Modular Toothpick
Sculptures
Purpose: To create a free
standing linear sculpture
composed of units.
Objectives: Student will design
modular unit using at least 2
toothpicks. Construct as many
modular units as possible with
100 toothpicks. Design sculpture
made from modular units.
Materials: Toothpicks - 100 per
student - zip lock bags wood
glue (or Elmer's glue.
Styrofoam blocks, plaster
gauze spray paint (assorted
colors)
Emphasis:
Line,
negative
space,
movement
and
repetition.
This is a great example of
movement and repetition.
Other student work:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artteac
herroom46/sets/7215761642734693
6/
What does Modular Mean?
• Constructed with standardized units or
dimensions
Notice how the hexagons are repeated
to create an almost wave like
appearance.
Giant Gorilla
Constructed
with coat
hangers
REPETITION
HISTORY
• Modular constructivism-is a
style of sculpture that emerged
in the 1950s and 1960s and was
associated especially with Erwin
Hauer and Norman Carlberg.
• It is based on carefully
structured modules which allow
for intricate and in some cases
infinite patterns of repetition,
sometimes used to create
limitless, basically planar,
screen-like formations, and
sometimes employed to make
more multidimensional
structures.
Erwin Hauer
• is an Austrian-born American
sculptor who studied first at
Vienna's Academy Arts later
under Josef Albers at Yale.
• Hauer was an early proponent
of Modular Constructivism
and an associate of Norman
Carlberg. Like Carlberg, he was
especially known for his
minimalist, repetitive pieces in
the 1950s and 1960s.
Norman Carlberg
• Born in 1928-Is an American
sculptor and printmaker. He is
noted as an exemplar of the
modular constructivist style.
Born in Roseau, Minnesota.
He studied at the Minneapolis
School of Art and at the
University of Illinois before
going on to study under Josef
Albers at Yale. "Recent
Sculpture USA", a 1959
exhibition at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York,
featured Carlberg's work.
More:
Line
• A continuous extent of length, straight or
curved, without breadth or thickness; the
trace of a moving point.
Negative Space
• Negative space, in art, is the space around and
between the subject(s) of an image.
Repetition
• Repetition is created when objects, shapes,
space, light, direction, lines etc. are repeated
in artwork.
Movement
•
The act or process of moving, especially change of place or position, an
effort. In art movement has to be more subtle, i.e., the artist must capture
how movement would look without actually making the artwork move.
Assignment
1. You will be given approximately 100 toothpicks (pre-counted in a zip lock bag)
2. You will begin by gluing two, three or four toothpicks together creating a unit. The
unit can be a geometric shape such as a square or triangle or as simple as two
toothpicks glued side by side (examples: ∧,∨, ×,>,≠)
3. Make some thumbnail sketches of sculpture plan using unit.
4. You will then create as many units as possible using all the toothpicks.
Construction of the units can’t be done quickly. The wood glue will take
approximately 30 minutes to dry.
5.
6. Once all units have been created you will begin to create a three dimensional form
using all the units. The form created must show movement, repetition, negative
space, and line.
7. The base for the sculpture will be Styrofoam. Plaster wrap will be added to the
Styrofoam to make the base sturdier and to keep the Styrofoam from
disintegrating when spray-painted.Once the sculpture is created and the
Styrofoam base has been plaster wrapped with entire sculpture will be spraypainted all in one color. More than one coat may be needed to completely cover
the sculpture.
8. Critique finished work. Discuss what is successful with each work.