Intro 3D Design Unit 1 - Implicit & Explicit Abstract Sculpture

Unit 1 Pre-assessment
Create an abstract work out of cardboard,

paper, black wire and 2 found objects no bigger
than 1’x1’x1’.
Use can use the green mats, box cutters, hot

glue and/or tape.
Unit 1: Implicit & Explicit Abstract Sculpture
Abstract- Some basis in reality (Calder, Moore),
Partial Abstraction- Basis in reality (Cubism,
Picasso),
Non-objective- No basis in reality, geometric,
minimal, De stijl
3 Dimensional Design
Key Concepts: Implicit & Explicit Volume
Implicit Volume: To imply a volume...Not a solid

mass… Made by intersecting lines and planes
Explicit Volume: Opposite of explicit
volume-something which has real physicality…
Lines and planes are part of real physical
mass...not just outlining work but integral to its
mass and volume...
There are three main kinds of Abstract sculpture:
Abstraction, Partial Abstraction, Non-Objective
Abstract sculpture uses nature not as subject matter to be represented but as a source of formal
ideas. For sculptors who work in this way, the forms that are observed in nature serve as a starting
point for a kind of creative play, the end products of which may bear little or no resemblance to their
original source. It is key to recognize that abstract work as defined above implies that the work could
be something that exists in nature but not necessarily...
Partial Abstraction- Has a direct tie to something that exists in nature,
e.g., bust of a human face… The source of influence is easily
recognizable and definable...
Non-Objective
Non-objective sculpture is a completely non-representational form that does not have a starting point
in nature. It arises from a constructive manipulation of the sculptor's generalized, abstract ideas of
spatial relations, volume, line, colour, texture, and so on. This works relays heavily on process of
making and media manipulation...
What is non-objective art?
Beyond Abstraction: Non-Objective Sculpture
Non-objective Art: Art which does not seek to depict an

object or figure from the natural world, but which instead
arranges surfaces, shapes, forms and colors and in the
process goes one step beyond abstraction.
Isamu Noguchi
Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the twentieth century’s most important
and critically acclaimed sculptors. Through a lifetime of artistic
experimentation, he created sculptures, gardens, furniture and lighting designs,
ceramics, architecture, and set designs. His work, at once subtle and bold,
traditional and modern, set a new standard for the reintegration of the arts.
Noguchi
Born in Los Angeles, California, to an American mother and a Japanese father, Noguchi lived in Japan
until the age of thirteen, when he moved to Indiana. While studying pre-medicine at Columbia
University, he took evening sculpture classes on New York’s Lower East Side, mentoring with the
sculptor Onorio Ruotolo. He soon left the University to become an academic sculptor.
In 1926 Noguchi saw an exhibition in New York of the work of Constantin Brancusi’s that profoundly
changed his artistic direction. With a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, Noguchi went to Paris,
and from 1927 to 1929 worked in Brancusi’s studio. Inspired by the older artist’s reductive forms,
Noguchi turned to modernism and a kind of abstraction, infusing his highly finished pieces with a
lyrical and emotional expressiveness, and with an aura of mystery.
Noguchi
Noguchi
Noguchi
Interim 1:
Create an abstract sculptural form out of paper
The object must be at least 1’ in height by 6” width in both
directions
The object must be upright and balanced
The paper must have folds
You may cut the paper
You may not use glue or tape
Interim 2:
Recreate a replica or your interpretation of the Venus of Willendorf sculpture out of clay
The object must be at least 3" H x 2.5" W x 2.5"D (use carving tools and/or your hands)
The object must be upright and balanced
The object must be sculptural from all sides-Consider all sides as you form the Venus
You will be employing both additive and subtractive techniques
You will form the object in full (in the round) but after you have completed the form you will hollow it out
or cut it in half. In order to fire the work in the ceramic kiln the object cannot be too thick. The form may
explode due to trapped moisture and or air bubbles.
Watch this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNP6XRLbYWo
Interim 3:
Coil, Pinch and Slab Constructions out of clay.
You will make one of each type of clay method.
Pinch Pot
Coil construction
Slab construction
Summative: Getting Started
❏ Make several sketches of your ideas for making your own non-objective
sculpture. You may start from an image you see on this PowerPoint or from
visual research on the Internet.
❏ Check your final ideas with me
❏ Decide whether you will work in Plaster or Clay:
They both require time-Plaster you have to cast and carve-subtractive
methods-carving away
Clay-mold into a shape using additive and subtractive methods-Slow drying
time and careful planning.
❏ Construct a Non-Objective Sculpture that is no more than 1’Hx1’Wx1’D
and no less than 6”Hx6”Wx6”D
Summative Requirements
Your Sculpture must be or have the following:
Incorporation of the listed Elements and Principles of Design-See Next Slide
Consideration of quality craftsmanship versus sloppy carelessness- Good

Craftsmanship often requires more time and care and is always visibly easy to
recognize
No more than 1’Hx1’Wx1’D- No less than 6”Hx6”Wx6”D

Elements of Art and Principles of Design
● Shape/Form-Shape is 2D and Form is 3D (you can have both)

● Mass/Volume-The mass and/or volume an object physically takes or implies
● Space-How the object uses or interacts with the space around it-Positive and Negative
Space-Carved Holes and Spaces
● Movement- How the object implies visual movement for the viewer to follow
● Texture-Surface is applied in either a unified, random or patterned design
● Unity-Are the varying parts unified to make a whole or is the object visually disjointed
● Balance-Is the sculpture well balanced visually and physically (Asymmetrical,
Symmetrical, and radial balance to consider)
Remember:
Non-objective Art:
Art which does not seek to depict an object or figure from

the physical world, but which instead arranges surfaces,
shapes, forms and colors and in the process goes one step
beyond abstraction.
Rubric:
Composition
Craftsmanship
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Click Here for Rubric:

https://docs.google.com/a/region-12.org/document/d/1xq5D
J5a4pD6JxucYwcevqpeaY9U1P9HdX0CYuBLS2Zs/edit
Alternative Artist Inspiration
Louise Nevelson
Louise Nevelson inspired student work
Student work
Student work continued
Elements of Sculpture: Line, Plane, Volume
Line-Line is the most basic element of form. The fundamental characteristic
of line is direction and primary dimension is length. Although all lines in 3D
space have some width and depth, these dimensions are dominated by length.
Lines may be implicit or explicit, or a combination of both.
Plane- The fundamental characteristic of plane is surface. Planes are
formal elements that have width and length. The surface of a plane may be flat
smooth, modulated, textured and/or folded. Planes can be implicit or explicit.
Volume- The dominant characteristic of volume is that it occupies space.
Volume also, like line and plane, may be explicit or implicit. Lines and planes
imply volumes by delineating the boundaries or surface of space. Consider
Deborah Butterfield’s Rondo. The network of linear elements combine to create
implicit planes, which in turn work together to imply a substantial implicit
volume.
Project Due:
Now!
Resources
http://www.noguchi.org/noguchi/biography

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Unit 1 Pre-assessment

Create an abstract work out of cardboard,

Use can use the green mats, box cutters, hot

Implicit Volume: To imply a volume...Not a solid

Beyond Abstraction: Non-Objective Sculpture

Non-objective Art: Art which does not seek to depict an

Watch this link:

Incorporation of the listed Elements and Principles of Design-See Next Slide

Consideration of quality craftsmanship versus sloppy carelessness- Good

No more than 1’Hx1’Wx1’D- No less than 6”Hx6”Wx6”D

● Shape/Form-Shape is 2D and Form is 3D (you can have both)

Art which does not seek to depict an object or figure from

Click Here for Rubric:

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