Memento

Assignment:
-Make a non-representational sculpture of a memory. For example, a person, place or event. Use no more than three materials. No less than two materials. 
-Be aware of the materials you select, methods used to construct and the juxtaposition of the materials.
-Final solution should be able to fit in the palms of your hands (or two hands).
Materials:
-balsa wood
-blue ink
-blue paper clips

I decided to make my memento based on my grandfather who passed away last summer.He was a very crafty man, something I didn't know until after he passed away. He was a great construction worker, builder, and sculptor.

I began this project with a small rectangle of balsa wood. I cut up little blocks of balsa wood and left them rough on the edges and barely touched with ink to represent the in progress and unfinished works I always saw around my grandfather's house. I glued these blocks onto one side of the rectangle base.

After that I cut up more blocks of balsa wood but painted these and made sure the edges were mostly clean cut to represent the different finished projects my grandfather had made that I didn't know where his original pieces. These blocks were glued onto the opposite side of the rectangle base.

 

Then I linked blue paper clips together. I pushed on end of the first paper clip into one of the finished blocks and then wrapped the paper clip chain around the unfinished blocks and then to the finished blocks. The paper clips represent the link that I was missing to fully understanding the life my grandfather had. It wasn't until after his death that I was able to link all the unfinished works I had seen to the great pieces I didn't know where his.

The project is mostly blue because my grandfather had really amazing blue eyes. They always had a special twinkle to them.  This is what I thought was the final piece.

 

After looking at it more and with some feedback, I decided to build up the completed side a bit more. I cut more wood blocks and painted them blue. I stacked them neatly and made what looks sort of like a door frame. The door frame shape represents the buildings my grandfather made. The blue blocks are higher than the unfinished blocks to represent that it was a big realization that my grandfather was a great artist, something I didn't know until after he passed away.

Experimental Drawing