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Created: Friday, 01 January 1999 21:34
In the March/April 1998 issue, I discussed the Golden Mean method afmeasuring proportions by geometry. Proportion is a function of design, along with balance, rhythm, repetition, variation, contrast, and gradation. In preparation for a series in design, I am presenting to you a biography of Laura Alpert.
As fortune would have it, Laura Alpert came to the 1998 Camp Brotherhood Symposium to teach a workshop in Design. She has a fresh approach to analyzing design, acquired through much research and the novel way she teaches design to beginning students at the University of Oregon; so much fresher than many textbooks covering introduction to design.
Laura Alpert entered the world of sculpture and received her degree at a time when there was not much instruction in tenns of threedimensional design. In order to teach it, she researched the history and principles of design, especially threedimensional design. She studied many historical sources from 3D work that the French Academy had written. When the German Bauhaus group brought forth their new ideas of design in the 1880's, design as a separate entity didn't exist, certainly not in the classical textbooks of the time.
Laura taught Art at Indiana University from 1976 to 1979 and participated in faculty classes. She taught the introductory program, Freshman Design. In preparation, she "played" with balsa wood and cardboard and refined the course. She developed a set of simple, understandable steps, which could ultimately be taken in a thousand directions. The result was that students formed a good ability to visualize a broad vocabulary of space and form. They were provided with a checklist, some of which included "What's happening with ... " and "Relationship between forms .... " They were to use this when they ran into a problem or as a starting point to generate ideas. These simple ideas cover a wide, diverse range. Another item ·00 the checklist was "Do you want to be dynamic or direct?," causing the student to consider whether the piece should be at an angle-neither vertical nor horizontal - creating motion (dynamic), or vertical or horizontal, creating stability (direct).
In terms of design, Laura likes to do things that are slightly out of the norrn-unexpected-"visually balanced but not perfectlybalanced balanced. Unpredictable."
During the 1998 Camp Brotherhood Symposium, Laura worked on a piece made of multiple marble sections fastened together. At first, pins wouldn't hold the sections. But using a chainsaw, she slotted the pieces and fastened them together using pins, and it worked. See the accompanying illustration.
The University of Oregon in Eugene offers credit for the NWSSA Symposia. Laura was at the Camp Brotherhood Symposium as head of the University's Department of Fine and Applied Art, as well as to teach us design. Tom Urban, of the University, was there as well. Tom is director of an independent
on campus, and he teaches in the Art Craft Center Department.
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Created: Saturday, 02 September 2000 05:28
It was one of those perfect summer days. I had been looking forward to this day since the Camp Brotherhood auction where I had joined with Arliss Newcomb, Brian Berman, Dennis Joram, Ken Barnes and Sondra Nice to bid for a day of instruction with Alfonso Rodriguez. (Alfonso had been one of the instructors at Camp Brotherhood this year and had donated, among many other items, a day of sculpting instruction.)
We met at my home at 10 a.m. and set up our respective carving areas in a gravel area behind the house. I had also invited Alfonso’s family: his wife, Luisa, his son-in-law and daughter, Jim Russell and Maria and their delightful children and my daughter who lives next door.
We had decided by consensus to each carve a head using only hand tools.
Arliss had chosen to sculpt a baby’s face out of marble, Brian a self-portrait, Dennis had a photo of his daughter, Ken started on a male head and I chose a Buddha. While the children amused themselves with the garden, toys and playing with clay under the watchful eye of their father Jim, Maria translated. Luisa, Sondra and Rhoda watched, asked questions, took pictures, and helped where they could.
Alfonso showed us how to sharpen our chisels and we were ready to begin. In no time at all it was evident we were privileged with an excellent instructor, as we learned how to lineup our stone and set up points from which to carve out the features of a face.
Around midday we stopped to share a delicious Mediterranean pot luck on the deck. After a wonderful lunch and exchange of thoughts about the sculpture process and other interesting subjects we returned to our waiting stones.
All throughout the day with Maria providing expert translation, Alfonso, a tireless and dedicated instructor, helped each of us with our individual art works.
Something happens in the learning process when an action is viewed repeatedly; over time it translates into mental knowledge which then becomes kinetic knowledge and after much practice can be honed to a skill. As Alfonso helped each person with their piece, seeing him moving around the stone, I had a far greater understanding and appreciation of carving with hand tools.
By the end of the day each of us saw a face emerge from what just a few hours before had been a raw piece of stone. We had a wonderful time and I hope we can get together again soon to carve, even though Alfonso wont be here in person, his presence will be guiding us.
