Lesson video

Hello everyone, how are you today? I hope you're feeling really good and I'm glad that you're here.

My name is Ms. Absal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling very pleased about that because today we're looking at sculpture, which I think is so interesting.

Our lesson is called, "Thematic Development, Crafting Expressive and Cohesive Sculptures." Our lesson comes from the unit of work, "Foundation Workshops, Developing Skills." So, if you're ready to develop your skills in this area, if you have some focus, energy and enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson now.

The outcome for today's lesson is, "I can use form, material and symbolism with rhythm and contrast to make a sculpture that shares my intent and connects with viewers." We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Symbolism, rhythm, and intent.

So, what do these keywords mean? Symbolism is using objects, forms, or materials to suggest deeper meaning.

Rhythm.

Repetition or flow that guides the viewer's eye across the sculpture.

And intent, the purpose or message the artist wants to communicate.

These are our keywords.

Symbolism, rhythm, and intent.

Let's look out for them, let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Today's lesson is called, "Thematic Development, Crafting Expressive and Cohesive Sculptures," and it has two learning cycles.

"Theme and Symbolism," and "Rhythm and Response." Let's begin by exploring "Theme and Symbolism." Take a look at these objects on screen.

What theme or message could these objects communicate if used in a sculpture? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Jun.

"The shoe could show a journey, hardship or memory." Now, Aisha.

"The keys might mean belonging, secrets or opportunities." "Both could connect to identity or personal history." "They could symbolize freedom versus restriction." I wonder if you had any ideas similar to these or perhaps something different? Crafting meaning in sculpture.

Exploring how sculptures can express ideas and connect with people through the choices we make.

Sculptures aren't just shapes.

They can tell stories and share ideas.

The choices you make with form, material and symbols affect what people see and feel.

Using repetition, rhythm and contrast helps link everything together.

Sculpture should show your intent, but also make viewers stop, think or feel something.

Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think or feel as you look at the sculpture that you can see on the screen? Thanks for sharing.

To me, these look like school chairs, perhaps old fashioned ones.

So, it makes me think of a gateway to learning and it feels exciting.

Maybe a bit mysterious.

Objects carry meaning.

Everyday objects can stand for bigger ideas and themes.

Everyday objects can hold strong symbolic value.

A single form can suggest history, culture, or personal memory.

Choosing an object is also choosing a story to tell.

Pause here and share with someone, what story do you think these objects on the screen tell? Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps there's something about a journey.

Maybe there are some memories held inside, maybe some family heirlooms. Materials speak too.

Materials have associations that affect how people feel about a sculpture.

Clay can suggest earth or tradition.

Glass can suggest fragility, transparency and lightness.

Metal might represent strength, permanence, or industry.

Symbolism comes from how a material feels and what it reminds us of.

Form shapes ideas.

The shape of a sculpture changes how its theme is understood.

Tall vertical forms can suggest power or growth.

Curved forms may feel organic, flowing or protective.

Sharp angles often suggest danger, control or conflict.

Pause here and share with someone.

What kind of shapes are you most drawn towards in sculpture? Tall vertical forms, curved forms, or sharp angles.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Choose the option that most clearly connects material to theme.

A sculpture about memory could use A, smooth new plastic.

B, rough recycled wood, or C, bright neon lights.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Recycled material connects to the past and suggests memory through texture and history." Artists will offer use symbolism and themes within their work.

Mrinalini Mukherjee used knotted fiber to make organic forms that suggest plants, bodies, or spirits.

Natural fibers symbolize growth, vitality, and the link between people and nature.

Jason Wilsher-Mills makes colorful digital and inflatable sculptures based on his experience of disability and identity.

Bold symbols and playful forms explore empowerment and community.

Yukihiro Akama creates small wooden house-like sculptures inspired by Japanese temples and huts.

They symbolize memory, shelter, and belonging, reflecting on home and impermanence.

So, we can see there are a number of artists using symbolism and themes within their work.

Symbolism and culture.

Symbols can mean different things depending on cultural context.

Some symbols are shared across cultures, a broken chain for freedom.

Others depend on context, a lotus flower in Asia versus in Europe.

Artists use cultural knowledge to guide meaning.

Personal symbolism.

Objects from your own life can carry powerful symbolic meaning.

Symbols do not need to be universal to be powerful.

An object from everyday life can carry deep personal intent.

Personal choices make the work authentic to the artist.

Pause here and reflect on an object from your life that carries powerful symbolic meaning.

You can reflect on this yourself or share what your object is with someone else.

Thanks for reflecting or sharing.

Combining symbol and form.

Symbols become stronger when matched with the right form.

Meaning strengthens when the symbol and form work together.

A fragile material shaped into a protective form work together.

Symbols can be layered to create richer interpretation.

Pause here and share with someone your impression of the artwork we can see on the screen here, combining symbol and form.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? A material always has the same meaning no matter how it is used.

Pause here and decide.

Is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Meaning changes with context, form, and the artist's intent." And now, it's time for your first task.

Sketching your theme.

Sketching helps test how forms, materials, and symbols link to a theme.

Choose the theme.

You could look at identity, journey, memory, environment, or your own choice.

Sketch three to four quick ideas, combining objects, forms and materials.

Add notes on possible symbolism.

Pause here while you have a go at this task of sketching your theme.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of sketching your theme? Your response may have looked like this.

Some wonderful sketches and notes on symbolism.

Now, I'd like you to make a maquette.

Making a quick model helps turn ideas into physical form.

Use basic materials, wire, card, clay, found objects.

Focus on experimenting with form and symbolism, not perfection.

Test how different choices affect intent and meaning.

So, pause here while you have a go at this part of your task, making a maquette.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

So, how did you get on with your task? Making a maquette.

Your response may have looked like this.

Some really interesting responses.

Here's Izzy.

"My idea of protection is shown in the cocoon, nest and boat.

I think it needs a softer material." And Sam, "The house shapes make it look protective, which worked with my theme.

I was inspired by the artist Yukihiro Akama." And now, we're onto our next learning cycle, "Rhythm and response." Rhythm and response.

Repetition, rhythm and contrast bring parts of a sculpture together and shape how it is experienced.

When forms are repeated or varied, the sculpture feels unified and connected.

Contrast makes certain ideas stand out, guiding attention to key parts of the work.

The size, space and arrangement of a sculpture affect how people respond and interact with it.

Artists use rhythm with intent to guide how we see and respond to their work.

Sybil Andrews used bold lines and repeated shapes in her linocuts to create rhythm and movement.

Her intent was to show the energy of modern life, from busy cities to fast-paced industry and sport.

J.

M.

W.

Turner used sweeping brushstrokes and shifting light to create rhythm and energy.

His intent was to show the power of nature and its emotional impact.

And Nnena Kalu builds sculpture through repeated wrapping and layering of materials.

The rhythm of this process reflects her intent to show energy, persistence, and the beauty of continuous action.

So, what we can see here is some artists using rhythm with intent to guide how we see and respond to their work.

Repetition creates unity.

Repeating elements ties a sculpture together and makes the theme clearer.

Repeating shapes or materials ties a sculpture together.

Viewers' eyes follow repeated elements like a pattern.

Unity helps a theme feel stronger and more intentional.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of this sculpture that we can see on the screen and how the repeated elements are creating unity.

Thanks for sharing.

Contrast adds focus.

Contrast makes one part stand out and directs attention to the theme of the sculpture.

Differences in size, texture, or color, create emphasis.

Contrast can highlight a key idea or part of the theme.

Too much contrast can feel chaotic.

Balance is important.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of the contrast that we can see in these sculptures.

Thanks for sharing.

Rhythm guides movement.

Rhythm creates flow and variation that keeps the eye moving across the sculpture Rhythm is repetition with variation.

It creates flow, leading the viewer's eye across the sculpture.

Rhythm makes the work feel dynamic instead of static.

Pause here and share with someone your impression of the use of rhythm to guide movement in this sculpture.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

A sculpture with rhythm could use A, a single smooth cube, B, random piles of junk, C, repeated spirals in different sizes, or D, a large blank block.

Pause here while you decide what a sculpture with rhythm could use.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, a sculpture with rhythm could use repeated spirals in different sizes.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this? "Rhythm comes from repetition with variation, not uniformity or chaos." Scale shapes response.

The size of a sculpture affects how people feel when they see it.

Large scale can overwhelm or impress the viewer.

Small scale may feel intimate or fragile.

How big or small the work is changes emotional impact.

Pause there and share with someone.

Have you ever seen a very large scale or very small scale sculpture? And what impact did you feel? Thanks for sharing.

Space and interaction.

Open spaces in sculpture change how people move and connect with the work.

Negative space is as important as solid form.

Gaps, openings or pathways invite viewers in.

Interaction affects how people connect with the work.

Intent and audience.

The artist's intent matters, but so does how the audience interprets it.

Intent is the message you want to share.

The audience may see or feel things you didn't plan.

Both artist's intent and viewer response shape meaning.

What's your response to the sculpture we can see on the screen? Thanks for sharing your response.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Rhythm means repeating the same element exactly.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this? "Rhythm involves repetition with variation to create flow and interest." And now, it's time for your next task.

Refining maquette, adding rhythm and contrast.

Develop your maquette by repeating and varying forms to strengthen the theme.

Adjust your maquette by repeating or varying forms. Add one area of contrast to highlight the theme.

Check if your sculpture feels connected and intentional.

So, pause here while you have a go at this task of refining your maquette by adding rhythm and contrast.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with your task of refining your maquette by adding rhythm and contrast? Your response may have looked like this.

It's really quite something.

And now I'd like you to step back and reflect.

Looking at your sculpture from different angles shows how others might experience your work.

Place your maquette on the table.

View it from different angles.

Ask yourself, "How might someone feel looking at this work?" So, pause here, while you have a go at this part of your task, stepping back and reflecting.

And now, I'd like you to reflect on your choices and how they change your sculpture and its meaning.

How did rhythm or contrast change the outcome? Which material, form, or symbol made your theme strongest? What response do you want viewers to have? How has your intent developed through this process? So, pause here while you have a go at reflecting on your choices and how they change your sculpture and its meaning.

It's good to be back with you.

So, how did it go, stepping back and reflecting? Here's Sofia, "The white boat-like structure contrasts well with the rusty metal.

It looks like a safe place in a storm.

The curve of the metal could make the viewer think about water or a wave.

The sharp points make it look dangerous or tense.

This contrasts with the smooth surface of the floating boat structure." Some really interesting reflections.

In our lesson, "Thematic Development, Crafting Expressive and Cohesive Sculptures," we've covered the following.

A sculpture is most effective when form, material and symbolism are chosen intentionally to connect with a theme.

These choices give the work clarity and meaning.

Repetition, contrast, and rhythm help to unify different parts of the sculpture.

They guide the viewer's eye and create balance so the work feels purposeful.

The artist's intent drives the message, but the way viewers respond also shapes the meaning.

A strong sculpture shares a voice while inviting interpretation.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore thematic development together, looking at rhythm, contrast, making those maquettes, and then of course, stepping back and reflecting.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.