Design
Your cohort did an outstanding job this assignment. Many of you may have wondered WHY you
were being asked to do this assignment. Data for your consideration. Over 75% of the data
intake for our contemporary students is taken in through images. Yes, over 75%!!! Teachers
are competing with the Xbox, UTube, Avatar, even their cell phones etc. etc. etc. If your
curriculum materials are not visually attractive, you are ignoring a strategy which is critically
important.
ARTISTS ARE NOT BORN. THEY ARE MADE THROUGH PRACTICE OF SKILL SETS…
JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DISCIPLINE. YOU CAN NOT IMAGINE HOW IGNORANT YOU
SOUND WHEN YOU SAY: “ I’M JUST NOT CREATIVE”. YOU CAN NOT SAY THAT ANY
MORE THAN YOU CAN SAY : “I JUST DON’T DO MATH” OR “I HAVE NO INTEREST IN
HISTORY”. PLEASE SEE FOLLOWING at * FOR TIPS ON HOW TO CHANGE THE
“DRAW A PONY” PERCEPTION OF CREATIVITY WHICH WAS IMPOSED ON YOU IN
YOUR GRADE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (PROBABLY) *
THE PONY SYNDROME. You all remember the “art stars” in school. Those were
the people who could draw a pony which looked like a pony. Usually, about first
grade or so, the teacher would anoint these children who could draw realistically,
“CREATIVE”. All the rest of the children (maybe you) started to say , “I’m not
creative”. What a tragedy. With digital technologies, no one needs to draw
anymore. If you understand the elements and principles of art- you can make
attractive curriculum materials. If you can think metaphorically- YOU CAN
MAKE ART. I anoint YOU as creative… from here on out. GO MAKE ART.
Lawyers. Accountants. Computer programmers. That’s what our parents encouraged us to
become in order to be successful when we grew up. But Mom and Dad might need to re-think
for our current situation. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very
different kind of mind. The era of “left brain” dominance and the Information Age that it
engendered, is giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities-inventiveness,
empathy, meaning, riskiness, curiosity - predominate. Do you have the skills necessary to help
your students develop their minds for the 21st century?
Body image is certainly a very pertinent topic. The trend towards androgyny is concerning for
me on several levels but surgical alteration of body parts and the starved look (with the
combination of angry looks) which predominate the fashion industry is the most alarming. Is life
that bad?
As you start thinking about your final sculpture… you are going to move into 3-D metaphor
making and move up at least three steps in sophistication and attention getting strategies AND
select a message and images appropriate to your community. Select an oppressed group and
wait until AFTER we do the data intake on GLBT to start planning.
Stay away from trite “duh” message. Yes, we should all play nice. Yes, melanin should not
matter. BUT IT DOES. How will YOU change that? We MUST move beyond tolerance to a
REAL belief that there are many valid worldviews. We should all act in a considerate way to each
other. We should not create elite groups and shut others out but we do it all the time. You need
to add an AHA.. .a surprise which will make the viewer step back and re-think their views on
your topic. Your sculpture needs an EDGE. Your goal is to CREATE COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE.
Sculpture Tips:
Make your message powerful for your sculpture. Repetitive design moves your eye around the
page and the colors bring your eyes to the lightest spot. Several of you missed this opportunity
in your 2-D design. Make the HR connection subtle in your 3-D sculpture final-TRY NOT TO
CHEAT WITH WORDS ON THE SCULPTURE. We will work one-on-one as you develop your
proposal.
HOWEVER, Try to make the artists' statement a work of art in itself.... rather than just a
deconstruction. Incorporate the artist’s statement into the overall design of the sculpture.
You may deconstruct your image a bit but try to make the artists’ statement a work of literature.
Presentation , presentation, presentation!! Develop a text extension of your powerful visual
Human Relations message.
Feedback book. Again… this is part of your sculpture and part of your grade. Presentation ,
presentation, presentation!! You may want to consider incorporating your artist’s statement in
your feedback book. If you are a summer student and submitting digitally, the message board
on the Wiki will fill this criteria.
I would like to have you reflect on how this visual metaphor assignment challenged your ability
to deliver your human relations message. Earn 10 bonus points by displaying your sculpture in
the community BEFORE the final F2F show (or Wiki report out).
See attached for several outstanding Design submissions.
Reminder of Criteria: Create a design using 3 elements of design and 3 principles of design 33 points
Create a design delivering a visual metaphor message 33 points
Create an artists’ statement. 33 points
1% WOW Factor
Student Gems:
Manuel Cuevas
Design Project
Title: "Fenced out or fenced in?” by Manuel Cuevas
Artist's Statement
I can't afford Photoshop, so I took photographs and cut them up, pasted them together, then
scanned it back in to my computer, drew on it and finally I manipulated it with some apps on my
iPad. I really enjoyed the process.
I have always thought the idea of a fence along the US/Mexican border is absurd. I find it
amazing that people who are born one inch to one side or the other can have such different lives.
Why do some people risk their lives for the chance at happiness in the US and others take every
measure possible to prevent these people from entering “their” country? What is the intent of a
fence? Does it keep people out? Does it keep people safe from intruders? Does it protect the
American way of life? Why are only certain people allowed in?
I have had many thoughts about the topic, but mostly the main idea I keep returning to is: are we
actually fencing these people in? Is the mentality that these people are subhuman? That they
should be contained like animals and are not to be trusted? My work is a visual metaphor to this
predicament. Many Americans see stereotypical Mexicans as eager and desperate individuals
looking for the first opportunity to invade American soil. Fences are erected to keep out the
foreigners. I also placed a door in the middle of the field to signify that there is more there than
what meets the eye. People tend to see only the outside and what is immediately visible. They
see the façade and nothing more. If people took the time to get to know each other and move
beyond the front door, they will realize that most every person has something to offer and that
every group of people is as diverse, unique, interesting and beautiful as the next.
Elements of Design:
1. Color - I used a lens filter and film tint to produce cool colors (Blue and Green) and give the
picture a sense of unity.
2. Texture - I used an aged parchment paper texture to give the photo an antique feel. I also used
a textured border to give the picture a weathered look.
3. Value or Tone - I used muted colors to produce a monotone image. Again, adding to the aged
feel of the piece.
Principles of Design:
1. Emphasis - The main emphasis of the picture is the Mexican man to the right of the frame.
Although this is the central focus, the barbed wire also moves the eye to other areas of the
picture.
2. Repition - The barbed wire and radius lines are repeated throughout the picture, giving the
picture movement, unity and harmony.
3. Depth - The barbed wire overlaps the main subject. The background contains a grassland and
a door. The horizon is also evident. These items give the picture depth.
Laura McClanahan
Laura McClanahan
For my art work 3 elements of design, I chose to emphasize: shape, space and line. (I also was thinking about color.)
For my 3 principles of design I chose to use: movement, variety and emphasis.
Shape: the lines and edges created by the boxes and words.
Space: the positive spaces are the sayings and pictures, the negative space is the open spaces between them.
Line: the words and their directions create the visual lines.
Movement: the placement and angles of the words and pictures flow from the top to the bottom.
Emphasis: the two points of attraction are the pictures.
Variety: the different fonts, sizes and colors.
Artist statement: I made a collage of sayings that I placed in a seemingly random pattern. My intention was to
signify the way life can turn and change directions. It is also to show how we must not get stuck in a rut or become
complacent in our 'comfort zones'. The sayings are both sides of the issue, being safe by following the rules of
society or culture and being willing to step out of that security in order to grow as a person.
Elizabeth McGarry
Artist’s Statement
There are many processes in the natural world that cannot be fully understood without studying them from multiple
levels of biological organization – viewing the “whole picture.” The importance of the bacteria in this pea nodule
(shown in the bottom left corner) could not be fully appreciated without considering the plant they inhabit or the
environment the plant grows in. The necessity of integrating all parts to understand the whole applies to all of us as
human individuals as well. In order to properly understand and communicate with each other, we need to search out
all the small facets and try to see the whole – the individual – without first assumptions based on the most obvious
or accessible information.
Elements
Color – I contrasted the cool colors of the pea flowers and the blue mountains with the warm yellow of the lines to
draw attention to the scaling up motion from the pea nodule to the landscape view.
Line – The root nodule, flower, and landscape are formed into a continuous line to show the interrelationship of each
part with the others.
Shape – I chose to circle the bacteria in the pea root nodule to first focus on the small detail, then expand outward to
the rectangle encompassing the flower and the landscape to show the importance of different view points and parts
of the whole.
Principles
Harmony – The most important point in this image is that each part is related to the others and equally dependent on
the others. All must be viewed together to allow for a more accurate and complete understanding.
Emphasis – The pea nodule is the original emphasis because it is the first piece of information the viewer focuses
on, but cannot understand until seeing the flower and the ecosystem of the mountains. This stresses the point of not
basing assumptions or judgments off of one part of a system.
Unity – Each picture represents the same pea plant, but at varying viewpoints. The bacteria are inside the plant, the
flowers make up the structure of the plant, and the landscape shows the system and the environment they live in.
Sources
Pea root nodule:
Burgess, J. Pea root nodule with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Science Photo Library. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/13083/enlarge
Wild vetch flower and mountain landscape:
Montucky. (2008). Montana Outdoors. Retrieved from http://montucky.wordpress.com/tag/wild-pea/
Elizabeth McGarry, Human Relations, Spring 2012
Leah Irmiter
Our society is inundated with the notion that there is a pill for everything that ails you. This
image depicts that there is a whole side to the industry that the public doesn’t acknowledge.
Greed. Acceptable losses and side effects ignored so that the industry can tell us that there is
something wrong with us that they can fix. They sell us more drugs to offset the side effects of
the original drugs and the cycle continues. The color void tree trunk and the coffin are the most
important elements of this image. They should represent the provision of nutrients and the final
and valued end of life. Instead, they are void of value and the man is using the coffin to reach
the money. Who should we believe to inform us of how to live healthy?
Kristian Melaas
Why Only One Woman? By Kirstin Melaas
Artist Statement: I wanted to create a design that challenged the American ideal female image. I
used images of Somali, Old, African-American, Cuban, Mexican, Japanese, Hmong, Athletes,
Judges, Poets, Downs-syndrome musicians, Muslim and Jewish women to make up my
challenge. Barbie, and specifically, Malibu Barbie, the California bleach blonde ideal has been
marketed to little girls since before I came along. The single ideal does not represent the vast
array of women out there who come in all shapes and sizes. I got the message early on that
blonde hair and blue eyes were worth more than my dark brown hair and green eyes any day of
the week. Tan skin was preferable to my pale skin that would burn and peel.
I used the design principles of variation and unity. The fact that they are all women in the
images offers a sense of unity but the uniqueness of their faces offers variation in the same
element. I overlapped the images on text "THINK" instead of overlapping the images
themselves- this lets each stand out while the text images gives it a form. I used an asymmetrical
balance to help emphasize the part I found most important. I gave visual weight to the top to
stress the fact that there are endless ways for women to look and they overshadow the one ideal.
Often the media makes us feel it is the other way around. I left the background white to allow the
colors of the women to pop. I chose soft colors for the text for the same idea that the images are
what you should notice the message is there but you enter through the images. I like the way the
text connects the images but doesn’t overpower them.
Glenn D’Amour
Food and Life: beyond merely nourishing the body, what we eat and
with whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the bonds between
individuals, communities, and even countries. The Meaning of Food
Bread: Is it kosher, does it matter? I would say that it matters to the 3
million Jews who keep kosher, and the millions more Muslims and health
conscious folks who appreciate the implied quality and purity of kosher
foods.
Chicken Soup: "And Tom brought him chicken soup until he wanted to
kill him. The lore has not died out of the world, and you will still find
people who believe that soup will cure any hurt or illness and is no bad
thing to have for the funeral either."-John Steinbeck East of Eden
Oysters: as" I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their
faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only
the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drink their cold liquid
from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I
lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans" Ernest
Hemingway, a Moveable Feast
Jam: "The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday but never jam today"
Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass
Obento: Enjoy the art of Obento, as a Japanese mother makes her
preschoolers their lunch with rice
Chicken sacrifice: Used by May Ying at her Hmong American wedding
ceremony. Also used in the shamanic ritual performed called ua neeb
kho, performed by a txiv neeb
Some information taken from a PBS site called the meaning of food.
Www.PBS.org/OPB/meaningoffood
elements of design:
Color: I tried to choose colors that had some balance and would be natural with food.
Volume: I chose volume over line although I kept a straight line because word made me
Texture: I wanted to foods with different textures soft, hard, liquid, and growing
Design Principles:
Emphasis: I chose food to be my emphasis because it has been a dominant influence in my life
Unity: I tried to strike a unity in foods that I chose that each one had a strong meaning to either
culture, literature, tradition or family.
Harmony; the layers of foods that I chose would have a sense of harmony at any buffet of an
international dinner.
The Divided States of America
By Nate Uselding
Artist Statement:
The great divide between conservative republicans and liberal democrats has hit an all-time high
in this country in the last four years. Politicians have gone to great extremes to ensure they’re
true members of their respective party and now the country suffers from the great divide in
Washington. What once was called, reaching across the aisle and working together, is now
considered taboo. This rendition of the American Flag poses democrats and republicans facing
off with each other in place of the 50 states. A two-party system that is supposed to create
harmony is now tearing our nation apart. Isn’t democracy great?
Elements:
Color – Red, white, and blue represent the colors of the US Flag and are symbolic to the USA
Space – Consumed by positive space the picture draws you in with the vivid red and white
stripes and the shapes of a donkey and an elephant. Producing a crack between the donkey and
elephant to represent the “divide” creates negative space.
Shape – The geometric shape of a donkey and an elephant are represented to signify the
democratic and republican party, respectfully.
Principles:
Balance - The red and white stripes provide symmetrical balance throughout the picture while
the donkey and elephant are asymmetrical metaphorically and as a principle.
Emphasis – The eye is drawn to the divide between the donkey and the elephant and is
highlighted with a red outline.
Variety – At first glance it looks like an American Flag, but what draws you in is what is in place
of the 50 stars. A different look is created to generate interest.
Renee Deegan
Principles:
Emphasis: I put emphasis on the trusting hand reaching out and the not to be trusted blurred
face. I used the pillars and flag to frame it.
Harmony: All of the components of the image relate to one another and fit together. It is very
intentional looking.
Pattern: The flag and the money have a distinct pattern along with the repetition of the pillars on
each side.
Elements:
Form: I used form because the ‘president’ in the picture appears to be reaching out in 3D form.
I sharpened the focus on the hand and blurred the body and background a bit to give the effect.
Space: There is very little negative space. I tried to fill the entire picture with things pertaining
to the subject matter.
Color: I used my color choices in a very intentional manner. I obviously wanted to have the flag
be true to its colors. I also wanted the money to pop out so I made sure it was green and looked
like money. Everything is symbolic in the picture so I wanted the colors to stand out.
Statement:
The face changes but the agenda stays the same. People put so much hope into one man to
change everything. Every 4 years the election looks more and more like a bad reality TV show.
Everyone obsesses over who the next American Idol is going to be! The bottom line is each
election over the last several decades has leaded us into even more turmoil. We are worse off
than we ever have been and the easiest solution is to blame the man behind the face. After all we
counted on him (or someday her) to save us right? The problem is our presidents are simply a
pawn or a puppet in a much bigger picture. This country is ran by corporations and the
politicians who have their hands in the pockets of those corporations. No matter who the face of
this country is the mission will always remain the same. Remain the number one industrialized
entity in the world and keep the American people motivated to keep turning the wheel through
pie in the sky promises.
Jenny Grotte
Unity: The items works within the entire picture to create balance.
Harmony: The picture needs all of its elements to be a complete picture. Without the
background, or color choice the picture message would be changed.
Emphasis: There is a main picture that works with all the other graphics. Your eye is drawn in
and encouraged to move around the page.
Color: The colors are intentional and meant to generate happy, calm feelings. They are meant to
be visually appealing.
Line: the angles make the picture more interesting and add an element of realism to a drawing.
Shape: The shapes of the clouds are different and again add an element of realism. The graphics
on the balloon have a variety or shapes and sizes.
Statement: When we talk about the changes we want to make as a nation, we often discuss them
with harmony, peace and love. But in truth we are “full of hot air”. We talk about welcoming
people from all over the world, as long as they live like we do and act like we do. We talk about
openly accepting homosexuality and same sex marriage, but we don’t want to hear about it, talk
about it or see it. We talk about everyone being able to practice their own religion, as long as it is
not in my neighborhood, my school or my community. We have great ideas and everything is
“Groovy” but the hidden message is everyone should be themselves, you know, just like me.
Negative Attitudes That Block Creativity
1. : ( Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problem than the
problem itself. Many people avoid or deny problems until it's too late, largely because
these people have never learned the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical
responses.(Conflict Avoidance). If you do not recognize a problem, then no need to take
a risk to solve it. Perhaps if you ignore it long enough, it will go away.
: ) A problem is an opportunity. The most creative people welcome and even seek
out problems, meeting them as challenges and opportunities to improve things.
Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what you have and what you
want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is something better than the current
situation or (3) an opportunity for a positive act. Seeking problems aggressively will
build confidence, increase creativity. Creative people love to meet other people with
different worldviews. There is an opportunity to collect new data!
2. : ( It can't be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By
assuming that something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives
the problem a power or strength it didn't have before. And giving up before starting is, of
course, self fulfilling. But look at the history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics:
man will never fly, diseases will never be conquered, rockets will never leave the
atmosphere, phones must have cords, cars must have gas, Americans must produce a
product, the teachers tell, the students listen.
: ) Creative people say: "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a
little longer."
3. : ( I can't do it. Or There's nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybe the
problem can be solved by some expert, but not by me because I'm not (a) smart enough,
(b) an engineer, or (c) I have never done this before or d) I tried this once and was
unsuccessful.
: ) Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviation
engineers? No, they were bicycle mechanics.
: ) The ball point pen was invented by a printer's proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a
mechanical engineer.
Microsoft was started by a college drop out – Bill Gates- currently the richest man in the
world.
: ) The cotton gin was invented by that well known attorney and tutor, Eli Whitney.
Fact: A good mind with a confident positive attitude and some good problem solving skills
will go far in solving any problem. Interest in and commitment to the problem are the keys.
Motivation--a willingness to expend the effort--is more important than laboratory apparatus.
As Einstein remarked “ Brilliance is 99% perspiration and 1 % inspiration.
4. : ( But I'm not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable
of very high levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine.
The problem is that this creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do
is let it come back to the surface. You will soon discover that you are surprisingly
creative. THE COMMENT “ I’m not creative”. BRINGS ON MY PERSONAL PRIMAL
SCREAM!!! Do not be the teacher that passes on this destructive, ignorant misguided
tradition. Do not say, and do not let your students say, “ I can’t draw a straight line”.
What relevance does that have? Straight lines are boring and can be created by anyone
with a ruler!! Just like realistic images can be created by anyone with a camera!
THE PONY SYNDROME. You all remember the “art stars” in school. Those were
the people who could draw a pony which looked like a pony. Usually, about first
grade or so, the teacher would anoint these children who could draw realistically,
“CREATIVE”. All the rest of the children (maybe you) started to say , “I’m not
creative”. What a tragedy. With digital technologies, no one needs to draw
anymore. If you understand the elements and principles of art- you can make
attractive curriculum materials. If you can think metaphorically- YOU CAN
MAKE ART. I anoint YOU as creative… from here on out. GO MAKE ART.
People seem to accept the fact that to be a skillful musician requires many hours of
practice. That a long distance runner needs to run every day, that a tennis player needs
play tennis, that a good chef needs to cook, that an engineer needs a course of study and
then needs to practice building, WHY don’t we accept that CREATIVE THOUGHT, IN
GENERAL, IS A LEARNED SKILL...NOT A GIFT FROM GOD., A MAGIC FAIRY,
OUR PARENTS OR SOME INTERNAL ANGST OR MAYBE EVEN A MENTAL
ILLNESS!!!
5.
( That's childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often
ridicule the creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. But if you solve a
problem that saves your marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend from
suicide, do you care whether other people describe your route to the solution as
"childish?"
: ) Brainstorming is FUN. Remember that sometimes people laugh when something is
actually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the imagination (read sophistication)
to understand the situation.
6. : ( What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and to be
ordinary, normal. Why is that? There is an actual biological explanation for our comfort
around those like us. They are from the same “tribe”. Tribal mates know the same
cultural rules. Dangerous conflict, being shunned or labeled as an outcast is lessened.
Example: I am from the. Maine tribe. We all talk at once at the dinner table. Usually
about politics and religion. We stand up close and may touch our discussant’s arm if we
are going to bring up an important point. Being called a straight shooter- you say what
you think and you think what you say is the highest form of a complement. Our humor is
very deprecating to others and especially ourselves. Sarcasm and a general disrespect for
authority is standard. The “polite” that Minnesotan culture is so proud of looks like
passive aggression avoidance which interferes with direct communication.
The constant emphasis we see in society is toward the ruthlessly practical and conformist. Even
the wild fashions, from those in Vogue to punk rock, are narrowly defined, and to deviate from
them is considered “wrong” (back to the Paradigms) or ridiculous. Some peoples' herd instinct is
so strong that they make sheep look like radical individualists.
So, what will people think? Well, they're already talking about you, saying that your nose is too
big or your shoes are funny or you date weird people. So, since others are going to talk about you
in unflattering ways anyway, you might as well relax and let your creativity and individualism
flow.
Almost every famous contributor to the betterment of civilization was ridiculed and sometimes
even jailed. Think about Galileo.
: 0 Quotation: "Progress is made only by those who are strong enough to endure being
laughed at." Solutions are often new ideas, and new ideas, being strange, are usually greeted
with laughter, contempt, or both. That's just a fact of life, so make up your mind not to let it
bother you. Ridicule should be viewed as a badge of real innovative thinking.
7. : ( I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent
lamp, tried anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend's beard. In all, he tried
about 1800 things. After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack
of success. He said something like, "I've gained a lot of knowledge--I now know a thousand
things that won't work."
Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and
problem solving.
The cure is to change your attitude about failure. Failures along the way should be expected and
accepted; they are simply learning tools that help focus the way toward success. Not only is there
nothing wrong with failing, but failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt--much better
than inaction. The go-with-the- flow types may never fail, but they are essentially useless to
humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes after a long
struggle.
Suppose you let your fear of failure guide your risk taking and your attempts. You try only three
things in a year because you are sure of succeeding. At the end of the year the score is: Successes
3, Failures 0. Now suppose the next year you don't worry about failing, so you try a hundred
things. You fail at 70 of them. At the end of the year the score is Successes 30, Failures 70.
Which would you rather have--three successes or 30--ten times as many? And imagine what 70
failures will have taught you. Proverb: Mistakes aren't fun, but they sure are educational.