Consider our goals for this project: Group collaboration, audience participation/interaction,
Create a blog post. Images collected are on the server for you to use as visuals.
There are three parts:
1. Reflection of the Process
A. describe the initial concept.
The initial concept of our group sculpture was to create one that was interactive, attractive, and made the viewer think about what their actions caused. We wanted a sculpture that could be used by more than just the sense of sight; we wanted one that could use touch, sound, smell, and even taste.
B. What surprises came up for you in the process of creating this piece. (Interesting or inspiring Ideas, insights, opportunities that emerged in the process)
The transferring from our initial sketches to the final design. I think that the inspiration used from Rube Goldberg machines helped us a lot in where we landed with out final design. While creating the piece, it was surprising to see how a larger sculpture is created differently than a ceramic piece or something else much small. Doing things like digging holes, using exact measurements, etc. as opposed to just creating it from the mind shows the difference in a larger sculpture that requires may working components to a simpler one that does not.
C. Reflect on your participation in a group collaboration: How well were you able manage and organize your work as a part of a larger collaborative team? To what degree were you able to assert your creative voice into the group? What creative opportunities emerged as a result of collaboration (ways of working you would not have tried on your own.)
Having the initial meetings about what we were actually going to create was helpful with collaborating ideas. Being able to create a sketch and use it to give others inspiration while gaining inspiration from their ideas helped in creating a refined piece. Managing what one group or person would do in that class was relatively easy with the size of the class, and would normally be figured out at the beginning. With a group, we were able to create a piece much larger than one that would be created by myself. Using inspiration and help in construction of the piece from the group resulted in a collaborative effort.
2. Analyze the overall success of the product - conceptually, formally, aesthetically. Consider observations of audience interaction during FAB as well as any direct responses.
While watching the responses to the piece at FAB, it was generally successful in what we were trying to convey. Conceptually, the final result of the piece nearly matched our intentions, with almost all of the same core concepts(hammers almost hitting window, causing water to spill on a plant). At FAB, many people realized after swinging the hammers that they would not hit the window, and that they would cause the pitcher of water to splash some onto the plant. Aesthetically, we could have changed it to hide the watering can and plant, but the simplicity of the final design also caught many people's attention.
3. Consider your creative practice as a whole. Compare working collaboratively to individual project development: which is more comfortable?
Collaborative work allows for different ideas to be spread around and enables larger and more difficult creations. With smaller pieces, being individual is good because you are able to work on your own with something that can express only yourself. With a group, you are trying to express all of the groups ideas, which can be more difficult. I think being individual is more comfortable overall.
Where do you want to go in your artistic study for the remainder of the year? What medium? To what degree are you engaged conceptually, formally or expressively in your artistic practice (which areas are most important to you)?
I want to continue to explore with clay and the wheel. I like the idea of pottery and ceramics because the malublity of clay and the variety of the pieces that you are able to create. I enjoy working with the wheel because it is something that you need to learn and work on to be better at, and allows for the creation of many common items(plates, bowls, cups). Becoming knowledgeable in many different mediums of art is something I desire, but I would most like to continue working with clay. 