Why did you select your specific found object as a gallery space?
What did you learned from the artist you studied?
How does your work activate an already-existing space?
How does scale (miniature) alter meaning, intimacy, power, or perception?
What kind of “entry” does the viewer experience (visual, psychological, conceptual, sensory)?
I chose a baseball helmet as the gallery space for this installation because of its unusual shape and the meaning it already carries as an object meant to protect. A helmet is designed to shield the head from impact, which immediately connects to ideas of safety, pressure, and vulnerability. I was drawn to the way the helmet naturally creates a small, enclosed interior that asks the viewer to look inward rather than outward. In this piece, the helmet also acts as a symbol of God’s protection, representing the way faith can shelter us from the chaos, anxiety, and stress that exist around us while still allowing moments of calm to exist inside.
From studying Cornelia Parker, I learned how powerful it can be to work with everyday or charged objects and transform them without erasing their original meaning. Her use of suspension, containment, and stillness showed me how a moment after an event can be just as meaningful, if not more powerful, than the event itself. I was especially influenced by how her installations hold fragments in a paused state, creating tension through quietness and allowing the viewer to focus on space, scale, and detail.
This installation activates the helmet’s existing space by turning its interior into a small atmospheric environment. The ventilation holes, which are normally used for airflow, are repurposed to allow light to enter and shift the color and mood of the space. Light becomes the main material, creating the illusion of a calm rain at sunset through warm oranges, pinks, and purples mixed with cooler tones. Reflection and subtle suspended elements help suggest rain without relying on literal movement, keeping the scene gentle and still.
Working at a miniature scale changes how the piece is experienced. Instead of physically entering the installation, the viewer must slow down, lean in, and look closely through a small opening. This creates an intimate and personal experience, encouraging focus and reflection. The entry into the work is visual but also emotional and psychological, as the soft light, color, and suggestion of rain are meant to create a sense of calm. Overall, the piece invites viewers to pause, reflect, and notice the small moments of beauty, faith, and protection that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
2/1/2026
I have started on my mini installation. I have carved out a piece of wood for my base. I have started to papier-mache the inside of the helmet. I used pastel colors. Specific colors are pink, orange, blue, and yellow. I need to buy some dark blue to let it fade out and blend better. This method that I am using is very successful so far, and it looks like a sunset. I have also started my raindrops. With this, I tried to make each drop separate, which made them look bigger than I would like. So what I did was tap down the bottom, then let them drip down as I use a UV light to stop them in place before they all fall to the bottom. I was wearing safety gear and did this outside with good ventilation.
I still need to finish the paper mache on the helmet. I need
to make a lot more raindrops. I am good at adding some clouds using stuffing or
cotton balls from my house and painting them pink and orange. I want to make a
ramp or stairs up to the installation, as well as some benches inside, made from
Sculpy.
My explanation of my idea and the helmet's concept is
confusing, so here is another explanation. This installation is about slowing
down and noticing the small moments of beauty that are often forgotten in
everyday life. The calm rain and sunset inside the baseball helmet represent a
pause from the chaos that can surround us. Light is central to the piece,
reflecting my faith and the way God paints the sky with warm sunset colors as a
reminder of His presence.
The baseball helmet functions as a symbol of protection and
shelter. It represents God’s presence, protecting us from the chaos and
pressure around us and holding the storm at a safe distance. Inside the helmet,
the rain becomes gentle and calm, suggesting peace and reassurance rather than chaos.
Some concerns and questions are about what I should paint my
base. Should I do gray and create a sidewalk, go green like a park, or something
else? I was also thinking about adding green bushes to the sides, but I don't know about it. I still need to know how I will handle the light.
Also, I am adding some pictures to show my inspiration.
This is a strong start, and your process sounds thoughtful and intentional. The pastel sunset palette inside the helmet is working conceptually and visually, and your instinct to deepen the blue so the color fades more naturally is a good one. The fact that you’re testing, adjusting, and responding to scale with the raindrops shows solid problem-solving. Your safety awareness and controlled process are also exactly what I want to see.
The helmet's symbolism of protection and shelter is clear, and your explanation of the rain shifting from chaos to calm is compelling. Keeping the storm contained inside the helmet is a smart way to reinforce the idea of pause, care, and reassurance. Light as a metaphor for faith and presence feels appropriate here — just make sure it stays subtle and supportive rather than becoming the main spectacle.
A few gentle suggestions as you move forward:
For the base, I’d encourage restraint. A neutral or softened gray could function well as a “world outside” without competing with the interior color and light. Green or bushes may start to pull the piece toward decoration rather than focus. Let the helmet remain the emotional center.
With the raindrops, variation will help. Not every drop needs to be large or dramatic — smaller, quieter drops may actually reinforce the sense of calm you’re after.
The clouds sound promising. Keep them minimal and integrated so they don’t overwhelm the interior space.
For the interior elements (ramps, stairs, benches), think carefully about scale and necessity. Ask yourself whether each element adds to the feeling of pause and shelter, or whether the suggestion of space might be enough.
For lighting, simple is best. One soft, warm light source that enhances the sunset colors will likely be more effective than multiple lights. What if you used a desk lamp over the helmet? What does that look like?
Overall, you’re on a good path. Focus on clarity, scale, and restraint, and keep trusting the quieter moments in the piece — that’s where its strength is.
1/24/26
Found Object Installation:
For my found object installation, I found a baseball helmet.
I chose it because it had a weird shape and looked different and eye-catching.
Inside, I want to create a sunset rain scene. In this piece, I want to focus on
the small beauty we love but often forget. There is so much going on in our
lives today with school, jobs, clubs, hobbies, etc. I know I have a lot of
anxiety towards these things, and it can cause me to forget the small things in
life. I am also following my path with light, faith, and God as I did last
semester. God paints the sky with beautiful oranges, pinks, and purples, and I
want to mimic that. I also see the baseball helmet as being a protector. The
helmet is protecting us from the bas storm around us and only lets it sprinkle
on the inside.
I plan to create raindrops and puddles with resin (or
another material if I can't use resin). The baseball helmet has holes to allow
airflow when worn, but I want to use them to change the color of the inside. I
am going to use colored paper and lights to make the inside glow like an actual
sunset. I am also going to create a wooden or cardboard base at the bottom and
a wall at the front with a peephole. I also want to create a smell when it
is about to rain or is raining.
Some concerns I have are if I need to do anything to the
outside or leave it as it is. Another concern is how I will set up the lighting
without showing the wires.
Katie, thank you for laying your thinking out so clearly here. It’s evident that you’re working through ideas that matter to you, and I can see consistent threads across both proposals: nature, light, faith, protection, and moments of quiet or guidance within chaos. That emotional clarity is a strength.
At this stage, I want to encourage you to slow down and choose one direction, and then deepen it rather than expanding outward. Right now both ideas are carrying a lot of elements—movement, scent, light, narrative, symbolism—which can quickly turn the installation into an illustrated scene rather than an immersive spatial experience.
For this project, the found object must do conceptual work, not just contain the idea. Whichever direction you choose, ask yourself: how does the object’s existing form, history, and physical limitations actively shape the experience? For example, if you are drawn to protection, shelter, or guidance, how does the interior space of the object control light, visibility, access, or intimacy? I’m less interested in seeing every part of the story explained, and more interested in how the space feels to encounter.
I also want you to think carefully about why this idea wants to exist in miniature. One of the strengths of working small is that it allows you to create environments or sensations that would be impossible, overwhelming, or impractical at full scale. Miniature asks the viewer to peer in, slow down, and focus. What can you do at this scale that you couldn’t do in a room-sized installation? Let the smallness intensify the experience rather than turning it into a diorama.
Finally, this project must be in dialogue with a specific installation artist. Once you identify your artist, use their strategies—how they activate space, control the viewer’s entry, or use restraint—to help you simplify. You may find that choosing fewer elements (for example, light and form, or repetition and scale) and pushing them further will make the work stronger and more immersive than adding multiple sensory effects.
There is a lot of heart here. The next step is refinement: choosing one idea, grounding it in the found object and artist reference, and letting scale, space, and restraint do more of the work.
Artist Inspiration:
Yayoi Kusama
Andy Goldsworthy
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
James Turrell
