The tree jewelry at Olbrich Gardens in Madison, WI was the inspiration for this project. Our tree jewelry will include a journalling component to help illustrate our Artificial Obsolescence theme.
The Hope side of the project will feature the Sculpture, Chairs, and Installation projects. It hopes to illuminate positive solutions for the problems posed in Current Trends.
The sculpture project is loosely based on Matisses’ cut-outs.
Part of the Tree Jewelry project will be to ‘tag’ some of the found objects. There are many artists working today that utilize text in a variety of ways. Some utilize words as both message sending devices as well as textural elements in art. Other artist’s ‘tag’ public places with symbols. We will use text both as a message sending device and a textural element in the work. We will ‘tag’ our found objects to help illuminate the theme ‘Artificial Obsolescence’.
Keith Haring is an artist who ‘tagged’ public places in New York City with messages of hope.
Here are some examples of artist’s using text in their art:
Jenny Holzer utilizes public places to send messages.
Jenny Holzer
The Living Series: It takes a while
before you can…, 1980-1982
Enamel on metal: black on white
21 x 23 inches
Edition: 5
Her art capitalizes on vehicles of communication traditionally used for commercial purposes.
Jenny Holzer’s: For the City are light projections of poetry and declassified documents that illuminate landmark New York City buildings in 2005.
Jenny Holzer’s 2004 project
9604 project
Jenny’s work functions both texturally and to communicate messages.
This is an example of how we are going to tag our jewelry. Some words will be used to communicate messages and others will be used as a textural device. The students have all sorts of cool ideas on how to illustrate their views on our theme ‘Artificial Obsolescence’.
Here is an example of text being used on an object to send a message by Lisa Higby LeFevre.
This is an example of text being used as a textural element in a painting by Lisa Kastello.
Sasha’s got a project that will actually be installed on the Hope side of the project but it is a great example of utilizing text to send a message.
She is using both visuals and words to illustrate her interpretation of the Hope side of the project.
Ms. Kastello talks about the meaning of artificial obsolescence.
Advanced 2-D art students brainstorm and plan what their tagging will entail.
Ms. Kastello sorts through found objects that have been collected by the students.
There will be plenty of neat objects to make the tree jewelry.
These works are assemblages created from basic shape drawing exercises and then constructed from found materials.
Mushrooms by Carlos.
The following are students thoughts on their projects.
Our installation project will be influenced by the artist Andy Goldsworthy. Here’s some of his work which was featured in Scholastic Art, April/May 2005. There is a great documentary of his work, “Rivers and Tides”. Check it out.
Rowan leaves laid around hole, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, 25 October, 1987 © Andy Goldsworthy
“When I’m working with materials it’s not just the leaf or the stone, it’s the processes that are behind them that are important.” -Andy Goldsworthy
Andy only uses materials found in mother nature in his work.
If he needs glue, he uses frozen water. He refers to this frozen spiral – made by attaching individual icicles with water – as the “tree’s soul.”
Reconstructed icicles around a tree, 28 December, 1995. Glen Marlin Falls, Dumphrieshire, Scottland. © Andy Goldsworthy
“When I touch a rock, I am touching and working the space around it.” -Andy Goldsworthy
Broken pebbles / scratched white with another stone, June, 1985, St. Abbs, The Borders © Andy Goldsworthy
Blue pebbles rubbed with red stones to make edge, St. Abbs, The Borders, June 1984. © Andy Goldsworthy
Goldsworthy spends hours perfecting his compositions, like this floating work made from iris leaves and red berries.
Iris blades pinned together with thorns, 29 August, 1987. © Andy Goldsworthy
Nearly every color hue in the rainbow, from warm to cool, can be found in this vertical line of leaves.
Cherry leaves, Swindale Beck Wood, Cumbria, November 1984. © Andy Goldsworthy
Japanese maple leaves stitched together to make a floating chain, Ouchiyama-Mura, Japan 21-22 November 1987. © Andy Goldsworthy
On May 23 we will preview the video “Rivers and Tides”. On Friday, May 26 the students will be travelling to Distinctive Gardens to create their environmental installations on site. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain!
The following are student thoughts on the environment and their project prior to it’s exectution.
The garden chairs will be inspired by the artwork of Peter Max.
“Max Giving the Light”
“The Guru”
“My Space Rainbow”
The following are student thoughts on their projects. They started by doing pencil drawings of their ideas. Then they voted on the top 10 designs to be painted on the chairs. Here are their thoughts on their idea drawings… and then some. 
