Class Notes:
Characteristics of Paper based on the five senses:
Sight: thin, lays flat on the table, straight edges, softer edges when torn, right angle corners, not a solid color throughout (you can see the woven fibers), color could possibly contribute to the characteristics of the piece that it is in (some colors are stronger/softer in relation to others)
Touch: smooth feeling (regardless of the woven fibers), light weight when flat, easily manipulated, texture changes when manipulated, soft enough to be changed with your nail, pointed/sharp corners/edges, softer edges when torn
Sound: the tambour (pitch/tone) changes based on how the paper is manipulated; flat: low wave sound, rubbed against another sheet of paper: sandy and rough, folded: high pitch/crackle sound, torn: pitch changes based on how much is torn from the paper/higher pitch when a small piece is taken/lower pitch when a large piece is torn, crumple into a ball: crackling sound, edge hitting the table: high pitch/depends on the size of the paper as well as how many you are holding
Smell: earthy, consistent smell across the whole paper, smell can be easily changed by the environment
Taste: earthy, dry, slightly acidic based on the kind of dye that is used on the paper
Below are the pictures of the material exploration done in class:
Journal Writing:
Your earliest memory of some kind of response to an art material. Describe in detail—the context, your actions, your responses (visual, touch, smell, sound, other), your feelings about/impressions of the event:
The first time I remember responding to a material was in third grade in my general education class. In class, we were listening to a song from China since we were learning about other cultures. We were told to draw a picture while we were listening to the track the second time. Using Crayola markers, I drew a picture of myself when I was young being left at a bench before I was adopted. Essentially, my parents giving me up for adoption.
I remember using colors that seemed appealing to me, as well as colors I thought would go well with my story/subject matter. I remember taking a longer time than the rest of my classmates to finish coloring as well. The sound of the markers rubbing on the paper was appealing. I didn’t like the wet marker ink getting on my fingers, since it didn’t dry fast enough when I was coloring. I do not remember if there was any smell. I believe that my relationship with the marker was heavily based on the emotionally triggering assignment. Being able to express feelings through making had touched me and from then on directed me artistic talent and interest.
What two paper items did you choose to work with? What was it about these items that made you select them?
The two items I chose to work with was newspaper and a map of Manhattans subways and bus lines. I chose the newspaper because it is a common household item that many elementary art teachers utilize in the classroom as well as something most students have access to. I was also curious to see what could be accomplished without using any supplemental tools or materials. I chose the map because I see it as a conventional item to have, but it is an item that goes unused these days because of technology. I also wanted to challenge myself to change an object that has a main purpose, and see if I could find another use for the item.
What were your initial thoughts as you began to transform the materials? What did you hope to accomplish?
When transforming the newspaper, I found that I had a hard time manipulating it because of its flimsy quality. My goal was to find a way to make the newspaper sturdier. When working with the map, I had a harder time figuring out how it could be changed. Since it had a specific usage/purpose, I think it threw me off more than the newspaper, which is used more in art classrooms. Ultimately, I hoped to accomplish making the newspaper sturdier and finding a new purpose for the map.
How did you arrive at your methods of joining the pieces together?
I thought about trying a folding technique or interlocking like I had done in class. But folding would have made the piece too flat, and interlocking wouldn’t work because of the weak newspaper. So, I decided to join the pieces by using the friction/texture that the newspaper had when twisted and the folds I made in the map.
What ideas or impressions does your finished piece suggest to you? (List some ideas below.) What about the piece makes you say this? In what ways did your materials become media—or means of communication?
Impressions: basket weaving, cultural representation through traditional American object, could be used for a specific purpose, made texture, could be manipulated into other shapes, cheap/common items to DIY
The piece makes me think these things because of the objects themselves. The nature of the material directed the finished item. The background/original uses of the paper affected the perception of the piece. Another reason is because of the shape of the piece and how I joined the two together. The material became media when I was coming up with ways to manipulate it to join the pieces together. The direction/aim of the project was determined by how I could join the materials together without using any supplemental adhesives.
