Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

I hope you're having a really good day.

My name is Esther.

Some people call me Miss Esther.

We'll be doing a lesson together today called Wrapping a sculpture: hidden stories, and it's part of our unit, Clothes and Culture: wearable art.

Let's get started.

Our outcome for today is that by the end of the lesson, you will be able to create a wrapped sculpture that shows hidden stories.

We have some key words for our lesson.

I'll go through them one by one, and then we'll have a look at what those keywords mean together.

We have sculpture, wrap, form, and identity.

You might know some of these words already.

A sculpture is a three-dimensional piece of art made by shaping or combining materials.

When you wrap something, wrapping is to cover by circling or folding something around, you might think of it like wrapping a scarf around your neck, form is to take or make something take a particular shape, and identity can be described as all of the things by which a person or thing is known or considered being.

We'll go back to these keywords as we go through the lesson.

We have three learning cycles to our lesson today Wrapping a sculpture: hidden stories.

Firstly, we'll sketch a body pose to show movement.

Secondly, we'll build a 3D shape based on the body movement, and last of all, we'll wrap the sculpture in fabric to show character.

We'll start by sketching a body pose to show movement.

What shapes do you notice in the whole body from far away? You have three bodies to look at.

I'd like you to pause the video and have a conversation and see how many shapes you can spot in these bodies.

Restart the video when you've had a chat about it.

Well done for sharing your shape ideas.

When we sketch the body, we look at the shapes we see, but we also have just a think about how those shapes feel solid or feel rounded.

That's what we mean by form.

We'll have a look at this one figure.

This shapes you might see here in this one figure are: the head often looks like a circle or an oval, arms and legs can look like long cylinders or curved lines.

We've got the same figure and now we're thinking about the torso, which is the chest and the stomach.

This could look like a rectangle, oval, or triangle shape.

When we look at the overall pose, the whole body might form a shape like a curve or a diagonal line, especially if it's showing movement.

There we have the rectangular shape for the chest and the torso.

And this is a whole curved line moving down the body that might show some movement.

These shapes help you build the figure step by step.

When you look at the whole body from far away, you can break it down to simple shapes to help you with your sketching.

How can you show a feeling or an action in a frozen pose? So if you were waving your hands above your head and I said, "Freeze," how would I show the feeling of that or the action of that if I was drawing you? I'd like us just to take a minute to look at how the artist here is sketching.

Follow the movements of the hand with your eye.

Even when a person is standing still, their body can show us a feeling of action or of energy.

Let's go through what these figures are doing and see if it gives us any ideas about the feeling.

This figure is looking down, slouched.

The other figure is upright and looking forward with the arms crossed.

The two poses show a different energy and feeling.

When drawing, you can use curved lines for bending.

We can see the lines there going on the outside of the figure and the arms, sharp angles for tension, so we have a kind of pointy triangle in this figure.

We have a check for understanding to do together.

The question is: how can a person's body show a feeling even when they are not moving? Is it A, only by moving their hands and feet quickly? Is it B, by the way their body is positioned like their posture and where their arms are? Or is it C, by wearing bright colors or patterned clothing? Pause the video and restart when you are ready with your answer, A, B, or C.

Did you get answer B? By the way their body is positioned like their posture and where their arms are.

To capture movement through sketching, you will need: large sheets of paper, graphite sticks or soft pencils, drawing boards, hard surfaces.

Hi, Izzy, Hi, Jacob.

Izzy's beginning by drawing Jacob's pose.

What advice would you give to Izzy? Pause the video and talk to a partner about what advice you'd give Izzy.

Well done for sharing your conversations.

I bet you had some really good advice.

For our sketching, we're going to draw like the artist.

I'd like you to think of your drawing as a shadow.

There are no other details.

Using the side of your pencil to draw with will help you to sketch the pose.

Great.

We have a check for understanding.

Is this true or false? You should use the side of your pencil to sketch the pose lightly before adding detail.

Is it true, we agree or is it false, we disagree? Pause the video and talk to someone nearby about whether you think this is true or false.

How did you do? Did you get the answer that it's true? Why is it true? We'll find out together.

If you use the side of your pencil, it helps you draw soft, smooth lines and it helps you to see the whole shape, not just the details.

Well done, everyone.

We are ready to do Task A now.

Sketch a body pose to show movement.

Move around the space.

Let your body stretch, curl, twist, or sway.

When the music stops, freeze in a pose.

Hold your shape like it's been caught in a photo.

Use the side of your pencil to draw somebody else's pose.

So some of you will be still and some of you will be sketching.

Look at the whole shape, not just the outline.

Keep your hand moving.

Have an amazing time moving, freezing, and sketching.

Pause the video and restart when you've done Task A.

Well done for your hard work.

You may have drawn the whole shape of different poses and not just the outline of the figure.

We have learning cycle two, build a 3D shape based on body movements, and now we'll be starting with our sculptures.

How do artists create 3D forms? Have a look at the photograph and pause the video and talk to someone nearby about how you feel this form has been created.

What has the artist done to make it? Well done for your conversation about how that 3D form was made.

We have an amazing artist to look at now.

The artist is called LR Vandy.

LR Vandy is a British artist of West African heritage who creates 3D forms by assembling found objects such as machine parts and tools into sculptural shapes.

The artist LR Vandy was inspired by the Cakewalk dance in her exhibition, Dancing in Time: Twist.

Let's find out how we are going to make our sculptures.

To create a 3D shape based on body movement, you could use masking tape and paper.

Begin by rolling paper into cylinders and using tape to make them strong.

I can see there are three pieces of masking tape on the finished cylinder.

Cut small flaps in the base to help them stand or join to other shapes.

Here's Izzy.

Izzy says, "How can we make it seem as though the structure is posing?" It's a really good question.

We can think about letting it lean, curl, twist, balance, or bend to make a pose in a certain way.

You can experiment with cutting your flaps and attaching your different pieces of cylinder together to show some movement.

We have another check for understanding, a true or false one.

True or false? My sculpture needs to show action or be realistic.

Is this true or false? Pause the video and think about the pictures we've just seen.

Is this true or false? Did you get the answer false? Well done for thinking hard about this question.

Why is it false? Your sculpture can be still, soft, or bulky.

It doesn't need to move or look like a real person to hold meaning.

When you're building your 3D shape, you can join your cones to make a figure shape.

You could add another shape into your sculpture using a new material.

I can see here that some bubble wrap has been added.

We have a top tip: keep your sculpture simple.

This sculpture was also made using recycled materials.

We'll have a quick check for understanding.

For you, does this shape look friendly or powerful? If you think it looks friendly, wave.

If you think it looks powerful, do a power pose.

Restart the video when you've thought about the question.

Great conversations.

How many waves and how many poses did we have? Well done for sharing your ideas.

You may have said something like, "It looks powerful because it's standing tall and has big arms," or that, "It looks friendly because it has round shapes and it's not too pointy." Fantastic.

We are ready for Task B.

Build a 3D shape based on the body movement.

We're going to create a simple sculptural form now for Task B, starting by making cones from paper by rolling and taping them into shape.

Keep your sculptural shape simple, just like LR Vandy's work.

Use only a few cones to start.

Tape the cones together to build a 3D figure or form.

Think about how the shapes are connecting and how they stand.

Look at the sculpture from all sides.

Does it feel balanced? Is it standing firmly? Pause the video and enjoy creating a movement to simple sculptural shapes.

Restart the video when you've completed Task B.

Amazing work.

Well done.

I wonder how many things changed as you went along.

Whether your figure got tall or broad, has soft angles or hard angles.

Fantastic explorations using simple materials.

Here's an example of a simple structure.

Have a look at your sculpture and the one on the screen and think about what's different and what's the same.

Great making, everyone.

Fantastic.

We're ready for our third lesson cycle, our final lesson cycle for today, which is to wrap the sculpture in fabric to show character.

We have a new word coming in here, character, which is also linked to identity.

Let's find out some more.

Here's our amazing artist, LR Vandy.

What do you see in the shape of the sculpture that's on the screen? Does it feel heavy or light? Still or moving? Could it be dancing? Pause the video and have a conversation with your group about what you see in this sculpture.

Great conversations.

It's always really interesting to hear what other people see and what they think about a piece of art.

This is a small version of a sculpture that artist LR Vandy made for the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.

The sculpture that she made was called "Dancing in Time: The Ties That Bind Us." She made this sculpture to honor the people who were taken from the African continent and forced to work and to remember how they stayed strong and resisted.

The sculpture that went up outside the International Slavery Museum was really tall.

It was so tall that people could play with the ropes that hang down at the bottom of the sculpture and they could actually make this sculpture dance in time.

This sculpture is made from rope, a material used long ago to build ships and tie heavy loads.

Rope was also used during times when people were taken from their homes and made to work and not treated with care or with kindness.

This sculpture helps us remember how people found ways to stay connected and to stay strong.

We have a check for understanding now.

What does LR Vandy's sculpture "Dancing in Time: The Ties That Bind Us" help us to remember? Does it help us remember, A, how to build ships with rope; B, how people stayed strong and connected during difficult times; or C, how rope can be used.

Pause the video and have a conversation with a partner about what you feel that LR Vandy's sculpture helps us to remember.

Well done for sharing your thoughts.

The answer to this question was B, LR Vandy's sculpture "Dancing in Time: The Ties That Bind Us" helps us to remember how people stayed strong and connected during difficult times.

We have another amazing artist now to hear about.

Artist Judith Scott made wrapped sculptures to express her feelings and her thoughts.

She did not use words, she used thread, shape, and time.

Judith Scott was a neurodivergent artist who found her voice through wrapping.

Her sculptures hold memories, feelings, and hidden stories even without using words.

Her wrapping of everyday things could show memory, identity, and make objects strong.

Even soft materials can feel strong.

What material would you use to tell a story with? Pause the video and have just a think about this one.

Think about the rope that LR Vandy used and what the history of rope was and what story it told for her.

After you've had a think, restart the video.

Great thinking, everyone.

Now we have Sofia and Andeep to share some thoughts with us.

Andeep and Sofia are discussing the materials and colors they've chosen to share a story with.

Andeep says, "I chose to use blue fabric because it makes me feel calm and it reminds me of the ocean where my family used to go on holiday." Oh, I like that memory, Andeep.

Sofia says, "I chose yellow because it feels bright and happy like the sun.

It reminds me of my grandma's kitchen where we always laughed together." By selecting shapes and materials, you're expressing part of your identity without using words, so part of what makes you you.

To wrap your sculpture, you will need: fabric strips, string, wool, yarn, masking tape, and scissors.

Choose the textures and colors that feel right to you, things that you like, things that you find interesting.

It's all about you.

When you make your sculpture, wrap your sculpture slowly.

Start at the base, at the bottom of the sculpture, and add your layers with care.

Tie knots, twist yarn, tuck in fabric, think about ways you can connect your materials without any glue and without any tape.

Look closely at what's changed in this sculpture.

Why do you think the artist chose to add a new material? Pause the video and have some conversations about why the artist might have chosen to add a new material to the sculpture.

Great.

It's interesting to think about what an artist wants us to see and doesn't want us to see.

The sculpture has been partly covered by the new material.

This might show that the artist wants to protect or conceal part of the sculpture or add a new layer of meaning.

When you wrap your sculpture, you can tie wool and yarn together.

When wrapping, you could cover the whole object or leave some parts unwrapped and open.

While you wrap, you could think about what your sculpture means to you.

Your sculpture might hold a memory, like a hug, a story, or a special place.

All of us can tell stories through art.

Looking at this sculpture again, which has changed again, how does this sculpture make you feel now? Pause the video and talk about what materials have been added and have a think about how this changes the feeling of the sculpture.

Great conversations.

It's interesting to talk about the hidden meanings in a sculpture and how something makes you feel, not just what you see, but how it makes you feel.

You could have said when you were talking about this sculpture, "It looks strong with all the layers and ropes." "It feels a bit mysterious like it's hiding something." I like that idea.

"It looks proud because it's standing tall." We are ready for Task C.

Wrap the sculpture in fabric to show character.

You're going to wrap your sculpture to add meaning.

To do this, choose fabric strips, string or yarn, to wrap round your sculpture.

Wrap carefully and thoughtfully covering parts or the whole sculpture.

Think about how wrapping can tell a story, show a feeling, just like artist Judith Scott.

Remember, you can layer materials, change direction, or leave some parts uncovered.

Pause the video and enjoy developing your own sculptures through wrapping.

How did you get on creating hidden stories and adding character to your sculptures? We've got an example here of a wrapped sculpture.

Well done for making some fantastic art.

We'll go on to have a look at a summary of all the things we've done together today.

So this is our summary for wrapping a sculpture and the hidden stories.

We thought about how a sculpture can show feeling, memory, or a story without using faces or details.

Particularly looking at the work of LR Vandy, we explored how wrapping a form can protect, hide, or express something personal without words.

We didn't need to use words.

And looked at simple shapes and how they can be transformed into powerful and symbolic sculpture.

We used our skills in sculpture techniques and applied them to making expressive art.

Well done for today.

I hope to see you in another art lessons soon.