PPFAA - These are examples from two of the classes I taught at this fine arts magnet, a public primary school. I have also created documentaries of these classes, which focused on the process of ideation. Pictured here are working drawings of "Form 1," part of the Garden Architecture project.
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Roof
Sky
Fence
PPFAA model - This is a maquette which I made. It is made in the same 1" = 1' scale my students used, and was a refined version of their initial/rough models.
PPFAA frame - In the spirit of community-building, we found welding apprentices within the public school system to fabricate all of the structures. In this view, the recently-marked gas line can be seen in the back ground, as well as early morning frost.
PPFAA installed - This is the first of a three-part sculpture series. We were fortunate to have it installed before the ground froze, but it looked a bit lonely out there all winter. The remaining pieces are nearing completion, and will be ready when the ground thaws. Once installed, the structures will serve as arbors. As part of their spring gardening unit, kindergarden classes will plant flowering climbers annually. Solar-powered lights will highlight the structures at night.
This is a close up of the largest structure. The kindergarteners planted cardinal vines, also known as cypress vines, from seeds and then transplanted them last spring. Each spring, the kindergarten classes will plant new annuals around the sculpture bases. This shot was taken at summer's end.
Each structure has Moonflowers growing on it. These large white blossoms open at night, and with the landscape lighting we installed, take on a dramatic look after the sun gows down.
The mid-sized sculpture has Morning Glories planted around it. They offer a cheerful, welcoming spash of color to the mass of foliage.
PPFAA - This is the fourth version of this prototype, something my students and I tweaked over the school year. The goal was to teach the children teamwork, ergonomics, recycling and the jump from 2D to 3D. Successive versions of this furniture system included "Chair-o-saurus," a mammoth sculpture made with dozens of modular parts and no instructions, Christo-inspired upholstery and Jean-Michel Basquiat influenced graphics.
PPFAA - The children often pitched in and helped each other. This was partly out of neccessity, but they really enjoyed demonstrating how to manipulate corrugated cardboard. I was also lucky to have an adult assistant!
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Child's Play
These images represent some of my work at Perley Primary Fine Arts Academy. PPFAA is an inner-city magnet school which integrates art into its core curriculum. I created and taught "Garden Architecture" and "Build-a-Chair," two design-build classes for kids. In addition to the tangible results, I also created documentaries for each of these classes using iMovie.