Installation Project

A. What is installation art?

Installation art is a form of 3D art that involves the artist redefining an area of space.

B. What materials are used installation art?

An artist can use any art materials to make an installation piece.

C. Why make installation art? 

It gives the artist freedom in creating what he or she wants to, and using more than just the actual art materials, it incorporates the space around them as well.

D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?

I found Thomas Hirschhon's Jumbo Spoons and Big Cake piece most interesting.

A. From the material reviewed, is there a inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

Dan Flavian's Untitled piece, I liked the simplicity and the peacefulness that the piece gave off. 

B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? Refer to your textbook if you need to review Themes of Art. (chapter 3 in text)

I want to explore Art and Art. I have always taken art as something to be looked at and enjoyed, so that's how I want to work off of my piece.

(Nature, Environment, Self, Mass Media, Consumerism, etc.)

C. What materials will I use?

I will be working with clay, Styrofoam, and a wooden stick. For the backdrop I will use a cardboard box painted with spray paint and dribbled with different color paints.

D. Where will this installation be located and why?

This installation is located in my sun-room because we needed a pop of color in there.

My installation project started off by buying the materials I needed. I bought Styrofoam balls and blocks, a long wooden stick, and clay. I found a large cardboard box in my basement and prepared that for my backdrop. I took the cardboard box and cut off the top and the sides. I spray painted it black and used acrylic paints to make the splatter effect. Then I began working on the main piece. I cut the stick in half and used a hemisphere to prop of the stick. Then I began cutting the Styrofoam into shapes that I wanted to use. I positioned them on the stick to see how I wanted them to be laid out. Then  I covered them all in clay and placed them back on the stick. I let them air dry over night. I painted them in the morning. I then positioned the main piece in front of the backdrop the way I wanted it and began taking pictures. 

This project was the hardest for me to grasp so far. Looking at the videos and different examples there is so much you can do it seemed so open. I really didn't have a special place to begin working on the installation, (and nobody was jumping for me to set one up in their house). So far this has been my least favorite project due to the amount of time spent and the lack of places to work with. My final piece I say turned out okay, I like the abstract and colorful feel of it, but I can't say that it is my best work. 

I honestly wasn't thrilled about the site specific installation planning. I found that to be the most troublesome, and confusing aspect of the project. The actual making of the piece was enjoyable, although very time consuming.