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.

Keeley H – "That" Installation

02/17/26:

In Progress Update:

    I made some progress over the weekend, but I could really use the next week to hunker down and focus on this installation alone. I started adding fabric to my chicken-wire forms, and I'm going to use actual cuts of meat to help determine the color of the fabric I place and stitch on. I intend to cover these forms completely, then add details before adding additional layers of fabric and other details directly to them.  I'm using these forms as the building blocks for the overall form. 

    The next steps for this week to focus on and complete for install are:

• Paint feet and add detail to wounds where bar punctures
• Continue to add fabric and details to forms
• Build fabric loops for things to hang from inside feet. 
• Hang plastic drop clothes
• Measure and cut chain - 5 feet

02/08/26

Updates:

I began building smaller elements within my overall installation this past week, and really got down the measurements for the room and the height. After getting some measurements and fully dialing in to what the form will look like overall, I'm feeling much better moving forward. The bottom measurement between the figure and the floor may vary depending on how much overlap there is between the meat hook and the feet.  Dave also gave me a rough estimate of where it's easiest to hang the grid, so the measurement at the lowest point is subject to change. 

I spent a few days putting together various sizes of chicken wire that mimicked meat cuts or even figural elements, and I'm hoping to finish those up tomorrow and begin the plaster gauze process. I want these forms to create the illusion of mass without its weight. Since I am hanging from the grid, I'm trying to keep everything as lightweight as possible. I was also able to forge two meat hooks from a steel rod. I attempted this at first with a quarter-inch pencil rod, and after some advice, I decided to redo them with a much thicker one. I think they look much better and much more realistic this way! I just need to fabricate one more and shine up the metal before sealing it.  

One thing not pictured above (I feel a little weird about it right now lol) is the mannequin feet I ordered. I drilled holes through the ankles and cut off the tops of the feet to allow a steel rod to pass through and support the rest of the figure. I also decided to brush wax on the feet to give them a more realistic texture before priming them and getting them ready to paint. Once those get to a better point of resolution, I will include photos. (Once they don't gross me out)

I was also planning to spend this past weekend finishing the miniature version of this installation, but I was hit with a pretty nasty cold, so I intend to finish it by the end of this week, with more focus on the elements of the large-scale installation. - I will work harder in the future to prevent this setback!

02/01/26

Refinement:

I realized after posting yesterday that my update doesn't make much sense if my idea hasn't been refined and shown here. Things are a little out of order, but it'll make sense soon! I redid my original sketch after pondering the questions given to me, and I answered them below.

• How many hanging forms are necessary to create the intended atmosphere?

• What is the minimum number to still communicate weight, repetition, and presence?
• Which elements must be physically built, and which can be implied through space, light, or restraint?
• Would fewer forms intensify the experience?
• Could one area carry the most visual weight while others recede?
• Where does restraint create more tension than accumulation?

    After allowing for this idea to exist in my head for longer than just a moment, like it did last semester, and listening to those around me, I realized that I don't need to fill up the room with figures for my idea to still strike hard. The question "What is the minimum number that still communicates weight, repetition, and presence?" is the most inspiring one to think through. I began to break down the idea to the bare bones. What are the bare necessities for creating the atmosphere and visually communicating the idea? I really enjoy the point that restraint can create more tension. 

    So I've decided to move to just one figure within the room, not centered, but maybe off to the side. I'm not totally sure about this decision yet, but I think it will be addressed in both the mock-up I'm creating and during the install. The repetition could come from other hooks hanging alongside the one being used. Insinuating that there is intention and space for more to join. Maybe allowing audience members to place themselves there. The suggestion of red lights, the buzzing sound of fluorescent lights, and cooling the room down are incredible, and I would love to include them. 

Materials I am building:

• The abstract form that follows the feet. I want to construct some of this out of stiffened fabric and fiber thread. I want this part to be intuitive. I was also thinking that creating a chicken-wire and plaster gauze form might help clarify the overall shape before I start going all haywire with other materials. 
• After thinking about it, I think I will blacksmith the three meat hooks. One, because I love blacksmithing. Two, I can control the look of each hook fully throughout the process. And three, because they are three of the same form that can be easily fabricated. 

Materials I am gathering or ordering:

• It's crazy that I'm building a piece that involves feet even though I hate them so much. I decided to order a pair of mannequin feet (not super expensive), both as a reference or even as a base to add more naturalistic details on top of. Feet are weird, and I'm not interested in making a mold of mine (I don't want to use a model either, the less real feet involvement the better), so I figured this was the next best option. 
• Plastic sheets: I plan on just utilizing plastic drop cloths.
• Chain?
• Sound?

Some questions from me:

• What is the best way to hang the drop cloths? I want them to go fairly high, as I don't think I need to hide anything within the ceiling for this piece. So maybe that doesn't matter as much now that I think about it. 
• I want to use a chain to hang this piece from. Is there a light-weight chain that would keep the overall weight of my form light enough for the grid to handle? Or should I consider a different material to use? Rope? Cording?
• What are the dimensions of the "That" gallery space? 
• Is it possible to implement a way to make the room colder? I really love Megan's suggestion!
• Is it possible to have sound coming from up above? Like in the ceiling, mimicking the fluorescent light sound?

Core idea
The work places the viewer inside a meat-locker environment: cold, sterile, fluorescent, and quietly violent. Rather than filling the room with bodies, the piece relies on restraint. One suspended figure is enough to carry the emotional weight, while empty hooks and open space imply repetition, absence, and the potential for more.

The figure is suggested through the feet only. The rest of the body dissolves into an abstract, weighted mass. The viewer crosses a plastic threshold to enter the space, immediately encountering a controlled, clinical atmosphere.

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What must be present for the piece to work

• One clear hanging event that reads as industrial and intentional
• A plastic threshold the viewer physically passes through
• A cold, sterile environment created through light, sound, and material restraint
• Evidence of repetition through unused hooks or empty hanging points

Everything else is optional and should only be added if time allows.

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What you are building
Three forged meat hooks (only one needs to be used; the others can remain empty)
One suspended form: mannequin feet attached to a hook and hanging line
An abstract mass beneath the feet, built intuitively using fabric and fiber
A simple armature (chicken wire and plaster gauze) may be used first to define the overall shape

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What you are sourcing

• Mannequin feet to use as a base or reference
• Clear plastic drop cloths for walls and threshold strips
• Lightweight chain or cable for hanging
• A subtle fluorescent hum or industrial buzz for sound

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Key decisions to lock in now

• Limit the work to one hanging figure
• Let restraint do the work rather than accumulation
• Choose one symbolic detail for the feet, not multiple
• Keep the violence suggestive rather than graphic

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Installation notes
Plastic should be hung high, cleanly, and with intention. Fewer large sheets will read better than many small ones. We have some. May need to order more.
Use a lightweight chain, cable, or cord rated for the ceiling grid, with a discreet safety backup.
If actual cooling is not possible, rely on cool lighting, sound, and plastic to imply temperature.
Sound should be subtle and plausible, as if coming from the lights above rather than from a speaker.

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Three-week build focus
Week one: confirm dimensions, finalize hanging plan, test one hook and feet connection
Week two: fabricate hooks, finish feet, build the abstract mass
Week three: install plastic, hang the form, add sound and lighting, refine and clean

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Primary goal
Clarity over quantity. Control over excess. The viewer should feel unsettled immediately, before they fully understand why.

01/31/26:

Updates:

    After the first week, I have a few updates on this installation. All of which I am very excited about and really itching to work on. I decided that in order to do this right, especially for my first time doing an installation at this scale, I wanted to map out the room and build my own at a smaller scale. I did this with cardboard and hot glue, and even got the wall color and a cute little sign down. Once I finished this, I began working on what would go into the space. I didn't get too far, but I'm excited to continue to work on it while materials for the large-scale installation are still being shipped. Here are some images I took of the in-progress work, and hopefully by next week, I will be working on the real deal! (Many of my materials should be here by Wednesday)

Here are some different angles of the "That" gallery I built. I had so much fun with it and now realize all the different ways to improve it so it can be so much better next time. I don't necessarily like how the edges turned out, but now I know what I'll do differently!

I realize that this totally doesn't look like anything recognizable yet, but I started on modeling the feet and attaching them to the meat hook and chain. I want to paint them to make them look a bit better and to also figure out a color story that will go with the fabric, fiber, and other materials that will be hanging from it. 

 01/25/26:

Initial Idea and Sketches:

I went back and forth about whether to make this installation human-scale or mini, and I finally decided on human-scale. I think the impact is there, at least for me. I haven't personally been in the meat locker of a butcher shop, and I'm not sure how many others have, but I fully intend to do research and visit one to get the details right. I want to place my audience in that space. The cold and sterile environment with the trace amounts of blood and violence that don't ever go away, no matter how many times that room is scrubbed and rinsed down. Instead of using fully recognizable female bodies for the figure, I only want the feet to convey what is actually happening.  I want the entire room covered in clear plastic sheets, and for the viewer to walk through a visual and physical boundary of "sterile" plastic strips before they can take in all the details. 

There are so many different kinds of meat hooks online, and I could either buy them or have them made. I think my decision will depend on my timing, but they really shouldn't take too long to fabricate. Each form will have recognizable feet, and I was trying to find ways to make them symbolize female bodies, but maybe they don't. We have so much violence against people in general in this country that it could be anyone hanging there. Maybe some have heels, or some have painted toenails. I don't know exactly, but I'll find out as soon as I start making. After the feet, I just want the feeling of carnage. Of dripping. Of weight and destruction. 

Artist Inspiration:

Tamara Kovianovsky:

"Tropical Abattoir"

Teresa Kovianovsky's work is so beautiful. When I first stumbled across her work I was in awe for at least an hour. I really suggest visiting her website (which I do have linked) and viewing the rest of her work because this is just the beginning. Her use of fabric and patterns to create such grotesque and also beautiful renditions of meat and animal bodies is fascinating. I want to cry and throw up while looking at them, but also cuddle up to them because they look so huggable? How can those two visceral reactions coexist? I don't know, but this work encapsulates it. 

Tara Kennedy:

"Hope Emerging"

Tara Kennedy has been a massive inspiration for my work the last couple years which is why she keeps appearing in my artist inspiration list. I find her use of color and fabric/fiber to be so inspiring, and I hope to one day achieve a semblance of this in my work. I also enjoy the knots and texture added to some of her work as a way to give visual interest and keep the eye moving. 

Feasibility & Scope Questions to Consider

• This is a strong and serious direction. As you move forward, I want you to think carefully about what is realistically buildable within the time and resources available.

• Ask yourself:

  • How many hanging forms are truly necessary to create the intended atmosphere?

  • What is the minimum number that still communicates weight, repetition, and presence?

  • Which elements must be physically built, and which can be implied through space, light, or restraint?

• Consider the labor involved in:

  • fabricating the hooks

  • constructing the hanging forms

  • installing plastic sheeting safely and cleanly

  • managing weight, balance, and attachment

  • de-installation and clean-up
    How much of this can be completed confidently within the timeline?

• Think about where simplification might strengthen the work:

  • Would fewer forms intensify the experience?

  • Could one area carry the most visual weight while others recede?

  • Where does restraint create more tension than accumulation?

• I encourage you to identify one or two elements that are essential to the concept, and treat everything else as negotiable.

• This project doesn’t need to be maximal to be powerful. Focus on clarity, control, and what the viewer encounters in the space rather than the total amount produced.

Katie Campbell-small installation

• 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)?

2/16/2026

Reflection:

Creating this installation made me more aware of how important the process is, especially when working at such a small scale. Because everything was contained inside a baseball helmet, even the smallest details required a lot of time and patience. Elements like raindrops and puddles, which seem simple at first, turned out to be some of the hardest parts to make. I had to experiment with materials and placement to make them feel subtle and calming rather than overwhelming or distracting.

The process pushed me to be intentional with each decision. Since I couldn’t rely on large gestures, I focused on how light interacted with each detail and how everything worked together to create atmosphere. This helped me realize how much meaning small elements can carry when they are carefully considered.

Overall, this piece taught me that the smallest details often take the most effort, but they are also what make the work feel complete. The process reinforced my interest in working with light and quiet moments, and reminded me that patience and attention to detail play a big role in creating meaningful experiences.

2/11/2026

Statement: 

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

Tomás Saraceno

Cornelia Parker