ABOUT THE ARTIST: "Starting in 2004 I have been working on design projects which revolve around the collections of objects. The objects are normally collected in large quantities, categorized, and assembled in a way that transforms their meaning. My work is about giving banal and overlooked objects a new significance. The finished piece of work takes various forms such as chandeliers, installations, functional and sculptural objects."
Find out more: www.stuarthaygarth.com
ECO-FRIENDLY BECAUSE: Haygarth uses found materials that would otherwise become trash.
(green) MATERIALS USED: A variety of found objects, including: colored glassware, used party poppers, tail light covers, prescription eye glasses, and all sorts of plastic. (Visit Haygarth's PRODUCTS page to see what he has created with these various materials.)
SELECTED WORKS:
Above: Tail Light, 2007. Haygarth created light fixtures by reusing tail light covers, mainly from trucks, tractors and trailers. Haygarth sees the covers as "beautiful and complex", and feels that the finished sculptures are "reminiscent of stained glass".
Above: Tide, 2004 The Tide chandelier is made of mostly clear and translucent plastic objects - "man-made debris" - that Haygarth found on a specific part of the Kent coastline. Haygarth describes the shape of the chandelier as "an analogy for the moon, which effects the tides, which in turn wash up the debris."
POSSIBLE UNIT IDEAS:
NOTE: These ideas are not necessarily appropriate for all students and should be thought of as mere starting points for art unit idea development. As every teacher knows, lessons should be based on unique classroom and student needs, goals and abilities, grade level, and safety, availability and appropriateness of materials! If you have other ideas for art units based on Stuart Haygarth's artwork, or want to share other artists who work within a similar theme, please leave a comment below!
a) Students collect plastic objects from home that are no longer in use or are going to be thrown away and use them to create an individual or collaborative chandelier, mobile, installation or sculpture.
b) Students collect discarded objects (AKA litter!) from the playground, a nearby park, or other nearby location for a certain period of time (one day, two weeks, one semester, etc.) Students wash, sort, and categorize items, then work together to create sculptures out of each group of objects. Be sure to establish clear ground rules before collecting - i.e. wear gloves, no sharp objects, don't put anything in your mouth, etc.
c) Students and teacher discuss how the form of the Tide chandelier creates a relationship between the objects and where they were collected from. Students each gather a collection of discarded materials found in a particular location, then assemble them to create a form that relates to the environment in which the items were found. (For example: create a tree-shaped form out of objects found in the forest.)
d) Students create a functional light fixture out of found objects.
No comments:
Post a Comment