Object[ed]
OnTheSurface
PaperReliefSculptures
Grades3-12
Summary
Inthisartproject,studentscombinetheirknowledgeofgeometryandvaluetoexploredepthin
both2Dand3Dart.Studentscreateaflatarrangementofpapershapesusingthreevalues
(white,greyandblack),andthenaddfoldedpapertotheflatsurfacetodevelopthe
compositionintoapaperreliefsculpture.
ThislessonisbestsuitedforGrades3-6,butwillalsoworkwellforGrades7-12asa
warm-upactivityorintroductiontoaunitonsculpture.
CurriculumTies
FineArts:3-8.V.CR,L1-3.V.CR
Math:3.G.1-2,4.G.2-3,6.G.1
TimeFrame
60minutes
Materials
11x17paperinaneutraltone
White,greyandblackconstructionpaper
Papercutter(forteacherprep)
Gluesticks
Scissors
IntendedLearningOutcomes
• Studentsunderstandkeydifferencesbetween2Dand3Dart.
• Studentscancompareandcontrastrepresentationsofdepthin2Dand3Dart.
• Studentsunderstandcharacteristicsofreliefsculpture.
• Studentsapplyunderstandingofbasicgeometricshapesandvaluetocreatedepthina
2Dartwork.
• Studentstransformpaperfromflatmaterialintofoldedformtocreatedepthina3D
artwork.
Resources
CaitlinCherry’sartworkscomplicatetheboundarybetweenpaintingandsculpture.Shesaysof
herwork,"It'ssculpturetryingtomoldintopainting,paintingtryingtomoldintosculpture.”1
Paintedlivefromclay-and-papermaquettes,herillusionisticsurfacesbreakdownfiguresand
theirenvironmentsintohighcontrastgeometricshapes,saturatedcolorschemes,andpainterly
brushstrokes.Arecurringcharacterinthesescenes,thechameleon-likeGolemallowsCherryto
commentondifferentmomentsthroughouthistory.2Cherry’scarefullyrenderedpaintingsare
combinedwithsculpturalelementstocreatethefinalwork.Herartworksexplorethemessuch
asmilitarization,power,historyandpolitics.3
AnartworkinUMOCA’sObject[ed]exhibition,MuteCity,BigBlue,PortTownincludesacanvas
paintedincoolcolorsandplacedatthebottomofasculpturalpool,completewithwhitetile,
beachtowels,andwater.Cherrycombinestheillusionofdepthofferedbythesubmerged
canvaswiththedangerouslyshallowpoolofwater,creatingatensionbetweenfunandfear,
pleasureandanxiety.
MuteCity,BigBlue,PortTown
ArtistWebsite:cargocollective.com/caitlincherry
ViewObject[ed]:www.utahmoca.org/portfolio/objected
RelatedArtists:
• LygiaClark(www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/artists/49-lygia-clark/works)
• GemmaSmith(www.mca.com.au/collection/artist/smith-gemma)
1
www.interviewmagazine.com/art/caitlin-cherry-nominated-by-kara-walker#_
2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC7ThYvmDQ4
3
www.nyartsmagazine.com/?p=12073
StudentsShouldUnderstandtheFollowingVocabulary
Two-Dimensional(2D)-Anartworkwithelementsorganizedonaflatsurface(definedbyheight
andwidthonly),suchasthepictureplaneofadrawingorpainting.
Three-Dimensional(3D)-Anartworkwithelementsorganizedinspacedefinedbyheight,width
anddepth.Three-dimensionalartworkshavevolumeandmass.
Sculpture-A3Dartwork.Traditionalsculpturalmaterialsincludestone,clay,metalandwood.
However,contemporarysculpturesaremadefromfoundmaterials,paper,fabricandmuch
more.
ReliefSculpture-A3Dartworkthatprotrudesfromabackgroundsurface(likeawall)but
remainsconnectedtotheflatbackgroundplane.Lowreliefisraisedonlyslightlyfromthe
surface,highreliefinvolvespartofthesculpturerenderedinthree-dimensionswith
undercutting,andsunkenreliefiscarvedintothesurfacematerial.Reliefsculpturescannotbe
viewed“in-the-round.”
Geometric-Referringtopreciseshapesmadefrompointsandlines,suchastriangles,squares,
andcircles.
Value-Anelementofart:therangeoflightnesstodarkness.Valuevariationgivesasenseof
spaceanddepthtoanobject,emphasizingitsthree-dimensionality.
Depth-Havingdimensionorasenseofdistance,throughillusionisticuseofperspective
techniquesin2Dartworksoractualuseofspacein3Dartworks.
Composition-Theplacementorarrangementofvisualelementsoringredientsinaworkofart,
asdistinctfromthesubjectofawork.Itcanalsobethoughtofastheorganizationofthe
elementsofartaccordingtotheprinciplesofart.
InstructionalProcedures
TEACHERPREP:Usewhite,greyandblackconstructionpapertocutsquaresandtrianglesfor
studentstouseinboththe2Dand3Dpartsoftheirartwork.
• 3”x3”Squares:Youwillneedapprox.2white,2grey,and8blacksquaresperstudent.
• ½SizeTriangles:Cutrighttrianglesthatare½thesizeofthe3”x3”squaresbyfolding
squaresinhalfdiagonallyandcuttingalongthisline.Youwillneedapprox.4white,10
grey,and4black½sizetrianglesperstudent.
• ¼SizeTriangles:Cutrighttrianglesthatare¼thesizeofthe3”x3”squaresbyfolding½
sizetrianglesinhalfandcuttingalongthisline.Youwillneedapprox.16white,4grey,
and4black¼sizetrianglesperstudent.
1. Inthisartproject,wewillexploredifferencesbetween2Dand3Dartworks,particularly
howdepthiscreatedtwo-dimensionallyandthree-dimensionally.Whataretraditional
characteristicsof2Dart?Whatabouttraditionalcharacteristicsof3Dart?Haveyou
everseenanartworkthatwasboth2Dand3D?Whatisdepth?In2Dart,isdepthrealor
imaginary?Whataboutin3Dart?
2. Startwithan11x17basepaper.Gentlyfoldinhalfbothwaysandcreasetofindthe
middleofthepaper.
3. First,assembleflatwhitepapershapes(squaresandtriangles)intoalarge,irregular
geometriccompositioninthemiddleofyourpaperbyplacingeachnewshapeadjacent
toapreviousshapewithoutoverlapping,matchingtheedgestogether.Gluedown.Add
greyshapesinthesamemanner,andthenblackshapesasyougetclosertotheedgesof
yourpaper.Howdoyouseedepthinyour2Dcomposition?Eventhoughyourartworkis
flat,whichvalueseemslikeitpopsout?Whichvalueseemslikeitrecedesbackwards?
Example:Step3
4. Forthenextstep,youwillneedonlyblack3”x3”squares,grey½sizetriangles,and
white¼sizetriangles.Foldseveralofeachoftheseinhalf(alongthelineofsymmetry)
tomakesmallertrianglesandcreasewell.Unfoldcreasestoa90-degreeangle.Wewill
usethesefoldedshapestoturnourflatpapercollageintoadimensionalrelief
sculpture.Whatisareliefsculpture?Howisreliefsimilarto2Dartworkslikedrawingor
painting?Howisreliefsimilarto3D“in-the-round”sculpture?
5. Matchonesideofyourfolded,dimensionaltrianglestoexistingshapesofthesame
valueonyourartwork.Gluedownsothatonesideofthefoldedshapeisflatagainst
yourpage,whiletheothersidesticksstraightupintheair.Continuegluingfoldedpaper
toyourcomposition,sothattheblackareasofyourflatartworknowhavelarge,black
trianglescomingoffthepage;thegreyareashavemedium-sized,greytrianglescoming
offthepage;andthewhiteareashavesmall,whitetrianglescomingoffthepage.How
manyorhowfewisuptoyou.
6. Whenfinished,cutaroundyourartwork,removingtheexcessofyourbasepaper.
Example:Step6
7. Placeyourartworksflatonyourdeskortapetotheclassroomwallateyelevel.How
doesyourartworkchangewhenyouchangeyourperspective?Whenlookedatfrom
straighton,the3Dshapesappearflattenedout.Whenlookedatfromanangle,the
actualdepthofthefoldedpaperbecomesapparent.Thedarkareasthatseemedto
recedebackwardsnowareraisedhigherfromthebackgroundsurface,formingthe
foreground.Thelightareasthatseemedtopopoffthepagearenowrevealedtobe
lowertothebackgroundsurface,closertothebackground.
Example:Step7
QUESTIONSTOASKATTHEENDOFTHEPROJECT:
• Howdidyoucreatedepthina2Dartwork?
• Howdidyoucreatedepthina3Dartwork?
• Howcanyouusevaryingdepthstocreateacompellingreliefsculpture?
• Whatcharacteristicsdoesyourartworksharewithatraditional2Dartwork?
• Whatcharacteristicsdoesitsharewithatraditional3Dartwork?
ADAPTINGTHISLESSONFORGRADES7-12:
StudentsinGrades7-12canbechallengedfurtherbyincreasingthesizeandcomplexityoftheir
2Dpapercomposition,andbyexploringwhathappenstothedepthoftheirartworkwhenthey
breaka“rule”inthe3Dprojectinstructions.
• Whathappenswhenyouaddafoldedpapershapeontopofaflatareaofadifferent
value?
• Whathappenswhenyouaddadditionalfoldedpapertrianglesthatareevensmallerin
size?
• Whathappenswhenyoureversethevaluescaleofyourrelief,usingtallerwhiteshapes
andshorterblackshapes,oracombinationthereof?