Received Ideas – Tin Foil Sculpture

SCHOOL PROGRAM LESSON PLAN–K to 3

Received Ideas – Tin Foil Sculpture

Final Project Description:

A small abstract sculpture made from recombined tin foil impressions.

Description:

Drawing inspiration from the work of artists Hadley+Maxwell, students will take impressions of textures around the building using tin foil, burnishing tools and markers. Back in the studio, they will cut and paste their various impressions and recombine them to create abstract sculptures.

Curriculum Connections:

Visual Arts: Experiment with a variety of materials, technologies, and processes to make images. Create images that represent their response to other artworks they have viewed.

English Language Arts: Use oral language to explain, inquire and compare.

Workshop Duration: 90 minutes

In Gallery: 10 minutes after the tour for discussion

In Studio: 10 minutes for instructions, 20 minutes to gather impressions, 40 minutes to recombine impressions into a small sculpture, 10 minutes for clean up and discussion and look at other’s work.

Prep:

·       Set up a demo station in the center of the room

·       Set up a supply station with the necessary materials (listed below)

Materials:

Heavy duty aluminum foil – 30 x 12”x12” pieces

Markers

Pins

Air dry clay – 30 x ¼ package pieces

Scissors

Wooden stir sticks

Masking tape

Before students begin, have the students write their name on a piece of masking tape to attach to the bottom of their sculpture.  

Discussion:

10:30 – 10:40

End the exhibition tour by looking at the Hadley+Maxwell’s work. Spend about 10 minutes discussing the work – ideas, materials, how it is put together. What aspects are most interesting to them? Why?

Explain to the children that they will now head back to the studio to create tin foil sculptures.

10:40 – 10:45

1.     Get the children’s attention. Hold up a section of the tin foil and explain how they will go around the studio and atrium to gather some impressions by using the clay tools – demonstrate by taking a rubbing of an object. Tell the children they have 15 minutes to take as many impressions as they want using their piece of foil – 12”x12”

10:45 – 11:00

2.     Kids go crazy taking impressions!

11:00 – 11:45

3.     Call the children back to their stations, and begin discussing the next step.

4.     While you’re demonstrating the next step, ask the teacher and parent helpers to hand everyone a pair of scissors, a ¼ package piece of air dry clay, 5 pins and place selection of markers around for students to share.

5.     Demonstrate how to use a section of the clay as a base with the stick in the center, and talk about how the students should select their favourite sections of their foil impressions, cut them out and attach them to the stick and base using more clay and the pins. They can add colour with the markers.

6.     Get them to think back to the Hadley+Maxwell sculptures while they’re creating their own.

7.     Get them to think about the texture of the base – is it smooth or rough? Both?

11:35

8.     Ten minute warning! Students will have ten more minutes to complete their work.

11:45 – 12:00

9.     As students complete their sculptures, have them put the completed artworks on a clean table by the white wall (make sure their names are attached to the bottom with tape) and ask them to clean up their stations and wash their hands.

10.  Once everyone is finished and cleaned up get them to spend some time looking at what each other has made. Draw them into conversation: what was fun, hard, frustrating, exciting? What do they like/dislike about each other’s sculptures?

11.  They’re adorable! Get a picture of them with their sculptures.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:

Hadley+Maxwell research materials

http://www.hadleyandmaxwell.net/hadleymaxwell-jessica-bradley-gallery-toronto/

http://www.hadleyandmaxwell.net/the-terrorist-and-the-rhetorician-an-interview-with-hadleymaxwell/

http://www.hadleyandmaxwell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/the-queen-still-falls-V5.pdf

http://www.hadleyandmaxwell.net/hadleymaxwell-who-that-happens/  (not about this work, but discusses similar ideas)

http://journalment.org/article/temet-ie-nosce-know-thyselfie  (not entirely relevant, but interesting)