Four Cubes
A cube might be seen as a basic element, irreducible, a primary element of capital F Form. But it is a very simple, recognizable form that the eyes and brain of the viewer resolve without effort or conscious attention, So if we are making a cube sculpture, how can we make it interesting?
In this project you will make 4 distinct cubes. Each cube will be a different material, structure and concept. You should consider each of these categories for each cube, and no category should be repeated. Question how each of these things relate and influence each other; where are the overlaps? Which combination of structure and concept cause tension? How can material + structure= concept? Where do cubes exist already and how can I use them?
Cube #1:
Can you use light, sound, or some other non-physical material to “make” a cube? What about performance? What would a psychic cube “look” like? Your first cube will be an immaterial cube. It will be “made” of something that is not a physical material. The viewer will be able to look at the cube (or documentation of the cube) and see the cubeness, but they shouldn’t be made from something you can touch. This is where out-of-the-box (ha!) thinking will come in. Light, sound, performance, video. This one should be off the wall bonkers.
Cube #2
This cube will explore gestalt closure and implied form. This cube will be constructed from wood. We will go over various techniques of joining and cutting wood, and you will construct a cube. Here is the catch: you cube will be implied. This means you will not make a box, you will arrange the material in space so that it suggests a cube.
Tips:
-try not to build a box
-the planes of the implied cube do not have to be parallel and perpendicular to the surface of the table
-Pay attention to how it looks from all sides
Cube #3
This cube will explore positive and negative space. For this one, you will make a box from found materials, then pour cement or plaster in it to make your cube. What will you make it out of? What kind of textures or impressions will you leave? What hints will the impressions left by the mold give to the viewer about how it’s made? We will talk more about this one later.
Cube #4
Your choice, you can use any mixture of techniques we have covered as well as found materials:
Some possibilities include:
Materials: paper, Styrofoam, wood, string, wire, sound, light, trash, found objects, etc.
Structure: open, closed, planar, linear, volumetric etc.
Concepts: collapsing, expanding, narrative, dangerous, quiet, transformative etc.
Elements of design: line, space, form, light, color, time, texture
The keys to this assignment include material experimentation and variety in category. Make sure to collect materials promptly, as in-class time will not be used to gather materials. The finished cubes can be any size. They may also be site specific, installation, hanging, static, temporary or any combination of these. Materials can be found at Lowe’s, thrift stores, junkyard, dumpsters, and in nature. Be creative with your source of materials, and sculptural interest will follow. Stay away from “artsy” materials, unexpected solutions are a better goal.
Some student examples:
