In the simplest terms, structure is the arrangement and organization of related parts according to a plan or pattern. Though the concept of structure can be applied to many things, for the purpose of this issue, our studio lessons primarily focus on 3D art and architecture. It is invaluable for students of all ages to explore the concept of structure through 3D experiences. Students unsure of their drawing skills may turn out to be quite adept at working in three dimensions, but all students are likely to find it novel and engaging.
Nancy with Michael Skura, president of the Illinois Art Education Association, at the Cleveland sculpture Judy’s Hand by Tony Tasset. The hand serves both as a shelter of sorts and a portrait of the artist’s wife. Photo by Michael Skura. Hand sculpture (alone) photo by Kim Cairy.
Visiting Cleveland for the first time for the NAEA Western Region Conference this past summer, I was captivated by the beauty of the tree-filled city parks and the abundance of public sculpture and groundbreaking architecture. We walked right by architect Frank Gehry’s Peter B. Lewis Building on the Case Western Reserve campus on our way to the Cleveland Art Museum. You can’t look at it without thinking of its structure and how challenging it must have been to construct.
In the simplest terms, structure is the arrangement and organization of related parts according to a plan or pattern. Though the concept of structure can be applied to many things, for the purposes of this issue, our studio lessons primarily focus on 3D art and architecture.
It is invaluable for students of all ages to explore the concept of structure through 3D experiences. Students unsure of their drawing skills may turn out to be quite adept at working in three dimensions, but all students are likely to find it novel and engaging.
Materials for structural experiences don’t need to be expensive, as evidenced in this month’s studio lessons. Construction paper (“Imagine This Town!” p. 30), poster board, cardboard, newspaper, tissue paper, and other kinds of paper (“Playing with Paper Icosahedrons,” p. 15), paper straws and tubes, found objects (“Steampunk Mosaics,” p. 32 and “Sculpture Parks,” p. 20), and clay all offer possibilities for use in building structures. Mixed media can be applied to most of these.
Acquainting your students with local public sculpture and architecture offers a meaningful way to introduce the concept of structure. The advantage of this approach is that students may be able to visit such works and/or you can share them through your own photography.
Art teachers introduce the concept of structure with 3D art, assemblages, and architecture. Young students use empty boxes to build an in-class art museum, elementary students embrace design-level thinking while using found objects to create personalized theme parks, middle-school students use printmaking and mathematical concepts to create 3D hanging sculptures, high-school students demonstrate three types of framing in surreal photographs inspired by Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and more.
