Assignment:
Ephemeral Sculpture
Medium suggestions: food, sand, nature
Assignment
In the 1970s, many post-minimalist artists began making sculptures and installations using common materials that are ephemeral. This was a direct reaction to the assertive, inviolable forms of Minimalism. There are many forms of ephemeral art, from sculpture to performance, but the term is usually used to describe a work of art that only occurs once, like a happening, and cannot be embodied in any lasting object to be shown in a museum or gallery. Some materials used in ephemeral sculptures are food, ice, sand, snow, and can also involve rearranging elements of nature. Create a sculpture that only exists for a short period of time. Consider the mass, volume, color, of what you are creating. Opacity and transparency can play a very important roll also, especially if creating outside. Keep your sculpture 3 dimensional and photograph it from all angels before, during, and after creating it. Photographs are extremely important for this project because you may only have a small window of time in which to take these. This sculpture also must be well documented and thoroughly planned out in advance.
Assignment
In the 1970s, many post-minimalist artists began making sculptures and installations using common materials that are ephemeral. This was a direct reaction to the assertive, inviolable forms of Minimalism. There are many forms of ephemeral art, from sculpture to performance, but the term is usually used to describe a work of art that only occurs once, like a happening, and cannot be embodied in any lasting object to be shown in a museum or gallery. Some materials used in ephemeral sculptures are food, ice, sand, snow, and can also involve rearranging elements of nature. Create a sculpture that only exists for a short period of time. Consider the mass, volume, color, of what you are creating. Opacity and transparency can play a very important roll also, especially if creating outside. Keep your sculpture 3 dimensional and photograph it from all angels before, during, and after creating it. Photographs are extremely important for this project because you may only have a small window of time in which to take these. This sculpture also must be well documented and thoroughly planned out in advance.
Examples taken from various sources
Andy Goldsworthy
Martin Hill
Student Examples