Title: Which One?
Size: 4ft x 2ft and 2ft x 2ft Medium: Cardboard and Hot Glue Completion: February 2022 Exhibition Text:
The original intention of the project was to portray the struggle I face between whether I should identity with my nationality or ethnicity. The Somali Sparrow and the Bald Eagle were both inspiration for this piece being the national birds of the countries of my ethnicity and nationality.The piece was made using cardboard, paper, and hot glue. |
Inspiration
The Somali Sparrow is the national bird of Somalia. A country that is also known as the horn of Africa. Below there is a Bald Eagle, that is the national bird of the United States.Once I saw the first bird, I knew right away what I wanted to do for this project. I plan on imitating the images and turn myself into a nest almost that houses both birds. One on my back and one on my chest, the Bald Eagle would be on my chest, and because it is much larger than the Sparrow and would take up much more space. It symbolizes the county in which I was born in and how that may be a larger part of my dainty. However my ethnicity, which can be seen through the Somlai Sparrow, is still a part of me.
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Planning
When the project was first introduced to us, I wasn't sure on what I wanted to do. I had different variations of ideas, but wasn't pleased with them until I found my inspiration. After figuring out what I wanted to do, I began sketching and experimenting with cardboard to understand how it would feel. Prior to starting the project, I collected many pieces of cardboard so that when I did start the actual process I wouldn't have to worry about running out. For the actual project I plan to have The Bald Eagle on my chest while the Somali Sparrow is in my back with both of their heads resting in my shoulders. For the moving component, I plan on attempting to have the heads move so that they are moving counterclockwise around my neck. To do this I plan on having some sort of mechanism using paper bags and attaching that to the heads so that they can be puled up and down.
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Process
The first thing I did to start the process of making the piece was making the base. I did this so that the birds will have something for it to attach to my body. To do this, I cut four long strips of cardboard, and connect them at the ends with hot glue. Once I had two long strands of cardboard, and folded it in half. At the midpoint I curved it with my knee so that it could rest on my shoulders. I then measured where I wanted the ¨dress¨ to stop, which was about my knee area. I then took the extra pieces of cardboard and glued them in the middle area of the lines of cardboard so that there would be support. After that I cut mid length pieces of cardboard to glue across the base so that there would be more support for the birds.I then free hand drew the outlines of both birds two pieces of cardboard that were from boxes that I flattened out.I then began to make the structure for the birds so that the feather would have something to lay on tp if giving it a three dimensional look. To do this I cut long pieces of mid-width cardboard, then measured them to the bird outline. I wanted a slight curve to the feathers so that they wouldn't be completely flat. Under each curve I added a small square so that they wouldn't flattened when the feathers were applied. I did this for both birds up until their necks .After I made the structure or the birds, I began the process of making the feathers.
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To make the feathers I cut a lot of shorter cardboard pieces and curved the ends to imitate the feathers on the birds. For the tail or end feathers, I cut longer pieces of cardboard so that they would show and have a layer effect. For the Bald Eagles end feathers I added white paper to the cardboard to best imitate the bird. On both birds I took the curved cardboard and adapted them to that bird, meaning I glued them in the design of the feathers on the actual bird.
To make the head of the birds, I cut it off of the bodice then made it from there to attach later. To make the head I first started with the beak. For the Somali Sparrow, I cut a corner of cardboard then cut it in half to make it look like the real one. Then I lined the outside with cardboard, and added black paper to the neck because the bird has a black neck. Before putting on the top layer of cardboard, I added inside support by gluing a curved piece then placing a cut out shape of the head on top. For the Bald Eagle, I also started with the beak, to do this I first glued yellow paper onto the cardboard because a Bald Eagle has a yellow beak. I then added white paper to all the cardboard meant to outline the head. I repeated the same step for the head as I did for the Somali Sparrow, gluing in inside support and the outline on top.
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Experimentation
When first starting the project, I had no clue what I wanted to do. After some brainstorming and playing around with ideas I came up with the picture labeled ¨Idea 1¨. At first I wanted to make an inanimate object with a significant meaning. The idea to make glasses came to me because they are something that I use regularly and need. My idea was to make a scenery out of the glasses, meaning that the frames have an imitation of plants and flowers.
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Another Idea I had can be seen in the image labeled ¨Idea 2¨. This idea came to me, however I couldn't figure out how to draw until I was in class drawing it out on a whiteboard. The idea was to have a mountain head hat,with bushes and butterflies(I experimented with some cardboard and made butterflies and flowers.). Essentially something positive, on my bodice I wanted to make something negative with hard, sharp edges and spikes. I couldn't really go far with this idea so I began researching and that's when I found inspiration for my piece.
For the piece I have now, I tried to make both of the birds heads move. However it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. To do it, I cut the heads of off the body of the birds, then cut short thick strips of paper bags, I then folded them accordion style. I glued two to the bodice, then the other ends of the same piece to the head. To make it move I added a piece of cardboard and made a whole in the bodice so that it would go through and out. When I did this, the heads wouldn't move the way I wanted them to so I just connected them back tot he bodices.
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Critique
- A similarity between the inspiration and my piece is that my piece resembles the birds with the shape of the feathers and the placement. By this I mean that I tried my best to imitate the birds with the cardboard. To do this, I cut an outline of the birds added layers of cardboard on top of a structure to give it a three dimensional look. I then added feathers, by cutting various lengths and widths of cardboard and curving the ends to give it the look of feathers. I also tried to make the heads look similar by adding colored paper in places that would make them look similar the most.
- A difference between the inspiration and my piece is that mine does not have the color of the feathers or the lightness because of the technique I used. Feathers are light,and soft, to best imitate the birds I could have used paper bags to make the feathers however I felt tat it wouldn't look best because I wanted them to lay down and not curl up. Also both birds have different variations of browns,blacks and whites. My piece did not have that much color unless I used paper.
Reflection
Overall, I would say that I am content with my piece because I made what I had envisioned. However, there were many complications when making the piece. For example, I had a hard time trying to assemble the head of both birds. But after working with different pieces of cardboard and using trail and error I resolved the problem. Another complication I faced was trying to make the cardboard look like feathers and not just jumbled pieces. Something that I’m proud of with this piece is that I was to actually make what I pictured. In the last I had never used the amount of cardboard I used to complete this project which was also a challenge because I wasn’t completely familiar with it. However, I now have a new skill that I will be able to use for future projects. When people look at my project I hope they are able to acknowledge that there is significance behind the bird.
Connecting to the ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
After finding my inspiration, I formulated the idea of my project that I liked. The inspiration helped me immensely because I was really stuck on what I wanted to do for this project and once I saw my inspiration, I had an idea.
What is the overall approach of the author regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author or maker of this inspiration is most likely a photographer. So the overall approach is to capture the birds, which showcases their feathers and allows for others to view,draw, or conduct research.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
When I first began researching for inspiration, I found that it was hard to find artists that make cardboard sculptures.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my inspiration was to find something that I could relate to myself and make it personal.
What kind of inference did you make while reading your research?
An inference I made while conducting research is that while there are artist that make cardboard sculptures, there are not many that make animals,usually they are inanimate objects.
After finding my inspiration, I formulated the idea of my project that I liked. The inspiration helped me immensely because I was really stuck on what I wanted to do for this project and once I saw my inspiration, I had an idea.
What is the overall approach of the author regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author or maker of this inspiration is most likely a photographer. So the overall approach is to capture the birds, which showcases their feathers and allows for others to view,draw, or conduct research.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
When I first began researching for inspiration, I found that it was hard to find artists that make cardboard sculptures.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my inspiration was to find something that I could relate to myself and make it personal.
What kind of inference did you make while reading your research?
An inference I made while conducting research is that while there are artist that make cardboard sculptures, there are not many that make animals,usually they are inanimate objects.
Bibliography
Bald Eagle - Ebird. ebird.org/species/baleag.
Somali Sparrow - Ebird. ebird.org/species/somspa1.
Somali Sparrow - Ebird. ebird.org/species/somspa1.