I have a class that is a mix of ages and technical ability and we started off this year with a cardboard sculpture project. To begin I had the students explore the medium of cardboard and record their findings in their sketchbook. They were to try to weave, braid, tear, crumple, twist, curl, score, fold etc. cardboard to help them thinking about how to use cardboard in a different way. They also looked at a number of cardboard artists to find inspiration and to see the endless possibilities with this material. Once they chose what they wanted to build they could only use glue, interlocking pieces or use tabs to keep the sculpture together. No glue guns and no tape. They were to also find images or prepare life drawings of their object so that they weren't trying to build this from memory and omit key details. For some reason I'm fascinated by how students organize and record notes in their sketchbooks.
http://www.chrisgilmour.com/en.opere.html
http://annwebersculpture.com/html/sculpture.html
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/icon-parametric-cardboard-sculpture-toby-horricks/
http://vectroave.com/2009/10/cardboard-architecture/
I decided to have the students work in pairs which proved to be beneficial as they have really found this project to be challenging. But working together they figured out how to construct their sculpture within the restrictions that I gave them which was that they could only glue (white or carpenters), interlocking pieces or use tabs to keep their sculpture together. No glue guns and no tape.
Here are some images of their sketchbook notes and I will post the completed sculptures later ... they are taking forever to finish!
