Small Object Ideation: Cut Up Poetry Beasts and 3D Paper Strip Models

Hi De Ho Internet peeps... and welcome to Small Object Ideation...

(a class in the Art department of RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, which "aims to shift our automatic methods of working" creatively)

(trumpet fanfare... toot toot toot toooooooot...)

Get prepared for some serious PLAY...

This special little blog represents my "trainer wheels" entry into the world of art blogging. I'm all padded up with every item of clothing I own, preparing myself for a few falls along the way to blogging success.

However... I intend to get back up after every fall.

So, if you see some bad formatting, unsuccessful uploading or other blog tragedy... just smile and relish that warm glow that comes with knowing that you are here with me, watching my technological prowess grow... baby step after baby step...

READY...STEADY.......GO!

The story begins with the lovely Natalia introducing us to a long lost friend, 'Play'. However it has been so long since we have been allowed near 'Play' that we have no idea what to do with it.

But Natalia has just the thing... Like a physiotherapist every creative individual needs, she gives us a few exercises to do to get things moving.

We are all instructed to write down 10 descriptive words on little bits of paper. We then put them into a bucket (although Natalia's notes did specifically say to put them into a hat...One persons bucket is another's hat I say...)

We then wait for the magic... There was none... Perhaps because we used a bucket... Mental note to use a hat next time.

There was however exactly 10 descriptive words for each of us to pull out of the bucket. The wonder of mathematics!!

Strangely Natalia only wanted us to pull out 5, perhaps she wanted the remaining 5 words per person for herself... word hoarding... is that something they cover on the television series Hoarders?

But then we found out that we were to arrange the words "in such a way that they form a descriptive term for a mythological beast"...

"DRAW YOUR BEAST" roared Natalia...(she didn't actually 'roar', Natalia is actually quite sweet, but in the themes of beasts, I thought...)

But that was only the beginning... Next we were to look at these words and impose there characteristics onto strips of A3 paper. After this (we were unaware of this at this point) we were to use these A3 strips to construct a 3D model.

My first thought with both exercises was "How am I going to make paper look delicious?"

Answer: Embrace 'delicious' in an r'n'b sense... think Fergie/Black Eyed Peas with their

d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s...lyrics

The Result: My lady beast has delicious lashes-lips-and even heart shape printed knickers visible in the mirrored floor reflection...

With my A3 strip of paper I thought first about a sensual curved undulating line...

D_E_L_I_C_I_O_U_S