ART 308 at Saint Mary's College of Maryland with instructor Fereshteh Toosi

Monday, February 12, 2007

Be my valentine

For Wednesday, we will meet in the computer lab again. If there is a weather issue I will email you with further info, but don't count on anything! I will screen some more art work before our meetings. Please bring 3 simple sketches in your sketchbook and post your concept statement for the HOPE CHEST project to your blog.

The concept statement explains the IDEAS you want to explore with the project, your INTENTIONS, and how you plan to execute it. This is where you will explain HOW your box functions and WHY you want to make it in a certain way/use particular materials.

As you consider your proposal for the project, you might want to look up Johns' and Rauschenberg's work in more detail on the web. Hopefully the documentary was also useful for you to get a better idea of the range of ideas.

Your HOPE CHEST should not simply mimic the style of these artists, but you may choose to use some of the techniques and materials they used: found images from the news, collage, printing directly on the surface, paint, performance, tire tracks, tennis matches, brooms, symbols like targets and flags, combines, rotating disks... Really get into it!

Also, you should really consider the metaphor of inside and outside and how this will function on the HOPE CHEST. Your surface treatment could be one way, but when the viewer opens the box, they could be totally surprised at what is on the interior. Or maybe they only have access to the inside through a special key or puzzle or a very small hole...How is the inside speaking to the outside of your piece?

You'll find that the issue of gay marriage is quite rich with metaphors that will allow you to explore concepts of what is HIDDEN and what is REVEALED.

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