Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

There are no course prerequisites although Basic Design 117 is helpful. Emphasis will be on using the reductive process of carving in a variety of ways to create sculpture. A sense of curiosity and a willingness to experiment are helpful.

Students will endeavor to do the following:* Find and develop creative ways to solve problems using a variety of basic strategies for making sculpture with materials that may be carved (e.g. stone, wood, salt, soap, wax, bone, foam etc.)* Create personal works of sculpture, which demonstrate an introductory level of understanding of sculptural ideas, and the processes, materials, and techniques associated with carving.* Ask meaningful questions, identify ideas and issues, and develop a basic vocabulary to be ableto actively participate in a critical dialogue about sculpture with others.* Understand, interpret, and enjoy sculpture of the past and the present from different cultures toinitiate a lifelong process of expanding knowledge on the diversity of perspectives of the humanexperience.* Develop a heightened awareness of the physical world, the nature of the relationship of humanbeings to it, and our impact on it via the experience of making carved sculptures.* Use self-critiquing skills to begin developing autonomous expression through carved sculpturewhile recognizing the standards and definitions already established by both contemporary andhistorical works of art from different cultures.

Students will do the following in order to be assessed:v Make creative, appropriately crafted, challenging sculptural solutions to given provocations using various carving techniques.v Comprehend and apply analysis of sculptural ideas, techniques, terminology, and issues through participation in formal critiques and discussions.v Develop conceptual ideas through the practice of creative research and preparatory studies (e.g. sketchbooks, journals, maquettes, models, writing assignments, presentations, technical practice tests, etc.).

Themes, Concepts, Issuesv Concepts, Ideas, and Issues Pertaining to the Creative Processv Strategies for developing ideas (i.e. experiencing and playing with materials, imagining, dreaming, visualizing, symbolizing, writing, reading, researching, studying historical and cultural examples, sketching, collaborating, discussing) v Strategies for problem solving towards concretion of ideas in sculptural form (i.e. sketches, plans, maquettes, test pieces, models)v Perception and Artv Form and Contentv Interpreting artv Historical and Cultural Contextsv Concepts, theories, and issues addressed by various cultures and historical periodsv Concepts, theories, and issues addressed by contemporary sculptors fromdifferent culturesv Relationships between form and content in works of art from different cultures and historical periodsv The roles of art and artists in different culturesv Intercultural and “interhistorical” influences (e.g. the influence of pre Columbian sculpture on modern sculpture or the influence of Bernini on contemporary wood carvers like Ricky Swallow)v Sculptural Forms and Perceptual Impactv Visual/physical elements used to create sculptural form: point, line, plane, shape, form, marks, texture, shadow, light, value, color, space, sound, smell, weight, volume, mass, text, etc.v Relationships of characteristics of visual/ physical elements to be considered (e.g. proportion, length, thickness, position, orientation, scale, weight, interrelationship of shapes, relative value and color, movement and stillness, quality of texture etc.)v Strategies for manipulating visual/physical elements that is ways of thinking of composing with visual/physical elements (e.g. arrange, juxtapose, relate, contrast, group, balance, unify, repeat, edit, elaborate, classify, divide, increase, decrease, maximize, minimize, dissect, separate, align, vary, diversify, alternate, reduce, connect, etc.)v The relationship between materials and their visual/ physical impact (i.e. a stick or string acts as a line, an indentation in a form is simultaneously perceived as a mark, a material is chosen for its shape and color, an element is chosen for its weighty quality, an object or material is used for it’s olfactory impact, an object is chosen for its associative qualities etc.)v Materials and Techniquesv Gravity and the basic forces of tension and compressionv Materials, their handling, meaning, and sourcesv Techniques for visualizing and roughing out sculptures using carving (e.g. splitting stone)v Physical activities used to carve by hand and with power tools (i. e. chiseling, shaving, rasping, sanding, grinding, sawing, drilling, cutting.v Finishing Techniques for different carving materials (i.e. sanding, polishing, texturing, cleaning, painting, adhesion etc.)v Working with Safety and Environmental concerns of materials and techniques associated with carving in particular as well as other associated materials: proper disposal of waste, places where recycled material can be found, proper safety attire to be used when working with specific materials, health related concerns, sources of information on these subjectsv Critical Analysisv Purposes of criticism and analysis of artworks: deepen understanding, reflect on level of quality and possible improvements, heighten creative decision making by observing decisions made by others and oneself, establish and maintain high standards of achievement, ask questions, find new connections, create autonomy and creative confidence, create new problems to solve, discuss art with others to expose oneself to multiple perspectives etc.v Vocabulary relevant to ideas, materials, and techniques pertaining to sculpture made by carvingv Application, interpretation, and redefinition of sculptural ideas, connection of historical and cultural contexts, personal expression and creative freedomv Aspects of criticism: formal, conceptual, historical, cultural, experiential etc. Competencies and SkillsThe successful student should be able to do the following:v Find resources for materials and tools used in making sculpture with materials that may be carvedv Conduct research to develop ideas, perspectives, and influences from a variety of sourcesv Employ a variety of strategies to solve problems encountered in the process of realizing an idea for a sculpture in physical form. Students will be able to make models, sketches, maquettes, material tests etc.v Use a variety of conceptual strategies to create sculpture using the reductive processv Understand and use a variety of materials, tools, and techniques associated with making carved sculpturesv Use the proper safety/health equipment and procedures in working with carving and its associated materialsv Make interesting, challenging, appropriately crafted sculptures that are personally meaningfulv Understand and apply basic vocabulary necessary to discuss the formal, conceptual, and technical aspects of sculpturev Analyze and enjoy the formal and perceptual concerns of sculpturev Communicate with others on a variety of levels (i.e. formal, conceptual etc.) on the subject of sculpturev Assess the ways in which art objects are affected by personal perspectives and experiencesv Make historical and cultural connections in determining meaning and understanding of artv Enables student to begin preparing a portfolio of sculptural work