Kaniac-Materialistic

 

 2/19/26

 Idea: Teddy Bear Sanctuary

In today's world, I feel it is crucial to have safe spaces for people to retreat to when the current social climate becomes too much. Rest and recharging are important to the human psyche. Many adults also have lost their whimsy and wonder in their journeys from childhood to adulthood, and I would like to help bring those feelings back. In my installation, I aim to create a space reminiscent of blanket forts and playrooms but made to accommodate adults. This space will invite viewers to reclaim their childhood whimsy and enter a soft, warm, and safe place away from their current struggles of adult life.

 Materials List:

• Blankets (preferably soft and/or patterned)
• Low table or pedastal
• Stuffed animals (like a billion)
• Cusions/Pillows
• Ball pit
• Ball pit balls 
• Tea Set + Snacks
• Nails or tacks or something idk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist Inspiration:

I am once again inspired by the artist Yayoi Kusama, specifically her Obliteration Room installation. Like my Mini Installation, I am inspired by Kusama's usage of color, multiples, and transformative nature of space. Kusama's approach to installation will be incorporated into my work through the implementation of bright, rainbow colors, repetition of blankets and stuffed animals, and the complete transformation of the room into a large blanket fort suitable for the viewing experience.

Bri - "Other" installation

 

2/17/26 - Materialistic Ideas 

Joris Kuipers: Paper and wood-based installation

Website

 Joris Kuipers' style combines painting and sculpture through the utilization of hand-painted laser-cut shapes that are combined to make larger organic forms suspended in the air.  His colorful compositions bring the beauty of nature indoors, offering a sense of calm, wonder, and connection. Joris celebrates nature’s organic forms through dynamic and lively installations that energize interiors.

For my own installation, I have been interested in utilizing paper or wood components that are suspended in the air or held on the end of steel rods. I like Kuipers' use of color and plant-like imagery to transform a space and liven up a neutral colored space. 

Jardins Suspendus, Aluminum Alloy, Acrylic Paint, 2026

Floral Abstraction III, Acrylic paint and gold leaf on wood, 2019

Jardin Supendus I, Acrylic paint on wood, 2012

 

My Ideas:

I have been struggling to get any ideas down that I liked because most were either too complex for the time we had or too simple, so I didn't feel they reflected my work ethic or pushed my skills. I finally found one today that uses some of the forms of my wood and paper piece but are made with materials that are quicker for me to use while also filling the space. I plan on making multiple conical shapes that are held up by steel rods, either welded to plates, with three branching feet or welded to other cones to make interconnected bundles. They will stand at around 1 - 1.5 feet tall when complete. The cones themselves will be around 4 inches tall with a 2 - 2.5-inch opening made from chicken wire and plaster gauze, cast paper, or rolled/forged steel sheets. I would like the cones to stay a white color to match the walls (possibly with some dry brushing of other tones of grey) while having pops of color within the inside of the cones with purple colored fluff of various shades. I'm unsure if I should use fluffy faux fur or wool roving for the texture on the inside. 

With this installation, I would like to portray the feelings of unity and interconnection, with each form being different yet visually connected to the others. I also want this area to provide a sense of peace, like standing in a field of flowers. To push this, I wonder if having some sort of sound playing would help, like the rustling of plants or a gentle breeze. 

Examples of the cone forms standing up and with texture on the inside.

This image is the sketch for how I would like my pieces to be displayed, with some being attached to the walls and floor. I'm curious as to how this installation could look if I hung some of the cones from the ceiling (It might be too much going on.)

Materials List:

• Steel rod (30 - 40ft)
• steel sheets?
• chicken wire
• plaster gauze or paper
• faux fur or various bundles of purple roving

Delaney- Materialistic

2/19/2026

    I'm still a little bit undecided on what idea I want to go with, but I have two solid concepts that I'm happy with and excited about.

Idea Development

Idea #1

    My first idea was for my installation to be depicting a wake. I think wakes are an interesting thing- I think sitting there with the body of a loved one, really spending time with their body, is kind of a unique experience. I can't speak for everyone but I think spending time with the body really helps the grieving process, as you are confronted with the reality of the situation and must let the fact that they're gone sink in. For me, when I haven't gotten to spend time with the  body, I find myself struggling to come to terms with what happened in my mind. Like, logically, I know that person is dead- but because I haven't seen it, I feel like I almost forget that they're really gone, or have trouble wrapping my head around it. Whereas, when I have spent time with the body, I feel like my grieving process is more grounded in reality. It still sucks and is sad, but for me, it is a bit of an easier mourning process.

    Anyway, My idea for this piece is to have a sculpted-body laying in a bed. Their face is veiled, but you can still see the contours of the human face- vague nose shape, etc. My intention with this is to strip the individual of any set-identity so it can be interpreted as anyone. Then, by the bedside, I would have a small table and chair where a viewer can sit and spend time with the work. On the table, there would be an open notebook where the viewer is invited to, if they choose, write about their experiences with grieving or about a loved one. There would also be a vase with flowers where the viewer is allowed to take one and lay it over the body to sort of pay respects.

Idea #2

    My second idea is based  on a feeling from an experience I had a few years back. I'll be vague, but for context, I used to date somebody who was not very mentally stable and I had a lot of scary experiences with him as a result. For some reason, even though this was by no means the worst thing to happen, what stuck with me was this time when he was on top of me- I'm not very strong, but my fight or flight kicked in, and I bit his hair, pulling it out. This really haunted me- I felt guilty even though really, I know what happened wasn't without reason. But I found myself constantly feeling like I had hair in my mouth, even when I didn't. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of hair between my teeth. I was left with this lingering feeling of being gross or dirty.

    So, that's what this piece would be about. I depicted a girl wrapped in a cocoon of hair, with a shower drain beneath her that has hair coming out of it. I obviously can't find that much hair, so my idea  was to sculpt and paint some of it, but use brushed-out yarn for a large portion to get the effect of hair. Then, for smaller strands I would use some wig hair- I actually have a pretty long black wig that I'm not really attached to, so maybe I'd use that. I would like to sculpt some of the girl's body parts- mainly her face, an arm, and a bit of a knee, but I will be obscuring a lot of this with hair, so I'll probably only sculpt some parts to make it lightweight. I thought I would mostly use some foam, paper mache, and maybe some air-dry clay for certain features, all sealed with a few layers of mod podge to keep it together. To suspend this from the ceiling, I figured it would probably be most structurally sound to use some sort of cord that I can easily hide with the "hair". I'll try to make this pretty light-weight, but I will still have to be careful that it's structurally sound so it doesn't fall.

    I'm not set on either of these ideas yet. I really like both, so any input on which one I should go with and develop further would be appreciated!

Madelynn - “That” Installation

2/19/26

“That” Installation - Concept Ideas

Idea #1 - Emotional Response Room

For my first idea, I designed an Emotional Response Room based on my reaction to the Epstein files and the public response surrounding them. After reading some of the released emails and documents, I felt a strong sense of anger, disgust, and frustration. It also feels like the topic has been pushed aside or emotionally numbed over time. I want this installation to explore that emotional cycle… how outrage can slowly turn into overwhelm and then into numbness.

I was heavily inspired by the installation work of Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, especially their use of light and atmosphere to shape how a viewer physically experiences space.

The room would use fog and strong lighting to create a slightly claustrophobic environment. The lighting sequence would move from red (anger, chaos, exposure) into blue (sadness, emotional fatigue, numbness), followed by a blackout, and then repeated. This looping structure represents how public attention and emotional response often cycle and fade.

I am also considering projecting or painting short phrases or words into the space using opposite-color lighting. For example:

• During red lighting: phrases like “pending,” “under review,” “no comment,” and “insufficient evidence.”
• During blue lighting: phrases like “remember,” “pay attention,” and “this still matters.”

Sound and projections may also be layered to increase the sense of emotional overwhelming.

Idea #2 - Internal Anxiety / Heart Space

For my second idea, I wanted to explore something more personal by focusing on my own experiences with having a heart condition. Unlike a temporary illness, it is something that is always present, even when it is not visible. This installation would explore the constant background feeling of anxiety and physical awareness that comes with that. This idea is very similar to Project 1, “Small World.”

I was inspired by the sculptural material work of Eva Hesse and again by the atmospheric lighting environments of Olafur Eliasson. I am interested in combining soft materials such as yarn or string with fog and lighting to create a chaotic and slightly claustrophobic environment.

The yarn would hang throughout the space, creating layered visual tension and forcing the audience to physically navigate through it. A heartbeat sound would play continuously, possibly shifting tempo to reflect anxiety or irregular rhythm. Lighting would pulse subtly with the sound to reinforce the connection between the body and the environment.

This piece would focus on the idea that internal experiences, especially medical or emotional ones, can be invisible but still deeply present.

Idea #3 - Fabric Reflection Room

For my third idea, I am considering a quieter and more reflective installation space that still connects to emotional and bodily awareness. I was inspired by the immersive fabric environments created by Ann Hamilton along with the lighting and texture-based environments of Olafur Eliasson.

This installation would use hanging red fabric to surround the viewer and create a soft, enclosed environment. A beanbag chair placed in the center would encourage the viewer to sit and physically settle into the space, making the experience slower and more personal.

Fog, soft lighting, and sound would be used to create an immersive atmosphere. Depending on the final direction, the room could function either as:

• a reflective emotional space
• a symbolic internal body space connected again to heart awareness

Sound could include low ambient tones or a subtle heartbeat to reinforce the sense of presence and connection to the body.

 

Inspiring Artists

Olafur Eliasson - https://olafureliasson.net/

James Turrell - https://www.pacegallery.com/artists/james-turrell/

Eva Hesse - https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2810-eva-hesse/

Ann Hamilton - https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/sheer-magic-ann-hamilton

Maggie - "This" Installation

2/19/2026

"This" Installation (March 29 - April 11)

Idea: Chemotherapy 

Over the past 5 years, 4 of my family members have been diagnosed with cancer - my mom (uterine), my aunt (breast), and my cousins Dave (thyroid) and Julee (breast). Before that, the only member of my family who lost their battle to cancer was Dave's brother, Jim. He had this ultra-rare form of melanoma that grew in his sinuses. He died when I was around 8.

It's been really hard for me as I watch the people I love fall ill, and then be injected with a poison to help them get better. My aunt was just recently switched from a chemo pill to an IV drip form of chemo because she was having such bad allergic reactions to the pill. She just had all her hair shaved off on the 3rd of February. 

I have mixed feelings toward chemotherapy, because on one hand, it is literally poison, and on the other hand, it's the only thing to kill the cancer. I'm overwhelmed by it all, and that's what I want to portray in this installation. 

Sketches: 

Materials: 

-  IV bags in bulk. There are fake IV blood bags being sold on Amazon, and I can remove the labels. 

IV bags link 

- Chemotherapy Labels.

Stickers link 1

Stickers link 2

Stickers link 3

Stickers link 4

- Something to hang the bags from the ceiling.

- Fluorescent paint or glow stick liquid.

- Blacklights.

- Something black to cover the walls. 

- Isopropyl alcohol (for scent).

- Something to play the sound of beeping monitors. 

Artist Inspiration: 

For this sculpture, I am inspired by Keith Sonnier and Adela Andena because of their use of light. 

Keith Sonnier

Adela Andena

Unresolved Questions: 

- I am thinking about the possibility of putting a hospital chair in the corner of the room. My hesitation is both access to one and the price. I think it would really tie in with the room though. Thoughts? 

- I am still unsure if I want to write on the wall. I wanted to call the cancer center in Cheyenne (where both my mom and Aunt are receiving their treatment) and see if the nurses had any suggestions to add, and if they had any extra chemo safety bags that they could donate. Apparently when my aunt was getting her last infusion, she asked for a ice pack for the neuralgia. The nurses gave her ice in a chemo safety bag, so they might have extras. 

Bethany - Materialistic

Feb 19

This week, I made four sewing mock-ups to settle on a pattern and figure out how much fabric I would need.

First, I used this pattern. I unfortunately lost this sample, but I learned a lot of issues with sewing this type of fabric. I also wanted to make a bigger version to see if that made things easier.

Next, I made the no-seam version of the pattern twice as big. I used a flat-felled seam so there wouldn’t be a raw side. I thought I would like this better, but I found it really difficult to make straight lines and I actually liked the raw side more. I also realized with this version that the lines look strange without color.

Then, I decided to try just stitching the house shape. This was surprisingly hard to do, and it looks a little cartoony. It would be a good back up, but I don’t like it as much.

Finally, I modified the original pattern to have no door and instead be a narrower house exterior. My cutting tool was struggling at this point, so it is messier than I would like, but the pattern works. I would make sure to line everything up better on the final project.

This is the sample that I landed on. I want to make it about twice as big for the final project. My resident engineer helped me convert all the sizes to find how much fabric I will need to make them all about 24” in width. This will also make it so fewer houses will take up more area. I will sew them together vertically and I might clean up the sides once finished. I actually like having the insides have raw edges because I think it contributes to the concept.

Installation plan + written statement

Written statement:

I want to make a ghost-like neighborhood of houses that the viewer can walk through and peer through. By using panels of sheer fabric, I will quilt vertical lines of houses that will be suspended in the room. Faint sounds of a breeze can be heard as you enter. We all have our own associations of what a house signifies. I want viewer to think: Is this place abandoned? am I partaking in surveillance? Is this a dream? The space is rather narrow, so one may have to push past the fabric to walk through the room. I hope the translucent fabric will be combined with the volume and layout will make the room simultaneously full and empty, open and claustrophobic.

Installation plan:

There will be two rows of panels in squares hung from the ceiling. The inside square will be hung on the grid inside the lighting lines. The outside square will hang from the grid on the outside of the lights. The inside row will have one panel on each side, and the outside row will have three panels each. Each panel will have 3 houses each with each house block being about 24 inches wide. This will make 12 panels total with 36 houses total. Ideally, they will hang about three feet off the ground. The lights will point down at a slight angle towards the center of the room. There will be a speaker playing faint sounds of wind and road noise near the entrance.

Viewer encounter strategy:

I want to the room to be feel close together. The viewer will have to weave through the fabric to walk through the room.

Materials list:

·      White crystal organza fabric 13 yards - $34.98 before taxes and shipping

        o   https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/crystal-organza-59-60-inch-fabric

·      Dowel rods to hang top of fabric on $4.20*

        o   woodpeckerscrafts.com

        o   *I am unsure if this is the best way to hang them

·      Fishing wire to hang panels= est. $6

·      White sewing thread =est. $6

·      Some type of speaker/mp3 player for sound

·      Correct needle for fabric type $8.88

        oamazon.com

 

Feb 16

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on my installation. I want play off of my first idea with the sheer sheets in a cube combined with the sheer quilts. My idea is to make several quilted panels hung in two squares, and inner and an outer, with houses quilted on them. I want it to have the look of a neighborhood with houses in a line. The viewer would be able to walk through the panels and stand in the middle. I would hope that the sheer fabric will create some dim shadows across the room.

This is different than my other ideas, but I think it hits more on the materiality that I was wanting to work with while also having a theme that I can latch onto better. I have been thinking a lot about families and the state of our nation. I think the imagery of houses is very relevant, especially houses that can be seen through. I think this can convey themes of surveillance, insecurity, weakness, maybe even a dream-state.  Also, I think using this simple sign of a house will let the viewer apply their own feelings onto the room. I want it to be a little eerie; the houses are ghost-like.

The panels would be white voile or organza fabric, most likely. This would give a sheer look, but stiff enough to not drape too much. Rachel Hayes uses shimmer organza in her quilts. I am a little worried about quilting that many squares. It will help that it is all the same pattern, so most of the work is cutting out the pieces. Alternatively, I could draw on the houses with a very light color. It is most important that the outline of the house is present, but faint. I don’t want the outline of the houses to overpower the room. Each panel has three to five houses on it (maybe 5-6 feet long), hangs from the ceiling, and stops around hip/thigh height for the average height viewer. I also would like there to be a sound element to this room. I was thinking of a faint breeze/wind sound or ambient outdoors sounds.  

Feb 9

I thought more about this project, and I’m still struggling with a direction. I went through my fabric and found some sheer panels that are pretty. I also found an artist that makes large transparent quilts named Wally Dion. He will often layer them  in a room so you look through them all. Rachel Hayes does a similar thing, but on a larger scale. It looks like they both use a sewing technique where you fold and sew the seams so there is only one layer of fabric and no backing needed.

Rachel Hayes

Wally Dillon

I think at the core of my ideas, I want to use fabric and light to enhance the room, but I am not sure how to do that well. I have some fabric that I could try experimenting with. I think I’m just at a little bit of a conceptual roadblock. I think I am mostly struggling with how to adapt the space. What do I want the overall experience to be like? 

I think that visually I like my first idea better, but it is lacking conceptually. The sheer quilting could add context to the sheer panels, but I’m still struggling to clarify my ideas overall.

Jan 30

I have been struggling to pin down an idea for the materialistic assignment. My first idea is called “The World Needs More Cowgirls.”

So far, my idea revolves around being a woman in Wyoming. I want to talk about the women who have had an impact on our country from Wyoming as well as the experiences of women here.

 There would be a cowboy hat in the center of the room that is obstructed by sheer fabric and covered in quilted fabric. I am not sure if I would like this fabric to have something painted on it or instead do long paper-cut designs like lace. Either way, I would like the fabric to tone the room and cast shadows in some way. The hat would be on a stand with fabric coming out from underneath that falls into a sort of puddle. This fabric would have names of women from Wyoming. Guests would be invited to write a name of an impactful woman in their life on a scrap of fabric and add it to the pile. I would like to have a speaker inside the cowboy hat with voices of woman talking about their experiences.

I want the room to feel pretty but a little bit unsettling. It should be mostly dark, making the Having the fabric pile grow in the middle signifies the impact of women, but adding to it involves tossing the name of a woman on the ground.I would like to paint on the fabric panels, but I am unsure of what currently. I could write words as well, but that could be too much text. I want there to be obstruction of the hat, so maybe even male forms. I just am struggling to refine this idea as a whole.

My second idea was to make a sort of prayer room. There would be birds and flowers from the ceiling and bean bag chairs around the sides. I would also like panels that have psalms written down them. I would like there to be a sound element as well, so I was thinking the audio of breathing. There could be some sort of dish that people can write and leave a prayer. The lighting would hopefully cast shadows on the walls.

Bri - Small World

2/15/26 - Finishing Touches 

I made some progress on my mini installation over the weekend. I glued all of the new strings to my animals on Sunday, but that was all I was able to muster because I was not feeling very good later that evening, and I was working on my BFA monday. I'm hoping to have all of these new strings fully, or at least mostly attached to the wall by Thursday.

2/9/26 - Artist Statement

I chose to manipulate a box decorated with filigree on the outside and the inside of its lid because the designs are reminiscent of a life-sized gallery. The box’s walls are covered with red string attached to two animals, referencing the installation Over the Continents by Chiharu Shiota and the artist’s portrayal of her own experiences and universal human concerns, such as life, death, and relationships, through visual entanglement. The animals within my installation, a wolf and a raven, inspire my work because of the similarity between their behavior in the wild and the relationships humans form. By combining this idea of inherent kinship with Shiota’s work, this piece evokes ideas separation of people through external forces that many people experience in their lives.

The black walls of the gallery provide a stark contrast against the red of the string and natural coloring of the wolf and raven to create a focal point around the animals, as well as make the viewer feel as if the room is swallowing them. The taut string also fades into the darkness of the walls, further creating visual tension and feelings of dread and curiosity about the unknown forces pulling the strings. Each animal has a paw or leg outstretched towards the other as if looking for help and desperation to not be separated.

The small scale of this installation changes how this piece is perceived because the scene becomes more intimate rather than grand and overwhelming. There is a sense of curiosity to find out what is within such a small space, making the viewer bend down to get closer. The miniature scale also makes the installation feel like a moment frozen in time that the viewer is invited to see, rather than an experience by which they are enveloped. On this scale, there is a sense of hope that a full installation would be lacking because the viewer’s larger size suggests that they may be able to interfere and reunite the animals. This installation is psychological as well as visual, pulling at the feelings of onlookers through a visual experience of desperation and tension.

2/8/26 - Finishing Touches 

 During the week, I worked on painting my animals and the inside of my box, installing lights in my "gallery", and wrapping my animals in embroidery floss. After some testing, I decided that the thickness of two strands of embroidery floss was the best option with the most visual weight, while not being too thick. I also painted the interior of the box black per Keeley's suggestion to make my animals appear to be pulled away into the darkness surrounding them. 

To finish up before Tuesday, I am planning on poking holes in the walls of my box for the embroidery floss to be inserted into, then I will add a little bit of black paint to the ends where they meet the wall to further push the idea that my animals are being pulled into this dark, consuming abyss. 

2/2/26 - Progress 

I decided to make the middle image of idea two with the wolf and raven reaching for eachother within my mini gallery. Over the weekend, I started modeling my animals with Sculpey, and they were then baked in the oven on Sunday. My plan for before class on Tuesday is to prime my animals so they are ready for paint and to find string of various sizes to determine which ones I should use for my final installation. 

Look at: Cai Guo-Qiang

This sketch uses a wolf and a raven, tangled in a string that appears to be dragging them apart. Each has a paw or leg outstretched towards the other, as if seeking help and desperate not to be separated. The themes of this idea represent the separation of people through external forces that many people experience in their lives. The animals are so close yet so far from touching each other, creating visual tension combined with the physical tension of the taught yarn. This is the idea I am leaning toward the most for the small world project. 

This idea is working, and it makes sense that you’re leaning toward it. The tension between the wolf and the raven, so close yet pulled apart, is clear, and the string does real work here by creating both visual and physical tension.

As you move forward, the main thing to clarify is how this becomes a space rather than just a moment between two figures. At a small-world scale, think about where the viewer enters, how their eye moves through the interior, and how the string organizes or interrupts that space rather than simply connecting the animals.

The strength of this idea will come from translating that emotional tension into a spatial one. Focus on how the string can define boundaries, restrict movement, or create pressure within the interior so the viewer feels the separation rather than just seeing it.

1/26/26 - Project Ideas and Inspo.

Tara Donovan: Found Object Installations - Multiples

Donovan's work transforms everyday mass-produced objects like styrofoam cups, paper plates, and duct tape into large abstract installations. The forms of her installations have natural qualities, highlighting the duality between the material's artificiality and the organic movement they follow. 

I am drawn to Donovan's work because of her ability to transform everyday objects in a shocking way, once the viewer realizes what the materials are. I also like her organic forms and how they play with light, sometimes having light sources hidden within the body of the sculptures. 

Shiela Kicks: Soft Yarn Installations

Hick's installations redefine textiles by manipulating how they are traditionally woven, changing them from flat rugs and tapestries to mountains of soft "stones" and cascading ropes. Color is a major element in her work, often using bright, vibrant hues to create her installations.

I am drawn to Hick's work because of her use of line, multiples, and color. Her balls of yarn often look so soft and plush that there is a desire to jump inside them and curl up within the pile. Her installations have a theme of play to them, often resembling forms that evoke our inner child. My favorite installations are her ropes of yarn that often look like they are flowing through the ceiling and onto the floor like a waterfall of color. 

Chiharu Shiota: Found Object and Web Installations

Chiharu is a Japanese artist who makes installation pieces that dominate a large space. All of her sculptures use some type of fiber or rope with some found objects or other materials. There is a repeated pattern of boats within her pieces, but she also has a plethora of other objects entwined in her installations. Her pieces are inspired by personal experience as well as emotion, creating a redefined concept of memory and consciousness. She does this by literally engulfing objects in her large thread structures, which makes them feel more ethereal and clouded.

I adore Chiharu's works because of how large and impressive they are. I think she is the artist I want to focus on the most for inspiration. Her installations are so large and dominating despite only being made of yarn. The web-like forms she uses, combined with the large size of the installations, evoke feelings of entanglement as if the viewer could be tangled with the pieces if they get too close. I am drawn to her use of line, especially when she uses it to wrap around other found objects. 

My ideas:

The following images are of my miniature gallery. It is a box that already had a viewing port cut out of it, so I only have to manipulate the inside. I'm thinking of changing the bottom of the box to mask where the flaps of the opening were glued to it, and I like the idea of making a little wooden frame around the opening to help emphasize the hole and encourage people to look through it. The style of the box also looks like a miniature gallery, with a design on the interior of the lid that looks like a fancy ceiling one might find in a real gallery. 

The box is 8" wide, 6.5" long, and 3" tall, so I will have to work around having a shorter ceiling by elongating my miniatures horizontally.

The opening is 6.5" wide and 1.5" tall, which is a good size to see all of the interior of the box from.

Idea 1: This first sketch is inspired by Tara Donovan's work. For this idea, I was thinking of making some organic abstract sculptures cast from paper or made from mass-produced objects like straws to allow for holes going into the body of the form. Then the interiors of the installations would have lights to help light the "gallery" while also playing with the shadows cast upon the walls.

The provided sketch is just one idea of what I could do for this idea. I think making maquettes for these installation pieces, rather than sketches, would be better for me to visualize what I want to do if I continue with this idea.

Idea 2: This second idea combines my styles and themes of my BFA with the installation techniques of Chiharu Shiota. Her work is inspired by her personal experiences or emotions, which are expanded into universal human concerns like life, death, and relationships. I want to take inspiration from her themes of connected relationships and visual topics of entanglement and merge them with my animal subject matter. My sketches portray the continued usage of my wolves and ravens to portray human feelings, specifically that of worry. 

This top sketch portrays branches either made of wire wrapped in yarn or found outside with string on the ends that are attached to parts of a wolf trying to pull it in different directions. I like the idea of the branches curling back toward the walls of the box so they look as if they are actually pulling the wolf. As I was working on my BFA, I noticed a constant theme of having a wolf be a focal point or continuous character within each sculpture, which has made me realize that the wolf has become a depiction of myself. This first idea uses this depiction to continue to display my feelings and frustrations with relationships and how others used to have more control over my life than I did. 

(I do wonder if this idea would be better suited to my larger installation in the Other gallery?) 

This middle sketch utilizes both a wolf and a raven tangled in a string that looks like they are being dragged away from each other. Each has a paw or leg outstretched towards the other as if looking for help and desperation to not be separated. The themes of this idea represent the separation of people through external forces that many people experience in their lives. The animals are so close yet so far from touching eachother which creates a visual tension combined with the physical tension of the taught yarn. This is the idea I am leaning toward the most for the small world project. 

This third sketch is inspired by Shiota's woven pieces that are more net-like. I am unsure of what themes I would be talking about with this idea, but I was drawn to the idea of having multiple of these nets with birds stuck, hanging within them. The birds would still represent people, but I'm unsure of what human element this piece would be talking about.

Bri, this is a strong and well-developed post. Your artist research is thoughtful and well articulated, and it’s clear you understand why these artists work the way they do, not just what their work looks like. The connections you’re making between repetition, line, entanglement, and emotional weight are appropriate and productive for installation thinking.

Your found object choice is also a good one. The box already functions as a miniature gallery, and the existing viewing port is an advantage rather than a limitation. The scale, proportions, and low ceiling are clear constraints, and you’re thinking correctly about how those constraints will shape what can happen inside the space.

As you move forward, the most important next step is choosing one direction and committing to it.

Regarding your ideas:

• Idea 1 (Donovan-inspired abstract forms)
  This idea works well with the scale of the box and your interest in light and shadow. Focusing on mass-produced or cast elements could allow the space to read as a miniature gallery environment rather than a narrative scene. If you pursue this, keep the number of forms limited and let repetition, material, and lighting do most of the work.

• Idea 2 (Shiota-inspired entanglement with wolves and ravens)
  This direction is emotionally strong and clearly connected to your ongoing body of work. The middle sketch—where the wolf and raven are nearly touching but pulled apart—feels the most resolved conceptually and reads well at a small scale. If you pursue this, focus on tension, line, and restraint rather than adding multiple figures or narrative details. This idea is well suited to the small world project, as long as the emphasis remains on spatial entanglement rather than illustration.

• Idea 3 (net-like forms with birds)
  This is visually interesting but currently the least defined conceptually. I would encourage you to set this idea aside for now unless the theme becomes clearer and more focused.

Overall, your strongest option for the small world installation appears to be the middle sketch from Idea 2. It aligns well with Chiharu Shiota’s use of line and entanglement, fits the scale of the box, and allows your animal imagery to function symbolically without overcrowding the space.

As you refine your chosen idea, keep asking:

• What is the dominant material action in this space?

• How does tension, proximity, and line define the “room”?

• What can be simplified so the emotional core stays clear?

This is a very promising start. The next step is narrowing, simplifying, and pushing one idea forward with confidence rather than continuing to explore multiple directions at once.