Jesse Carew

ART135 Spring 2016

Written Reflection 3
The Souvenir Project
I think this is a fantastic studio project. The premise of the souvenir project is to conduct
a sculptural exploration. The guidelines of the project are that it must address the theme of
remembrance or souvenir of a place. The prior knowledge is comprehension of concepts like
scale, volume, and space. Other useful directions to explore in pre-reading activities are
architectural sculptures or sculptural architecture, and mixed-media. The project may also be a
useful context within which to introduce visual thinking, the process of solving problems by
walking around searching for things, loosely sketching or forming, and connecting written ideas
with lines, circles and other symbols etc. Introducing this as a cognitive process can give
validity to thinkers that get little recognition in other settings.
The main objectives of the lesson could be to practice using new concepts, show
understanding through effective use of one or more. Add to funds of knowledge about the power
of the personal narrative in art. And to introduce the medium as the message through the
writings that were mentioned in class but not assigned.
I do want to implement these strategies and in fact I already did use a modified version
yesterday for a student with ASD who is not able to join us in our collaborative work, but it
proved too unrestricted for her. I think for the rest of the class, however it will be a great
exercise.
For high schoolers I would propose it in a similar way. I believe that the basic adherence
to the guidelines provides a base level experience where students are introduced to sculptural
techniques and get the opportunity to present (formatively or summatively) material that draws

Jesse Carew

ART135 Spring 2016

on their story, which develops their voice and gives academic validity to their experience. At a
proficient level, students may hide some of their personal story behind a facade of academic
cleverness, but will still gain understanding of some sculptural concepts and probably use scale,
or mass to some effect. At the advanced level students will tell personal narratives to greater
effect because of their use of some of the newly introduced strategies, and will gain experience
working with new materials and processes.
In this way Vygotskis ZPD is dynamic on levels of theme, skill, and social development
(presenting) with the differing strengths of students providing a dizzying array of opportunities
for growth throughout the usual ranks.
What I would vary would be to skill build from basic origami forms, to (a class) mobile
of painted cardboard geometric forms, to a paper mold (happening day by day all along) which I
would use to introduce materials as a meaning making tool (used school supplies make a form
that speaks to school.) After that weeklong sculpture intensive I think the class would be
confident and primed to shoot for meaning when they tackle the souvenir project.