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Class
gives experience to students in 3-D art Staff Writer
Art
is more than drawing a two-dimensional picture. It is more than
sculpting. In Dewane Hughes s, assistant art professor, Basic Form
class students learn how to perceive and understand the formal
relationship between objects in space. Hughes said today s generation
lacks an understanding of forms. He
said that the course is an exploration of the ideas and principles of
three dimensional forms. People
can t see how objects relate to one another in space, Hughes said. The
class works with several different materials and ideas in the classroom.
They have built tree, wire, and dowel sculptures. Hughes has also given
the class several random objects to build a non-representational form
with during a two hour time limit. The class has been beneficial to the
students. It
helps you see things in a different way. Looking at something and
building it are two completely different things, said Melissa
Cunningham, freshman art major and Basic Form student. It
[Basic Form] helps you in many areas of your life, said Alison
Wright, senior studio art major. Jeff
Smith, freshman art major, said that he has gotten a better
understanding of the processes involved not only in art, but in everyday
objects. When
you know the processes involved you become a better artist, Smith
said. It makes you think a lot more deeper than your perceptions
allow. You
apply the principles of design by experimentation and trial and
error, Cunningham said. The
Basic Form class is a prerequisite for several classes. It s
not a sluff course. It s something you have to put a lot of time
into, Cunningham said . It s
the first step in a long process, Smith said. Art
majors don t just make stuff, they apply standards and rules to their
work, Wright said. Cunningham,
Smith, and Wright said that the course has helped them better perceive a
three-dimensional form from a two-dimensional shape. They also said they
have gained a sense of whether or not a material is workable in one way
or another; whether or not the material is sturdy enough to take a
shape. When
you start a project, you have a vague idea, but then something clicks
and you can visualize the end result, Cunningham said. Hughes
said there is some freedom in teaching the class. And, after a semester
of work, the class will take that freedom on the road. There is a
soapbox derby at the end of every semester. It is open to anyone who
wants to come and participate. |