#2-Art Words of the Week: Mass and Volume

These art words refer to various aspects of three dimensional art, such as whether a work of art is geometric, curved or bulky (Shirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 142).  A three dimensional artwork, such as a sculpture, has complexity and depth to it which can be illustrated by the type of mass or volume that is present. Items such as leaves can make a sculpture organic, or a material such as buttons can add an element of curvature or hardness.

In class on January 18, we were asked to create something out of different types of paper in groups of four.  With my group members, we created an interesting assortment of papers that had various dimensions and height.  The sculpture that I created for this week’s blog entry was partly inspired by what we did in class, since I added an element of height to my sculpture.  Perhaps what inspired me the most while making my sculpture was the process we went through to make our sculpture, not what it looked like in the end.

I chose to make something out of buttons because I literally had an entire container filled with a vast assortment of different sized and shaped buttons.  Seeing all these buttons gave me the idea to use them in some way to make a sculpture.  It wasn’t that easy thinking how to put the buttons all together, but I tried to let my imagination run wild and see what I ended up with.  By using two empty pop cans, I was able to add substantial height to my sculpture, in addition to gluing buttons on top of each other.  As I was making my sculpture, I just kept gluing button after button together, not paying as much attention to what it was going to look like in the end, but rather the progression of how it was taking shape.  It’s pretty cool to think of how the sculpture was only made of: buttons, paper, two pop cans, fishing line, and a lot of hot glue.  By using items that I found around my house, I was able to create something out of essentially nothing.  


EDUCATORS 
I think it is crucial for individuals, particularly children, to be reminded of the fact that you can use anything you’d like to make a piece of art, it does not necessarily have to be made out of traditional art tools.  By thinking outside of the box, a person can create endless opportunities to explore their creativity, using whatever tools they feel inspired by.  By incorporating unconventional art tools such as recycled items or cultural items into an early childhood classroom, educators can enhance children's art experiences and allow them to think outside the box.

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6^th

        Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.