Experiments in Installation
Midterm Project
Thinking Small-Scale: Creating a Miniature Environment
Brainstorming
- Having an installation that evokes the feeling of being in my art class. I would use editing software to compile sound clips, sometimes over lapping, of students talking, working, and moving around in my classroom playing when the container is opened. I feel I need to develop this concept more by deciding how viewers might interact with the contents..
- Using an amazon box or USPS box with unexpected contents, maybe somehow insulating the box and having liquids or some kind of environment or happening inside.
- Using a lunchbox and having viewers consider how the contents are reflection of culture and life experience
- Using a large clear plastic jar and continuing to explore the idea of negative space.
My Sketched
Design Plan
Inspiration
- I wanted viewers to be able to contribute to the installation and add to a sort of conversation over time. I was inspired by an exhibit I experienced at the Denver Art Museum in 2016
https://denverartmuseum.org/article/show-your-feelings-audacious-art-exhibition, where viewers were encourage to share their feelings about the work on display.
Process Photos and Video
I constructed my container using cardboard, plastic poster covers, hot glue, and washitape.
I had originally planned to use an old digital photo frame inside, but used my ipad instead to play video.
After getting feedback from a friend, I decided to add hand/glove holes to make the piece more interactive.
Adding washitape to create cleaner lines and show the multiple levels and compartments more clearly.
Time Lapse of Construction
Miniature Environment
For my midterm installation I created a tiered miniature environment that is meant to simulate a glimpse into my classroom and an unknown future. The intended audience for my work is art educators, though it could also be viewed and experienced by students. Through this installation, I want to encourage viewers to reflect on what they miss most about being in the art room during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also to consider unanswered questions and concerns for the future of art education during this time.
I wanted my mini-environment to be constructed using a transparent material so that viewers would be able to look in through the top and see through multiple layers and sides. In the bottom layer, I added a jumble of crayons to represent the many communal supplies utilized in the art room for collaboration as well as management of both time and resources. On the bottom tier, I added a compartment and reflection question to viewers, “What do you miss about being in your art classroom?” Viewers can write their responses using provided slips of paper and add them into the miniature environment. Responses can be seen through the transparent walls of the container. In the middle section, I have a video playing on an ipad. This can be accessed through hand or glove holes built into the side of the container. To me this represented the new level of space and awareness of hand placement we will have to have in the art room during pandemic. The video inside is initially meant to help viewers conjure up memories and the feeling of being in the pre-pandemic art room. Toward the end of the video, the mood shifts. Mysterious music begins to play and images of communal supplies that may no longer be able to be used appear on the screen. The hope is that viewers then begin to reflect on the top tier of the piece, which includes a mask, hand sanitizer, and thermometer. I included an interactive reflection question on the top tier, “What do you wonder about how COVID-19 will affect art education?”
Through this installation, I wanted to process the many emotions I have about suddenly leaving the art room, moving to virtual teaching, and now waiting and wondering what teaching will be like when I return in the fall. I hope that viewers can have a similar experience, celebrating their own art rooms, mourning lost time with students, working through questions, and seeing the thoughts and emotions of others who participate in this mini-environment. This work of art is very different from what I normally create, but I really enjoyed the process and am happy with the end result. I hope that I have constructed my work in a way that captures the sights and sounds of the art room, encourages participation, and guides viewers in reflecting upon the complex and unknown future for art education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artist's Statement
