ART 1701 Sculpture

ART 1701C Sculpture is a hands-on introduction to the materials, methods, and concepts of sculpture. Students will expand their vocabulary and learn about the history and contemporary field of sculpture. We will explore the material properties and expressive potential of wood, plaster, and found object assemblage. Emphasis will be placed on technical skill, the relationship of form to concept, and the processes used in making a sculpture. In addition, the course will address contemporary issues relating to sculpture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Our overall objective will be to develop technical skill with traditional materials and techniques and to use these abilities to convey and explore the concepts of our individual interests.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

The materials needed will vary depending on the student and the project. In general you can expect to spend about $200 in materials for the semester. At the beginning of each project a description will be given out with a list of materials. To get started each student will need the following:

safety glasses
dust masks(5)
1 pc poplar wood 1"x4"x48" available at Lowes or Home Depot. Be sure to get a straight piece.

On the second day of class, we will go over all of the tools in the shop and safety practices.

The statement of intent will lead to the writing of an artist statement that you will need to complete before the middle of the semester or earlier if you are graduating this semester. The Artist Statement will have numerous uses, such as applyingto graduate school, proposing exhibitions, or for your Senior Project.

2. Research
Create your own reading list and set a reading goal. Whose work would you like to know more about? Whose writings do you find particularly provocative? What ideas stimulate your thinking about sculpture? Where do you get your ideas? On the basis of your research and interests, you will be required to propose a topic and reading for discussion by the class and you will lead the class in a discussion relating to the topic. We begin the semester reading Reflex: A Vik Muniz Primer.

3. Methodology
Keep an extensive notebook of your ideas for sculpture in particular and reflections in general. This is not just a sketchbook, but rather a place where you can store all of your research, i.e. an archive. For inspiration look at the notebooks of Frida Kahlo, Marcel Duchamp, Leonardo Da Vinci, Robert Smithson. Your notebooks should be a dynamic reflection of your thought process and the evolution of your ideas.

4. Practice
Make a lot of sculpture: I expect the completion of five (5) sculptures based on your own goals. We may also decide to do Lost Wax Bronze Casting. This bronze casting may count as one of the 5 sculptures or as part of one of the 5 sculptures.

One sculpture will be due for critique every three weeks.
One reading/discussion/lecture/slide/video presentation/field trip will be due every week.
When we are not in critique or discussion, you must use the scheduled class time as active studio practice.

5. Professional Practices
Periodically during the semester, I will present lectures on maintaining an art practice and moving toward professionalism after you leave the BFA program. Some of these issues will encompass the following: Financing; finding and organizing a studio; photographing your work; shipping and installing an exhibition; writing a resume; writing an exhibition proposal; art colonies for artists; grants and fellowships for artists; getting your work reviewed; MFA programs: when should you go to graduate school? Are there alternatives to graduate school? And other topics reflecting your concerns.

You must write a resume (due by end of September)
You must write an artist statement (due by end of October)
You must produce a CD-Rom of your work (Due on Monday before Thanksgiving)
You must give a visual presentation on your work. (At the beginning of the semester.)
You must submit your work for consideration for an exhibition outside of UF/Gainesville.

PROJECT EVALUATIONS

Your work will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria of requirements and expectations:

Completion of five sculptures/works of art.
Completion of required readings, writings, discussions.
Completion of a professional practices portfolio including artist statement, 20 digital images, and a resume. Slide presentation on your work.
Attendance at all assigned field trips and lectures.
Conceptual rigor and material inventiveness in your work
Technical competence or appropriate craftsmanship in your work
Physical investment: the sweat factor
Contribution to critique and to the class as a whole.

GRADING FORMAT

EXCELLENT: A+ A Goes beyond all the requirements and expectations
VERY GOOD: B+ B Meets all the requirements and expectations
GOOD C+ C Meets most of the requirements and expectations
POOR: D+ D Meets very few of the reqs. and expectations
FAIL E F Meets virtually none of the requirements

Official Breakdown:

Project #1 20%
Project #2 20%
Project #3 20%
Reading responses, exercises,sketches,proposals 20%
Critique/participation, discussions 20%
Attendance Grade: SEE DETAILED ATTENDANCE POLICY ABOVE.

CRITICAL DATES are provided with each project description. All projects are due on the due dates given in the project descriptions. Final critique will be held on the last day of class of the Fall semester.

POLICIES

All students must abide by EPA and DEP guidelines regarding Hazardous Waste Disposal and Handling. Solvents and other hazardous waste must be disposed of properly and must never be poured down the sink. In addition, any materials that create moxious gasses like epoxies or spray paint, must only be applied outside.

The Department of Fine Arts and its faculty assume no responsibility for any materials or projects left in the classrooms. It is each student’s responsibility to remove all materials and projects from the classrooms after the course has concluded. If the student needs to make individual arrangements with the instructor to keep any materials after the class has ended, it is the student’s responsibility to make these arrangements, with the instructor’s approval. Student grades may be withheld for failure to do so. Any artwork, supplies, or other materials left in the classroom after the semester has concluded, without prior specific arrangements with the responsible faculty, will be disposed of.

Turn off your cell phones upon entering the classroom. Absolutely no cell phone use in the classroom or sculpture shops. Please retreat to the hallways or outside for emergency calls. Student acknowledges the cell phone termination policy and accepts destruction by smashing of their cell phone in instances of repeat offenses.

DISCRIMINATION/HARASSMENT POLICY: Santa Fe Community College prohibits any form of discrimination or sexual harassment among students, faculty, and staff. For further information, contact the Santa Fe College Human Resources Department.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) STUDENT RIGHTS: If you are a student with a disability: In compliance with Santa Fe College policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability. Requests for academic accommodations need to be made during the first week of the semester (except for unusual circumstances) so arrangements can be made. You must be registered with Disabilities Resource Center (DRC) in S-112 for disability verification and determination of reasonable academic accommodations.

SCHEDULE:

Aug 23• Introduction to course and each other, look over the syllabus, talk about expectations.....

Aug 31• Box Joints due. First project description given out, look at atists, discuss.

Sep 2• Active Work in Studio, students must have objects/materials to work with.