Year 9’s wearable sculpture workshop

Year 9 were tasked with creating wearable sculptures earlier this term in Art. The students drew inspiration from modernist paintings, particularly abstract art, for their designs – resulting in some strikingly creative designs on display in their final show.

The pieces were created using materials readily available in the Art department, such as wires, wood, scraps of fabric and bubble wrap. Students had to work in small groups and adhere to strict deadlines to brainstorm, plan, and execute their designs.

Of the process, Eve said: “I’ve found this project a lot of fun – I’ve learnt how to manage my time as we have a lot to do in a short amount of time.

“Normally you do Art on your own but working with someone else has been really fun. Together we’ve come up with something we wouldn’t have done by ourselves.”

Her partner, Kitty, added: “I loved working with Eve, she’s creative and productive! The project itself is interesting but I wish we had more time to develop our ideas and actually make them.”

Whilst the time limits proved frustrating for some, working to the deadline helped develop the students’ problem-solving skills.

Tierney said: “Our biggest challenge was bringing our design to life. We initially made a hoop skirt, but it didn’t look right so we decided to revise our plan.”

The decision paid off. “Seeing the finished product was the best part of the project. The wings took ages, so we put the dress together in 10 minutes! But we’re really pleased with how it’s turned out.”

Other challenges helped to develop students’ adaptability skills, as Walter explained: “Our design isn’t what we had in mind at the start. We didn’t have enough felt to do what we had envisaged, so instead we used spraypainted bubble wrap.” As Sheryl Sandberg once said, done is better than perfect!

Take a look at the finished designs, and some of the design process, in the gallery below…