Design Project 1: Sticks and Stones part 1 the process

This is the first part of our first design project -Sticks and Stones- this is the process portion

Prompt

Go outside and pick up what drops from trees, arises from earth, and blows by in the wind.  Consider each element's shape, line, and weight.  How can you bring them together to make a new creation in space?  What constitutes order?  Symmetry and repetition are easy patterns to recognize.  Simple symmetry can make unity of paired elements, but what kind of order comes from balancing uneven elements about a center?  A checkerboard is an order of repetition, unity without diversity. Sticks and stones can create patterns on a surface, yet the same elements can also take full advantage of three dimensions, balancing expectation with surprise, creating unity from diversity.  formal order comes from using what is outside of us to express what is deepest within.  The following exercises will make this clearer

Intent

Start to experiment with basic 3D design principles

• LO1 Develop the ability to order simple compositions.
• LO2 Understand that the mundane can be made extraordinary through careful composition.
• LO3 Use your concept to develop a unified composition.
• L04 Build a model

Skills specific to this project

• Explore how solid and void order space
• Understand how construction creates drama through balance and line
• Discover how number and group create rhythmic intervals of space
• Explore how centered stone masses and linear sticks can create volumes of unique form.

Guidelines

Process

• For this project you will make any design you want using 12 sticks and 12 stones.
• Read your poem to analyze and research, learn about the poet and the poem, read and re-read, and communicate with your discussion group.  Decide, based in research, what metaphor you think this poem expresses. This is what you will use as your design concept. Metaphor=Concept

• Find 12 sticks
  • Sticks are  1/8"-1/4" diameter,  and any length that is manageable for you. (no smaller than 6")
• Find 12 stones
  • Stones to be 2 to 3 oz. each (the weight of 10 to 15 quarters). 
•  Build an 8" x 8" x 8" base  from corrugated cardboard or foam core.  You can use any clean corrugated cardboard ( no markings on the outside of your base, your completed design will eventually go on top of this base.
• Do the reading

  Arnhiem: Chapter 1 – Balance -Pg. 10 through 37

  Ching, Intro and Primary Elements

How to:

Once you have all of the things you need, spend some time playing with the sticks and stones to come up with possible solutions to express your concept.  Photograph every iteration and use your sketchbook to explore further. We will have a couple of weeks to do this. Once you are close to being done- later in this project, we will go on to the next steps, which we will discuss in a  later module. But in case you are interested  the rest of the assignment it is in next weeks module.

Reminders

• Design will be based on the metaphor that you found in the poem
• The metaphor will help define a concept- an intent
• build a base to rest these on
• design in 3 dimensions
• No Glue may be used for the sticks and stones 
• Glue may only be used to build the base.

Final Project Rubric

There is a rubric at the bottom of this page. Please review it here.

This project is presented in the assignment category so that you can see the rubric.

Please see further details on how to submit work.