An introduction to architecture & installation art.

A primary purpose of any introduction to art is to challenge and expand the students, definition of art. This group project accomplished that purpose as the students worked toward constructing an installation piece on the courthouse lawn.

The unit was presented in three lesson parts. First, the students were introduced to the concept of installation art, followed by a filmstrip and presentation on Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The final part of the lesson was on the criteria and specifics of the assignment.

What is installation Art?

In the introductory lesson, the students learned that installation art grew out of a reaction to the disposability of industrial commodities and marked the end of an era in which art was viewed as a nonperishable item. The students also learned that installation art brings into a single composition the space the piece will be contained within,light, color, form and illusion. This type of art can bring to mind an endless variety of materials and subject matter, including architectural elements. An installation piece is not intended to be permanent; it is meant to be dismantled and is not likely to be set up again.

Following the introduction, the students examined the differences between barrel and ribbed vaults, an the differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture by looking a several examples as well as a film strip

Procedures and Criteria

Another lesson was designed to address the procedures and criteria for the assignment. The problem was presented as follows.

Using the information you have acquired in your study of Gothic an Romanesque architecture, construct an installation piece on the courthouse lawn incorporating a minimum of at least two arches of the same style. Apply the following criteria: 1. Be creative and original in your arrangement. Variation in size, direction, etc., adds interest. 2. Dimensions must be a minimum outside height of 8' (2 m) and a minimum inside width of 3'(9 m). 3. All materials used must be natural and must be from the environment. 4. Materials should be easy to dispose of when taken down. 5. Construction should be weatherproof to the extent possible. 6. Construction should be transportable because they will be built at the school and transported to the display location. 7. Construction should be stabilized or anchored. 8. The structure should incorporate a walkway, floor or base. 9. Color can be used but must be natural. 10. Internal negative space should be used in an interesting way. 11. Include an element of surprise in the structure. It can be manmade but should be easy to dispose of. 12. Incorporate all of the principles and elements of design. 13. Consider unusual lighting. 14. Keep a daily log of activities. 15. Submit detailed instructions for assembly, complete with diagrams. 16. Submit a personal critique of the installation in terms of the principles and elements of design.

We reminded the students to avoid destruction of property, to ask permission to use borrowed materials and supplies, and to protect sidewalks, etc., from stains and debris. We also asked them to consider how their group would solve the storage problem, weather problems, transportation problems, and how the group would dismantle the installation.

The Great Debate

There was a great debate among the community about what exactly those things were on the courthouse lawn. One employee of the courthouse thought they represented the "City of Jerusalem." Another stated they were the representations of the different tribes in Jerusalem. Since the installations were displayed on the Christmas holiday, most people thought they had something to do with Christmas.

In class, we discussed whether these opinions bothered any of the students. The response was an overwhelming "No." They believed that art was about being able to interpret, and the community was doing just that. When asked if they thought the pieces might have been interpreted differently if they had been viewed over the summer break, the students agreed that would be possible. A person's view would change with the context or time she or he had viewed the piece of art.

Students Explain the Process

The first thing we did on this project was to draw a sketch of our structure. We chose to do a five-sided, pentagon shape. First, we gathered our materials for the project. The first thing we started out making was our paper shingles. This was a very long procedure. We used cattails to make our paper and cut them up into small pieces. We then boiled them in a large pot of water to break down the cattails into pulp. To help this process along, we added lye soap to the cattails. As soon as the cattails were fully cooked, we emptied the pot and drained the water from the cattails. We then filled a blender half full of water and added a handful of cattails to them. We shredded the cattails until they were a fine texture. Then we rinsed them fully and formed the pulp into a rectangular screen. After packing the paper firmly in the screen, we emptied it out on a flat surface, where we let it dry overnight. The next step in the paper process was to wax the pieces. We started melting the wax on hot plates. We then laid the shingle on a cookie sheet and dumped hot wax over it.

We then started working on our structure. We used logs as columns and attached arch shaped grape vines to the columns and lashed them together. We made a skeleton structure in the arch surface where we would attach our shingles later on. After five identical parts were made we were ready for set up.

We took our structure to the set up site in a truck. The first thing we did was to put our pieces in a pentagonal shape. We then attached the shingles to the arches by poking a hole in the shingle and attaching it with a string. We dug holes and placed the columns in the ground. We then lashed the five pieces together with twine. This completed our structure. For the floor of our structure, we placed leaves on the ground and held them in placed with wax and a mat made out of reeds. Then, for our element of surprise, we tied a deer, made out of grapevines in the center of the structure.

Carol Burns is an art instructor at Palmyra High School in Palmyra, Missouri. David A. Hevel is a graduate student at the University of Missouri in Columbia.