Jen Vojt, Student Work

Les Miserables

Plywood, Balsa wood, wood glue, nails, flowers, towel cloth, Rit fabric dye, 

string, paper, Walnut Ink set (Java, Terra Cotta, and Walnut), 

Micron pens, red and black acrylic paint, twine. 

15" x 10" x 3"

The exterior of the box is made from plywood and a distress stain made from a mixture of ink and water. The box is not sanded, and it has exposed seams and nails, along with chunks of glue and imperfections. The box is meant to be rough due to the war that occurs, but it is also uniform and seems like an old, distressed box, similar to one from the French Revolution. 

When the box opens, the black underside of the lid reveals four triangular sections which intersect in the middle. The triangles represent the love triangle in the story along with the intersecting storylines and generational connections among the characters. Each section is dense and cluttered, similar to how the movie itself has a lot of information and intricacies. 

The section with the bundle of twine represents family, specifically the relationship between Cosette and Valjean. The long, continuous twine is distressed and frayed, yet strong and unbreakable; symbolizing the bond between father and daughter. The long strand is made up of two strings kept together by knots. Attached to each knot, is a tag with song lyrics.  "Suddenly you're here... suddenly it starts... can two anxious hearts beat as one?" Valjean sings this song when he adopts Cosette after the death of her mother, Fantine. The viewer must unravel the string to read the song lyrics. 

The section with the red pouches represents loss and sacrifice, specifically Fantine's sacrifice for Cosette. The bright red color represents the Red Light district that Fanzine was a part of, and is suggestive of  the intense love she had for her daughter; she sacrifices herself for her daughter. Eight pouches, made to look dirty and worn, are literally stuffed in this section. There is a tag attached to each pouch with the words, "Now life has killed the dream I dreamed." These are lyrics to the song "I Dreamed A Dream" that Fantine sings after she becomes a prostitute in order to make money for her daughter. 

There is a secret component to red pouch section. If the viewer takes out the pouches, underneath is a red cloth with additional song lyrics .

I dreamed a dream in times gone by, when hope was high and life worth living. I dreamed that love would never die... I dreamed that God would be forgiving... Then I was young and unafraid, and dreams were made and used and wasted. There was no ransom to be paid, no song unsung, no wine untasted.

This discovery is meant to be a note from Fantine, before she was tainted by the world and forced to sacrifice her life for her daughter. The pouches hold her sacrifices: her hair, teeth, body, and ultimately her soul. The pouches cover up her dreams, and represent giving away pieces of ourselves for the ones we love. 

The section with the broken wood and furniture represents the barricades and the carnage of war. The wood is dark, splintered, and dirty with a reddish splatter to evoke blood and dirt. The chair tagged "Empty" represents loss and mourning. Marius sings the song "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" upon returning from the war and receiving the news that his friends were killed in the war. 

The section with dead flowers represents love, specifically the love triangle between Eponine, Marius, and Cosette. The dead  flowers are arranged to appear cluttered and dense. Tags with the words, "Rain will make the flowers..." are attached to the flowers. The words reflect Eponine's last words after she sacrificed herself by taking a bullet for Marius during the war. The dead flowers never grew, just as Eponine would never grow and blossom. 

A few in process pictures.

Korey Nelson, Student Work

Memento

Red Oak Wood

2" x 2" x 2"

My memento represents a place in my childhood - my grandmothers house. Through the use of texture and material, I aimed to call forward the memories of my grandmother's wooden porch outside her house. The shape and structure of the sculpture represents the handicap ramp and the overall structure of the area. The smell of the location, which is so foreign to me now that I could not begin to describe it, was an aspect of the piece I wanted to include. The red oak used provided a strong smell that was substituted for the original smell of the location. The warm and welcoming smell of a strong wood added emotional depth to the structure and connected it through time and space to an event in my past that was incredibly specific. Furthermore, the use of the fragmented and bridge-like form of the memento worked well in representing a porch deck, one that is inconsistent, uneven, but stable.

Korey Nelson, Student Work

No Country for Old Men

Gray and Brown cardstock paper, binding glue, wood, metal wire, string, masking tape

5" x 15" x 3"

I wanted to convey the hard reality of existence and the incredible thematic contrast the movie has. The outside of the box is a stiff, plain shell; simple and straightforward. I used this aspect to convey some of the meaning delivered by the movie's antagonist, Chigurh. The manic and determinist philosophy the antagonist arms himself with is crucial to the film's thematic structure.

The inside of the box is split down the center with objects on either side. The concept expressed here is that while any one object may fall into a separate category, the objects are still a part of the collective whole, the box. The duality that separates us is invented in the wake of the prospect that we exist wholistically under one category: the box. The box represents existence, our life, and no matter what side of the coin your fate ends up on, you have still become a physical manifestation of existence.

The items inside the box represent multiple characters and ideals throughout the film. The use of wooden and natural material is a call back to the natural and rigid landscape and setting of the film, making use of a desert environment and the determinist philosophy such an environment harbors. The string represents the predetermined duration of life. The interpretations from these items are endless and their simplicity lends itself to the greater message of the piece: despite our unknowing involvement, we all participate in existence and the determinist vision that fragments the world as we know it is all-encompassing and, through simplicity, explains everything.

Stanley Vasaris Balzekas, Artist

Balsa Wood

Source link here. 

Artist Unknown

The Balsa Wood Assignment asks you to incorporate masking tape. The above artwork is a good example of the many ways you can use masking tape as a design element to make sculpture.

Note: Please contact lmongiovi@flagler.edu if you know the artist of this artwork. 

Pia Mannikko, Artist

One of the required materials for the Balsa Wood Sculpture Assignment is Masking Tape. Check out how this artist uses the material.

piamannikko.com

Erik Palmquist, Artist

erikpalmquist.myportfolio.com

Robert Rauschenberg, Artist

Untitled

1953

Wood box with lid and removable balsa wood-and-fabric cube

Box with lid 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 x 7 1/8" (18 x 18 x 18 cm), cube 5 5/8 x 5 5/8 x 5 5/8" (14.2 x 14.2 x 14.2 cm)Source is Museum of Modern Art. Link here. 

Ross Tanner, Artist

Left to right: Visual Economy, Dominance and, Directional Thrust

Source

https://www.deviantart.com/rvtanner/art/Balsa-Wood-Project-pt-1-289683050

Amy Joy Watson, Artist

Bad Spots, 2017, balsa wood, watercolour and metallic thread, 48 x 50 x 70 cm

Untitled, 2011, balsa wood, watercolour, polyester thread, 140 x 150 x 130cm

Untitled, 2011, balsa wood, watercolour, Indian ink, polyester thread, glow-in-dark pigment, pine, 50 x 52 x 52 cm

Moon Rock, 2016, balsa wood, watercolour, metallic thread, 420 x 520 x 420mm

amyjoywatson.com

Student Blogs, Spring 2019

9:00 am, Section A
Alice Araujo
Ben Becker
Torrie Bordes
Faith Castro
Crystal Dawson
Perri Funk
Katelyn Gummere
Jordan Kenefick
Lauren LaRue
Amanda Marable
Hannah Mattaliano
Hallie McConnell
Hannah McCowan
Matthew McNees
Deonna Miller
Sam Stone
Ya Yang


1:00 pm, Section B
Jillian Bauer
Sam Bolanos
Bri Briody
Meghan Deakins
Jess Denman
Madison Friduss
Tyler Grant
Jasper Kilmartin
Chase Lorenz
Julia Manze
Jacob Ross
Brittney Stone
Serina Stratton
Savannah Tappan
Mike Welsh
Jon'Quasia Wilson

Rich Savidge, Student Work

The Shining fluxus box is meant to provide an experience of eeriness and isolation.

I approached my fluxus box for the Shining by researching color. The Shining has a distinct color pallet throughout the film, and everything Stanley Kubrick did while filming the movie is done for a reason. I wanted to make the box reflect that. 

The Overlook Hotel's carpet pattern that is featured throughout the film is disorienting and bold. I made sure that the entire outside of my box was decorated with that pattern to immediately be disturbing. I wanted people exploring the box to feel uneasy before they even open it. 

Upon opening the box there are six compartments filled with symbolic items from the movie. Blue ribbons representing the twin girls who haunt the Overlook's hallways, a container filled with blood, an Overlook keyring for the dreaded room 237, some snow, a picture frame featuring an old photo from the Overlook's past, and typewriter keys that represent Jack Torrance and his career as a writer.

Lastly, the lid of the box features a mirror with the word "redrum" scrawled across it. The mirror forces the viewer to see only himself, creating the illusion of loneliness. You are alone now, with the box.

The best feature is that the upper layer of the box is removable revealing the iconic hedge maze for which the Overlook was famous. The hedge maze featured at the bottom of the box drives home the feeling of cold and isolation. Jack Torrance's figure is stranded at the center of the maze, covered in freezing snow, as is everything else. 

Danielle Rohter, Student Work

“Blue Bird”

balsa wood, blue acrylic paint, blue feathers

Height: 2 1/2”

Length: 6”

Width: 2 3/4”

Jennifer Vojt, Student Work

Abby Richardson, Student Work

Kate Barker, Student Work

Winding Roads, Balsa, Tape, 7"x 9"

Rachel Lee, Student Work

Title: 'Funky Bee Keeper'

Principle of Design: Pattern

Materials: Balsa Wood, Wood Glue, Found Wood (from an old door), Masking Tape, and Hot Glue.

Dimensions: 15" x 13.5" x 7" (Width" x Height" x Depth")

Title: 'Chaos Contained'

Principle of Design: Repetition

Materials: White and Brown Paper, Packaging Tape, Found Wood Pieces, and Hot Glue.

Dimensions: 8" x 9" x 4" (Width" x Height" x Depth")

I was inspired by encapsulating the feeling of having to hold all of your thoughts and emotions on the inside while not letting it show from the outside (and the repetitive nature of this action). From this idea I was interested in the relationships that could be created with clear packaging tape and paper. I tore up pieces of paper and let them soak in water overnight. While letting the pieces of paper dry, I started to make sheets of the packaging tape and found a template of a multi-faced triangular form. I then used the template to cut out both the paper and packaging tape forms. Before sealing the packaging tape forms, I thought it would be a nice addition to show repetition by adding the soaked paper into the form itself.