Soap Carving Sculpture

Dimensions

3.5" x 1.2"

Materials

- Bar soap

- Carving Tools

Process Photograph

Final Deliverables

Balsa Wood & Paper Sculptures

Overview
This project was more open-ended in terms of requirements. I used balsa wood and wood glue for the balsa wood sculpture to create a repetitive work of art. The principle of design shows in the rhythm and the movement of the balsa wood squares on the balsa wood base. It also shows in the dried wood glue in between each wood panel. To create texture I used a push pin on each of the squares. Space is an important element of design in this piece because it helps to emphasize the dried wood glue. For the paper sculpture I used letter paper and masking tape to create another sculpture. I utilized texture for this piece by crumpling the paper and cutting the edges. This sculpture can be presented on a wall or in the middle of a table as a decorative piece.

Balsa Wood Sculpture

Dimensions  
19" x 5.5"

Materials
- Balsa Wood
- Wood glue
- Masking Tape

Paper Sculpture

Dimensions 
8" x 5"

Materials
- White paper
- Masking Tape

Process Photograph

Balsa Wood Final Deliverables

Paper Sculpture Final Deliverables

Masking Tape Shoes

Overview
For this project, each student in Laura Mongiovi's 3D Class was asked to make shoes primarily out of tape. This project was very straight forward and turned out to be very mathematical. To make the shoes true to size, I traced the outside fabric, the soles, and the tongue on paper first. I decided to make each layer of tape on the soles of the shoes the same width throughout. This helped to emphasize the realistic texture on the soles of my converse shoes. The soles were the most important part because they are the strongest part of the shoe and they usually have the most detailed design as opposed to the rest of the shoe. For protection, I covered them in clear packaging tape. 

Dimensions
10.5" x 2.7" 

Materials
Masking Tape, Clear Packaging Tape (for the soles)

Process Photographs 

Final Deliverables

On Longing Post 1

"Capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experience."- Susan Stewart

For this quote, I chose to display this image because this picture has a story behind it. When I was riding my bike to my physcial therapist this past August, I got lost on my way and I had no idea how to get back home. When I went on the side of the road to take a break from being lost I saw these pretty flowers. Stopping to take this picture led me to realize how important it is to "stop and smell the roses."

On Longing Post 2

"The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the three dimensional into the miniature, that which can be enveloped by the body." - Susan Stewart

Having a souvenir allows one to hold a memory in their hand. You don't need to have the object to experience joy but the thought of it brings comfort. Memories can be forgotten but a souvenir serves as a refresher. The addition of buildings in a city makes the world seem so much bigger, but if the buildings are taken away the space will seem so small. 

On Longing Post 3

"The body is the primary mode of percieving scale." - Susan Stewart

When I painted this in high school it felt so big on canvas. If the image included some of the background of the wall I took it on it would have a larger sense of depth. But, on the screen of my laptop, this painting appears flat. The amount of time it took me to make this painting increases its scale of importance to me. If I had made this in a week it's scale of importance would decrease.

On Longing Post 4

"The place of origin must remain unavailable in order for desire to be generated."- Susan Stewart

My place of origin used to be New Canaan, Connecticut. Life was easy and my family was wealthy when my parents were together. I had no idea that going to college and living on my own with no money and limited food would change my life so much. Now I wonder am I really from Connecticut or am I now from wherever my life is in this moment? Desire is not only positive if it's attainable. 

On Longing Post 5

"Nostalgia cannot be sustained without loss."- Susan Stewart

This summer I went through a lot with multiple doctor visits every week and I didn't have much time to enjoy myself because I was constantly in pain. My rheumatologist thought I wouldn't be able to go back to school. He thought I had Rheumatoid Arthritis at first but after a few months, and over ten viles of blood taken the doctors discovered that I had Ankylosing Spondilits, which is an auto immune disease that attacks the large joints in your body. During this long summer before my Junior year of college I thought back to when I was younger and had no care in the world. I could climb trees and run without being in pain. I could draw for hours without my right elbow telling me to stop. I could brush my hair and lift a spoon without thinking anything of it. All these things hurt to do over the summer and I felt useless. I literally felt nostalgia and the loss of my ability to control my joints. Recently, a few months ago I started taking HUMIRA, and although my joints aren't 100% I feel a greater apprecitaion for being able to do the things I couldn't do before.