Blog #2

Three dimensional objects have mass or volume. It is the shape and form of something in the physical world: the weight, size, height, depth, and breadth of an object. I wanted to explore mass and volume this week by creating a sculpture, since it is a work of art with three dimensions. We were asked to use found objects rather than something more conventional like stone or wood, which made it an easier task! To highlight mass and volume above all else I decided to use a material that had no colour or pattern and simple texture: clear tape. Using tape I created a tree, which I built up from a piece of cardboard. Trees have always featured in my art. I think that they are beautiful, and their shape and form delights me. I love the way the roots of the tree spread across the ground, and then all converge at the base of the tree where the trunk rises up, thick and solid. And it seems to perfect the way that base divides and spreads gracefully out into ever narrowing branches. Trees to me are the image of beauty in nature. I remember in grade 5 there was a tree in a planter in the middle of the playground at my school. We used to play marbles underneath it. Some boys in my class used to hang off the lowest branch and swing around. One day I noticed them hanging on the branch, bouncing up and down in an attempt to break the branch off the tree. I immediately ran over and told them to stop! I told them that trees were wonderful and that we were lucky to have them in Canada. I told them to enjoy having a tree to climb, rather than hurting it. To emphasize my point I hung from the branch myself, saying that no one would get to play there if they broke it. One of the boys came up from behind me and pulled my pants down. It was one of my most embarrassing moments at the time, but looking back on it I am proud that I stood up for that tree. I do think that it is important that young children are taught to appreciate the wonders of nature; so creating tree sculptures could be something fun to do with a class. I started by putting tape on the cardboard in “roots” to create a base. I then wrapped and layer tape upwards to create the trunk. By twisting tape into strands I created the branches, and then covered them in more tape to connect them smoothly to the trunk. I was pleased with the result, though surprised at how long it took to make such a small tree using thin layers of tape! I think this artwork captures the idea of volume: that we can recognize something by its three-dimensional shape alone.