ARCHITECTURAL LETTERS
Robert Indiana ( American, b.1928), bor n Robert Cl ark in New Castle, Indi ana, adopt ed t he name of his
home stat e as a ps eudonym earl y i n his car eer. Aft er studyi ng at t he Art Institut e of Chicago, Indiana
moved to New York, where he bec ame a prominent member of the Pop Art movement.
Indi ana defi ned himself as a “sign paint er” because of his pref erence f or iconic images of numbers and
letters, oft en t aken from t he American signs around hi m. He is best known for his LOVE pai ntings and
sculptur es, whic h have come to r epr esent peace i nternati onall y. Indiana’s inter est in politics and soci al
issues, whic h separ ates hi m from ot her Pop artists, is evi dent i n numerous works, includi ng
his YIELD pai nti ngs, the Conf eder acy seri es from 1965–1966, and the more r ecent Peac e painti ngs. He
is repres ent ed by numerous gall eries such as Gal eri e Gmur zynska i n Zurich, Switzerl and and Paul
Kasmi n Galler y in New Yor k, NY.
In 1978, t he artist left New York Cit y to settl e on t he i sland of Vinalhaven, near t he c oast of Mai ne,
where he li ves and works today.
Jaume Plensa
JAUME PLENSA (Spain, 1955) is one of the world's foremost sculptors working in the public space, with over 30 projects
spanning the globe in cities such as Chicago, Dubai, London, Liverpool, Nice, Tokyo, Toronto and Vancouver.
Over the past 25 years, the artist has produced a rich body of work in the studio and the public realm. By combining
conventional sculptural materials (glass, steel, bronze, aluminum) with more unconventional media (water, light, sound,
video), and frequently incorporating text, Plensa creates hybrid works of intricate energy and psychology. From his delicately
textured, intimate works on paper—like his 2005-06 series of ethnographic portraits that resemble worn, 19th century
photographs—to monumental outdoor sculptures like Nomade (2007) and a range of cityscape-altering public projects like
the Crown Fountain in Chicago (2000-05), Plensa's work takes many forms.
Plensa's work is invested in evoking emotion and stimulating intellectual engagement. By posing conceptual dualities in his
work (inside/outside, front/back, light/dark), Plensa seeks to connect with his viewers on an intuitive level. Often, the viewer
participation, or the object/viewer relationship, is what completes Plensa's work.
Marianne Csaky, a Hungarian-born (b. 1959) artist currently lives and works in Budapest and Brussels, and spent
longer periods of time in Korea and in China as a resident artist exhibiting her work, teaching at universities and
holding presentations.
She works with different media: photo, video, painting, sculpture, embroidery, installation. Trained in arts as well as
cultural anthropology and literature. After completing her M.A. she studied multimedia design/development and video
art. Since the very start of her career Csaky has been known for her non-mainstream forms of expression, her
unconventional and provocative images.
Create a three-dimensional letter with a unique style. What kind of mood or idea do you want to
convey with your sculpture? What aspects of your life or personality would you like to
incorporate into your design?
PROCESS
Step 1: Decide on a font. Look at examples online or in Microsoft Word. Think about the line
quality. What words would you use to describe it? Do you want your lines to be simple or
elaborate? Will your lines be geometric or organic? Make 3 sketches of the shape or your
letter. Because this will be a sculpture you will need to consider how you will make your letter
free standing and keep it physically balanced. You also will want to consider how it will touch
the table. For example, a shape that completely rests on the surface is not as visually
interesting as one that touches only in a couple of points. Think also about the negative shapes
created by your letter and how the letter will take up space.
Step 2: What other elements will you bring into your design? What other shapes will be added
onto the design? Will shapes extend off of the edges? Will there be a surface texture? Will
your design be painted on? Will you use a combination of techniques? Gather references for
imagery either in your sketchbook or on a site such as Pinterest. Sketch out an idea in your
sketchbook using colored pencils to plan your design.
Step 3: Draw out your letter on a large piece of chipboard. Cut out using an exact-o knife and a
self-healing mat or use scissors, depending on the complexity of your letter. (Note: It is helpful
to have most areas larger than the width of the cups we will be using, however the cups can be
cut and used as support as long as you maintain part of the curve of the cup to maintain its
strength.) After you have cut out one side, trace the letter onto a second piece of chipboard and
cut out.
Step 4: Use Styrofoam cups between the two layers to add depth to your sculpture. If areas are
smaller than the width of the cup, you can cut the cup as long as you keep the curve. You can
also use additional pieces of chipboard to brace the two sides. Use hot glue to attach the cups.
Step 5: Use duct tape to seal the edge of your letter between the front and back. Make sure to
maintain the depth throughout so that your letter will stay balanced.
Step 6: Paper-mache the entire surface of your letter. Overlap pieces and smooth out so that
you have a well finished surface to paint.
Step 7: Add any additional three-dimensional elements using chipboard, paper-mache, etc.
Step 8: Gesso the entire surface
Step 9: Use acrylic paints and various techniques to finish your letter.
Architectural Letter Rubric
3D Studio Art II
Mrs.Brown
Name__________________________________________________ Class Code________________
CRITERIA
(WHAT WAS EXPECTED)
EXCEEDS
EXPECTATIONS
(100-90)
MET
EXPECTATIONS
(89-80)
APPROACHING
EXPECTATIONS
(79-70)
DID NOT MEET
REQUIRED
EXPECTATIONS/IN
COMPLETE
(69 AND UNDER)
10-9
8-9
7-8
6 or below
10-9
8-9
7-8
6 or below
10-9
8-9
7-8
6 or below
10-9
8-9
7-8
6 or below
10-9
8-9
7-8
6 or below
SELF
TEACHER
SCORE
SCORE
Your total
Teacher’s total
/50
/50
Line/Form:
A solid base form was
created and constructed.
Features/details are added
to accentuate the line
quality of the font.
Space/Balance:
The sculpture uses both
positive and negative space
to activate the area in which
it stands. The sculpture is
freestanding and stands on
the surface in a visually
interesting way. The piece is
physically and visually
balanced.
Surface Design:
Additional elements have
been built onto the surface,
added as a texture or
painted on the surface to
communicate the
mood/idea of the sculpture.
Craftsmanship/Media:
Work is well built. Time and
care has been taken in the
planning of the design as
well as the construction and
painting. Edges and the
surface are clean and
smooth. Attention has
been paid to details.
Effort:
Used class time effectively,
followed directions, paid
attention to central ideas of
the lesson, cleaned up work
space.
Total Points:
Grade: