Class Project #1

Sketching

Wire maquette

Finished piece- front

Finished piece- back

My basic idea for this piece was to illustrate the movement of a golf swing without having to construct the complete body of the golfer. By narrowing it down to simply the legs and the golf club, the idea of a golf swing is still apparent but in a much more minimalist way. This not only saved me time in construction but it gives the viewer a more interesting piece to observe. I wanted the viewer to focus more on the motion that the piece was illustrating rather than focusing on the less important aspects such as the anatomy of the body.

In order to get the viewer to focus more on the fluidity on the piece, I went with a very minimalist approach to the body. The presence of the legs and the shape and angle of the golf club were all that were necessary to keep the idea of golf. By putting more volume in the legs, it steadies the piece and grounds it so the viewer can see that it has mass. The golf club is less thick not only to make it evident that it is a club, but to contrast the heaviness that is on the bottom of the piece. The masking tape that I used was kept all one color so as not to distract from the work. The way the tape is wrapped around the legs implies tissue and flesh, and the club is wrapped thinly to emulate the metal rigidness of an actual club. 

In the making of this piece, I learned how difficult it is to work with wire and how much effort must be placed into it so that it does what you intend for it to do. Masking tape is a much more forgiving material but it is equally tough to handle if you do not have your ideas planned out ahead of time. If I were to make this piece again, I would add more definition to the legs of the project. By making the legs rounder and by accentuating the actual muscles that humans have, like calves and thigh muscles, the piece could be a lot more interesting and realistic. I would also add more weight to the end of the golf club, perhaps by stuffing it with newspaper. By doing this, I could create more unity and repetition throughout the piece by mimicking the shape and heaviness of the legs. Despite these afterthoughts, I am still pleased with the way that the piece turned out.