of his work. I am also interested in how he is able to incorporate the area that the sculpture would be placed into the meaning. During our assignment, we must incorporate the natural elements of the space into the meaning behind our design. I will try to recreate aspects of Richard Serra's work in my own final piece.
I chose to use Richard Serra as my artistic inspiration because I am interested in the controversial aspect of his work. I am also interested in how he is able to incorporate the area that the sculpture would be placed into the meaning. During our assignment, we must incorporate the natural elements of the space into the meaning behind our design. I will try to recreate aspects of Richard Serra's work in my own final piece.
Planning
The first design focuses around a middle "wavy" wall, and tinier walls that point or lead towards this bigger wall. The main idea of this design is a separation of two different equal sides that come together when you reach the end of the shore/ start of the area that the waves may reach. This design encourages those on the beach to take off their shoes and walk in the water. The tinier walls also point inwards towards the bigger wall creating emphasis. Those entering this area may feel connected with the water when sitting on the smaller walls. I was thinking about fences when I created this design. Specifically those that have different levels of wooden planks as to stop those from outside looking in. I wanted to create a space in which once you got in front of the first wall, each other wall in front of you would get shorter and longer. I wanted each individual wall to have the same area, but to look skinnier and more squished out as a person walked down the beach. The walls are on a slant to illustrate the wave patterns. The first wall would be taller than a person, the second would be short enough to look over, and the third and longest would be short enough to sit on. The third idea is a lot like the second, but it is more circular. The wall that is farther away from the water would be taller than an individual, so that once you walked around this, you could sit on the other side of the circle. This structure embodies the shape of the Earth, as well as the idea of a full cycle, and this creates a sense of peace because it it complete yet separate. This structure embodies the lake because it brings out the aspect of peace and nature and opens up to the water on one of the sides. This design emphasizes the vastness and openness of the body of water. This space is created by the two walls that point outward from the highest wall into the lake. This design also creates a space where a person that gets behind the walls feels more connected with the water and space that the lake creates. This feeling is created by the contrast in space when going through the portal to walking towards the water. This structure really embraces the lake by opening up towards the water. This design is meant to emphasize the patterns created in the sand by the waves. These patterns are highlighted by the wavy design of the two walls that meet at the tip. This design would be closer to the water then the other designs so that the shore could flow up onto the walls and separate in both directions. This design embodies meaning through the wavy walls that seem more calm and flow-y than straight walls ever would. This structure embraces the lake by emulating the patterns and movements of the waves as they each the shoreline. This structure relates to ones lives because it looks like a tornado but then ultimately comes down to a simplified meaning or what really matters. This work is a lot like my 3rd planning photograph, but it is more separated and curved. This work creates a relationship between the land and water by creating a space in which both can come together as one. This space creates a sense of path with the shapes of the walls, and the space in between the two walls/areas can act as a portal for an individual. This sculpture emphasizes the idea that the beach and water ARE the place., and brings all of these elements together. I do not like this one as much because I feel like it emphasizes that the water is not as important. This feeling is created by the walls that point away from the lake. Although if placed closer to the water, this would create a cool space for the waves, I do not feel that this is effective in creating a path, portal, and leading to the place of the body of water. This is also not a great structure because the body of water is blocked from view while traveling in the area behind the walls. |
Process
After I had played around with the different ideas using the different cut-out pieces, I decided to create the base of my area/space. I had to measure out the length of the "sand" that I would create using layers of corrugated cardboard. I tried to make an even wave on both layers. I drew out lines using a ruler, and then cut using an exacto-knife. I layered the areas of sand on top of the black "water" cardboard, and glued all of them down using wood glue.
After I had glued down the bases of the lake area, I started to focus on the walls. I cut two different basswood pieces. I used a scale factor of 1/8" to every foot in real life. I made the wall in the back slightly bigger than the shorter wall in the front. Once I had cut both out using an exacto-knife, I placed both pieces in vinegar. After letting them sit, I placed them on a rack on top of boiling water on a stove. I found that steaming them was supposed to make them more bendable. I did not want to break the pieces while trying to bend them into arches. After I had gotten arches, I placed them on the beach board that I had created. I arranged the two walls with stones, and then once I had my final placement, I glued everything down to the cardboard with wood glue. |
Experimentation
I had to experiment to find a way to bend the basswood pieces that I would use for the sculpture area in my piece. I first tired just boiling both pieces in water on top of the stover, but this did not have very good results. The wood was wet, but still stiff. After searching on the internet, I decided to try soaking them in vinegar. I did not have vinegar, so I instead tried to use apple cider vinegar. I then ended up placing the wood in steam that sat above a boiling pot on a rack. This made the wood pieces more bendy, but they still were not round enough. I had to shape them by placing them on a can under a cardboard sheet until they dried.
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Reflection
I have learned a lot about architecture during the process of this piece. I had never thought about why different spaces are created before we started to work on this project. So much goes into everyday rooms and buildings that I hadn't realized. I think I did okay with this project, but I wasn't quite used to the concepts in architecture. Although this art form was pretty new to me, Gained a lot of knowledge, and feel like I used my resources well.
I think that my use of space really represented the purpose of creating a portal to emphasize the beauty of the lake. I did this by opening up two walls after one walks through the portal. this opening is valuable to the space of the lake because it shows how vast and giant the body of water is.
I think that my use of space really represented the purpose of creating a portal to emphasize the beauty of the lake. I did this by opening up two walls after one walks through the portal. this opening is valuable to the space of the lake because it shows how vast and giant the body of water is.
Citations
Richard Serra Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2017, from http://www.theartstory.org/artist-serra-richard.htm