Lesson video

Exploring assembling: creating sculptures from multiple parts for Art and Design unit, Foundation workshops: developing skills.

Our learning outcome for this lesson is "I can create a sculpture from multiple parts that demonstrates strong composition, explores material play, and is stable and durable." Our keywords for this lesson are: composition, assemblage, and stability.

Let's explore each keyword in turn to find out what they mean.

Composition: how elements relate in space, rhythm, and balance within a sculpture.

Assemblage: combining mixed or found objects into a new three-dimensional work.

Stability: the strength, balance, and durability of how sculpture arts connect.

Our lesson outline, Exploring assembling: creating sculptures from multiple parts comes in two learning cycles.

So let's start off with our first one, exploring form and composition.

What makes a sculpture more than just a pile of objects? Let's take a look.

"A sculpture has thought and design, not just random stuff.

It has stability and it can stand and last," says Jacob.

And Lucas says, "The materials are chosen for a reason, not just dumped.

A sculpture can be interacted with or moved around." Artists can turn everyday objects into powerful sculptures, giving them new meaning.

A pile of parts becomes art when there is thought, balance, and intention behind how they are arranged.

The way parts interact in space affects how we see, feel, and understand the sculpture.

Why assemblage matters.

Artists use assemblage to explore shape, texture, and form.

Assemblage lets artists experiment with materials and objects in unexpected ways.

Combining parts creates rhythm, repetition, and harmony in 3D space.

Thinking about how parts fit together ensures sculptures are strong and stable.

How assemblage works.

Assemblage works by joining different objects together to build sculpture.

Assemblage is the art of combining different objects to create new, unified work.

Artists consider composition, deciding how shapes, sizes, and textures interact in space.

They experiment with materials, sometimes using found or recycled objects to create surprising effects.

Stability is key.

Parts must support each other, so the sculpture lasts and can sometimes be moved or reconfigured.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding with the following statement.

A sculpture is just a pile of objects put together randomly.

Is this true or false? Pause for a moment here and think about your answer and why.

Then we'll resume the video again shortly.

Okay, what do you think? Let's take a look.

And the answer is false.

Well, why might this be? Artists carefully plan how parts interact, creating rhythm, balance, and stability to make the work intentional and meaningful.

Artists use assemblage to combine everyday objects in creative ways, giving new meaning, texture, and form to their work.

Mohamed Hafez uses scrap metal, wood and found objects to rebuild miniature cityscapes, giving everyday debris new meaning as memory and resilience.

Leilah Babirye transforms discarded chains, bolts and bicycle parts into powerful figures, turning waste into textured symbols of identity and pride.

Ian Walton collects weathered materials and local objects, reshaping them into assemblages that give new form and narrative to familiar textures.

Phyllida Barlow assembled cardboard, fabric and timber into large installations using ordinary materials to create bold, playful, sculptural forms. Jean Tinguely built kinetic machines from scrap metal and wheels, giving cast-off objects new life as moving, humorous sculptures.

Key elements of assemblage.

Assemblage explores composition, rhythm, balance, and visual impact.

Composition: how parts relate in space, size, shape, and rhythm.

Material choice: using texture, color, or unusual objects to create interest.

Balance and stability: parts must support each other so the sculpture can stand.

Generating ideas for a sculpture.

Generating ideas means experimenting, sketching, and combining to explore possibilities.

Artists will: Look around: everyday objects, recyclables and natural materials can all become parts of their sculpture.

Think about contrast: combine smooth with rough, large, small, heavy, or light elements.

Play with movement and reconfiguration: can parts rotate, swing or be arranged? Sketch their ideas first or make quick, small mockups to test composition and stability.

Not be afraid of to experiment.

Some of the most interesting sculptures come from unexpected combinations.

Which unusual objects could you combine in a way no one expects? Follow this journey of experimentation and sketching and playing and combining to find out.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding with the following statement: You should only use similar objects in a sculpture to make it look good.

Is the statement true or false? So pause for a moment here and think about your answer and why, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, what did you think? Let's take a look.

And the answer is false.

Well, why might this be? Artists often combine different texture, sizes and materials to create contrast, interest, and dynamic compositions.

Let's bring our attention and focus for Task A in exploring form and composition.

Number one, mini assemblage.

Create a small assemblage by combining different parts to explore composition and rhythm.

Try at least three different arrangements before fixing parts.

Focus on how shapes and sizes balance each other.

Look for rhythm or repetition in your design.

Pause the video here to undertake this practical task.

Then resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together and focus on feedback for Task A, which you were instructed to create a mini assemblage.

And your response may have looked like this.

Your work may have included rhythm and repetition, balance or tension.

Okay, let's bring our focus to part two of Task A.

Reflect on your outcomes.

Looking back at your mini assemblages, think about the following questions: Which arrangement looked strongest? Why? Did any of the combinations of parts surprise you or inspire new ideas? Was your sculpture stable? How could you improve its balance? What would you try differently next time? So pause the video here to undertake this practical task and resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together and focus on feedback for part two of Task A, which you were instructed to reflect on your outcomes.

You may have said: According to Alex, "I didn't expect these objects to work well together, but they did." Izzy says, "Some parts felt too close together, I need more space between elements.

I tried something I hadn't planned and it actually worked." And Alex responds again by saying, "Some parts fell over.

So I need to think more about weight distribution.

The sculpture feels stronger when parts support each other." Okay, let's move forward and focus on our second learning cycle, experiment and build stability.

Let's begin exploring materials in depth.

Each material has its own strength, texture, and possibilities.

Different materials behave in unique ways.

Wood is strong, cardboard is lightweight, wire can bend.

Combining contrasting materials can create interesting textures and visual effects.

Some materials can be manipulated to create movement or unexpected interactions.

Scale and space.

Changing size and space alter alters how a sculpture feels and is seen.

Changing the scale of parts affects how a sculpture feels.

Large parts can dominate, small parts can add rhythm or detail.

Consider how your sculpture interacts with the space around it: tabletop, floor standing or suspended.

Movement and interaction.

Adding movement makes sculptures more dynamic and engaging.

Some sculptures can include parts that rotate, swing or be reconfigured.

Movement can make the work more engaging and interactive.

Artists need to think about how movable parts are supported to avoid instability or damage.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding with the following statement: Adding moving parts to a sculpture doesn't require thinking about stability.

Is the statement true or false? And why? Pause for a moment here and think about your answer and we'll resume together again shortly.

The correct answer is false.

And why might this be? Movable parts must be carefully supported so that the sculpture remains strong, balanced, and durable.

Artists experiment with materials, making connections with materials, exploring texture and reparation in their work.

Richard Deacon experiments with wood, metal and flexible materials, assembling abstract forms that explore rhythm, balance and structure.

Zanele Muholi expands their visual activism into sculpture using assemblage to give powerful physical form to ***** and Black identity.

Donald Rodney created assemblages from medical and everyday materials, giving fragile objects new meaning connected to illness and race.

Cornelia Parker transforms found objects through assemblage, suspension and explosion, showing how ordinary things can gain dramatic new form.

Huma Mulji creates witty assemblages from found objects, often combining unexpected materials in surprising ways.

Her sculptures explore themes of culture, identity and the clash between tradition and modern life.

Planning strong connections.

Connections are how parts are held together and how strong a sculpture will be.

Artists will often need to think about: the parts that will bear weight or can be decorative or movable.

Making sure they have strong connections to prevent collapse and allow creative freedom elsewhere.

Sketching or mocking up a design before final assembly to save time and materials.

Rhythm, repetition and texture.

Repeating shapes or textures creates rhythm and harmony.

It can guide the viewer's eye.

Repeating shapes, colors, or materials creates rhythm and harmony.

Contrasting textures or colors can highlight key areas.

Balance visual interest across the sculpture, so no single part feels out of place.

Problem solving and experimentation.

Testing and experimenting leads to stronger or more creative sculptures.

Test ideas on a small scale before committing to large parts.

Don't be afraid to try unexpected combinations.

Mistakes can lead to discoveries.

Artists will reflect on what works visually and structurally as they build.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding with the following question: Which of these is most important when designing an assemblage sculpture? Is it A: only using objects that are the same size and shape? Or B: thinking about how parts relate, balance and support each other? And C: gluing all parts together as quickly as possible without planning? So pause the video here for a moment and think about your answer, and we'll resume together again shortly.

Okay, which one do you think is the correct answer? Let's take a look.

And the answer is B, thinking about how parts relate, balance, and support each other.

Assemblage works best when artists carefully consider composition, balance, and stability.

Planning connections ensures the sculpture is strong, visually interesting and durable.

Let's bring our attention and focus for Task B.

And we're going to take a look at advanced assemblage.

Number one: Build a developed sculpture by expanding your assemblage with stronger connections and varied materials.

Plan how each part will connect before assembling.

Combine at least two different materials for contrast.

Consider balance, stability and weight as you build.

Add rhythm, repetition, or movement to guide the eye.

Pause the video here to complete this practical task and resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together and focus on feedback for Task B, advanced assemblage.

Your response may have looked like this.

Your work may have included repeated elements in shape and color or materials.

A balanced element to add movement to the composition.

Let's bring our focus to part two of Task B, reflect on your work.

Think about the following questions to help you reflect on your work.

Which parts of your sculpture work well together? Why? Did your sculpture remain stable? What adjustments helped or were needed? How did experimenting with different materials or movable parts change your design? If you were to make it a game, what would you change or try differently? How does your sculpture demonstrate rhythm, balance, and composition? So pause the video here to think about this as you reflect on your work, then resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's come together again now and focus on feedback for part two of Task B, in which you were instructed to reflect on your work and using a series of questions as guidance.

Okay, let's see.

So Laura says, "Repeating certain parts helped guide the eye across my sculpture.

The movable parts made it feel dynamic and playful.

Some parts are heavier than I thought, so next time I'll balance the weight better.

I'd sketch my plan more carefully before building next time." We have now arrived at our summary of Exploring assembling: creating sculptures from multiple parts.

Assemblage is the artistic process of combining multiple parts and materials, often including found or recycled objects to create entirely new three-dimensional forms with meaning and visual impact.

Effective composition ensures that the parts of a sculpture relate to each other in terms of space, rhythm, scale, and balance, guiding the viewer's eye and creating a harmonious, coherent structure.

Stability is essential to ensure that sculptures remain strong, balanced, and durable over time, allowing artists to experiment with materials, movable elements, and reconfigurable designs safely and effectively.

Well, I really hope that you enjoyed this journey of assemblage and sculpture and thinking about how you can create unique artworks.

I look forward to seeing you again next time.

But in the meantime, take care and bye for now.