Assemblage: AP Studio Art: 3-D Design Syllabus

Advanced Placement Studio Art: 3-D Design Syllabus,
written by John H. Anderson,
approved by the AP College Board in 2007

Overview

AP Studio Art: 3-d design class develops artistic growth, critical thinking, creativity, risk taking, learning from failures, and artistic self confidence in students. The goal is for students to become independent thinkers. The joy of self discovery is to be encouraged and the roll of the art teacher is to build on the student’s strengths and personal interest. For this to occur, students need to be engaged in making meaningful art of value to them personally on an ongoing basis [C5].

The BHS regular art studio curriculum includes 3-D design, ceramics, jewelry and woods. These classes play an important roll in building the foundation for the AP Studio Art: 3-d design program. AP seniors are required to take an additional 3-d studio art class each semester as part of the 3-d AP program [C1]. This provides additional experiences for students and encourages the growth of their AP portfolio work.

A letter to students and parents is given each spring to incoming students for the following fall. This includes a description of student expectations with regard to additional time commitment, the three sections of the portfolio, costs, and the AP exam requirements. Summer project are assigned at this time.

Students are required to attend classes daily, and put in extra time. A minimum of 150 minutes (or three class periods) of additional time outside of class is required per week. Throughout the school year, the classroom is open during the day and after school for additional time to work, as well as Thursday evening work sessions from 6-9 PM [C3] [C5].

Students attend four field trips each year to Chicago Museums, view outdoor sculpture, and visit the Sculptural Objects of Fine Art (SOFA) show to enhance the study of contemporary and historical art experience. One of the four field trips involves a guest artist’s work shop studio.

Students start the year with specific breadth projects. As students progress through the year, assignments become more individualized in concept for student’s area of focus. A series of works based on one idea develops through the experience of doing many projects and provides early thoughts about the concentration section. This leads to a tighter and more specific focus. Student’s earliest attempts to explore their own ideas become part of their breadth section and later ones make up the concentration section [C1]. Students will develop a certain style which cannot be forced but grows out of continuous work with many different projects [C5]. Students complete six projects from three assignments each quarter throughout the year. Some projects require more than one variation [C5]. Students narrow their concentration, explore the elements and principles in breadth, and achieve the highest quality [C1].

Semester I

In the first week of first quarter quality, concentration, and breadth are discussed and reference is made to each section with every project throughout the course [C1]. Students will start out with three projects each exploring different elements and principles of 3-D design for breadth and two projects are allowed for their choice of a concentration during each of first and second quarter.

Students will observe a short presentation every Monday of a new material and technique. These are called demonstration projects and are designed to introduce students to design elements, principles and concepts for concentration and breadth [C4]. Students will also see examples of specific artists similar to one student’s work. Students research artists in art periodicals, texts, and the internet which show similar interests to what they are doing in class for further investigation of their concentration [C3]. Students also view slides from past students portfolios. The importance of individual work is stressed. Students are taught the difference between copying another artist, which is not allowed, and derivative inspiration from other artists.

“Artistic Integrity” is of paramount concern for any artist or student of art and especially for work produced by students in the AP Studio class. A copy of another artist’s work is considered plagiarism and cannot be part of the AP student’s portfolio. It is not ethical. An artist must be true to his or herself and be confident their ideas matter [C7]. . Innovation is the goal but should be based on an historical foundation. Old ideas re-arranged, changed, altered, and combined with new ideas and perspectives invent new meaning with new results pertinent to a new culture in a new time [C7].

Project example: “Artistic Style Project” [C7]

At least one assignment will deal with the element of personal style within; cubist; abstract expressionist; pop art; realism; dada; conceptual Art; modernist; post modernist; etc. We will study three artists to understand their intention of meaning of the work, and create a derivative work from one of the artist’s. The student will have to include elements from all three works in addition to their own personal idea to create a new work. The resulting work should show characteristics of the researched artist’s work but would be a hybrid combination showing changes in meaning to reflect the student’s thinking and personal design needs [C7]. Any influences derived from other artists will have to be attributed to them by name in the written comments about the student’s work for their concentration section of the portfolio. [C7]

At the end of each week student’s progress will be documented with a digital camera. Students learn how their work is developing and have a visual record of their progress. The digital photos can be gathered on Adobe Photo Shop into the three sections for quick reference and used in class critiques [C1]. Students are always amazed at how much detail is revealed to judges with close up shots of their work. We also use them for class critiques and our end of the year AP magazine [C6]. The magazine provides a record of events and personal statements from the students.

Group critiques occur after each of the three first quarter breadth projects and at the end of each quarter. Students observe and discuss each other’s work for at least two class periods. These early critiques are very important in bringing the class together on thinking about general terms of 3-D form/space, mass/volume, line/edge/movement, scale/proportion, unity/variety, and balance/rhythm [C6]. Students will understand concepts of visual expression, complexity, craftsmanship, and finish for quality as a goal for all projects [C2]. Informal Individual critiques or “educational discussions” are most common while students continue to work in class daily [C6].

…”the Critique is about the work, not the person…”we will question, add information, define terms, explain history, offer anecdotes, humor, positive reinforcement, constructive suggestions, and summarize opinion and group accomplishments”...”lets recognize outstanding efforts, whether successful or not, to which a student has committed considerable time”...”we should stress the value of reworking a problem or assignment, of developing a willingness to explore variations and make comparisons, and be willing to risk failure to find out something new”…Evaluation is not confined only to the project, but also the work ethic which created it [C6]. (Ken Daley, professor of art, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia)

The following AP evaluation guidelines will be used in the discussion of the work.

The “interactive” use of the 3-d design elements and principles; 3-d space instead of flat work; design content expressing some visual idea with the project; complexity including three or more elements or layers of meaning; use of specific techniques with the appropriate material; taking risks with something new; expressing a sensitivity and subtlety in the design; the background knowledge from studying other artist’s work; the overall quality of the work; and confidence expressed in the art.

Students are required to write a statement of experience during and after the process of creating each project. In their required sketch book, students cut and paste photo examples of objects, complete summer sketchbook assignments, draw working ideas for projects and write down ideas for their work. They will write about inspiration, change, visual communication, emphasis, and personal risk [C5, C3]. Students practice writing about their work and about discussions. Using design vocabulary during critiques helps them gain understanding and confidence to discuss their own work. An investigation and research of other artist’s work provides ways to match the visual with the literal [C5].

At the completion of each project students will take slides of their work. Students have a three ring binder with outlines and diagrams explaining the slide presentation for each section of the portfolio. Many transparent slide sheets are included and students organize slides as work is completed. They can monitor their portfolio development and that of their peers.

Example Breadth Project: The Lost Wax Cast Ring

Use the formal 3-d design elements of movement, line, form, and mass. Carve wax away from the square block of wax. File the corners of the block to round out the form. Convex curves meet concave curves along a continuum and form lines or ridges around the form. Depending on where these curves meet, the line/ridge can change direction to create movement. Study the photos provided of cars from the auto show. Notice the designs of cars do not include flat surfaces, only curves and ridges.

Breadth Projects (C4 Variety)

Wood construction to show open volume with line
Natural wood stick line construction
Modular 3x5 card fold repetition (3 variations)
Structure in wire, aluminum screen, & plaster over a “tomato ring” stand
Self-portrait waffle of body parts (group project)
Wire figure in movement from dance class (3 variations)
Anticlastic raised copper bracelet
Welded steel sculpture
Lost wax casting (additive and subtractive variations)
Cloisonné enamel on copper (many variations)
Stencil sifted enamel on copper (many variations)
Chain making (5 varieties)
Pierced/sawed/appliquéd metal pendant
Constructed metal box ring with found material accent
Glass beads & caning
Iron forging
Sheet metal repousse
Mokume patterns in metal
Hydraulic metal pressing (many multiples)

Semester II

Students learn more about content issues for the concentration section, independent work on projects inside and outside of class, and taking slides. Monday “demos” are given as enrichment to their work and students are required to produce five projects from three assignments for each of third and fourth quarter. During fourth quarter we finalize projects and prepare for the AP exam by shooting, organizing and labeling slides. Assignments are specific to individuals and are pertinent to their specific needs. Students gain confidence in working independently. Outside of class additional time is required. Students and teachers work together individually [C5]. Students interact with other art teachers to get second opinions on their ideas. AP art students will complete five projects each quarter to make 20 projects for the year. Most students will have more projects than required allowing them to edit out weaker ones.

Final slides are taken in February of all completed works. One to one critiques and educational discussions are held regarding the selection of pieces as to order and section [C6]. Our concentration statements are finalized. Students most often develop the concentration statement after much of the work is completed [C5]. Some students are able to start with a concept statement and then execute the project. Most high school students cannot manage this without working through their projects.

“The arts help [students] learn to say what cannot be said. It is here that innuendo and connotation are among our strongest allies. It is here the most powerful of linguistic capacities, metaphor, comes to the rescue.” Elliot Eisner

Students display their concentration work in the annual AP show each April. This distinguishes the AP program from the regular classes.

Example Concentration Project: “Essential Feature from Your Personal Environment”

I live in a house with a garden. I decided the garden is the essential feature. I read and notated Moore, Mitchell, and Turnbull’s book, The Poetics of the Gardens. MIT Press, 1988. Five elements of the garden are discussed; 1) rock and water, 2) leaf and blossom, 3) sun and shade, 4) sounds, scents, and breezes, and 5) architectural structure. From one of these elements I designed a project. From all the other elements I created my series of twelve projects for a concentration of my work. Using materials and techniques appropriate for your visual expression, and within your realm of expertise, decide on a subject for yourself and create a project expressing it.

Concentration Projects

Color pattern changes your perception of form
Fantasy in nature
Body dresses express stages of a girl’s life
Expression of energy in the human figure
Contrast manmade forms with nature
A transformation from non-objective form into real objects to symbolize self portraits interior and exterior space
Hammered and formed metal containers show movement in form
Interrupted repetition to express non-conformity
Dreams contained in a box
Mechanical metaphors from nature
Any image or object seen from different perspectives (the movie “Rashomon”)
Express visual sound in human form
Express various elements of a garden
Contrast geometric shapes with organic shapes to express nature