A team of six incredible Art I students at New Buffalo High School have been busy in the art studio building this legendary sculpture named "Norman the Gnome" for their group entry at the Krasl Art Center's "Go Big Or Go Gnome" community art competition! Pictured above, left to right, are the following high school students: Deonna McGrew, Luci Dodge, Daniel Martinez, David Sheldon, James Shaw, and Lucas Thun.
"Go Big Or Go Gnome" blends competition, creativity, and community engagement by inviting artists and community members from around the Berrien County area to support the Krasl Art Center through this fall fundraiser event.
My group of Art I students had the opportunity to learn wire sculpting techniques and how to work as a team of artists to create this gnome together from the ground up!
The Art History focus for this project was on the innovative work of Alexander Calder. Students learned about the range of his artistic works including stabiles, mobiles, and contour line sculptures.
The students practiced continuous contour line drawings of gnomes to define connected lines of interior and exterior edges so that they could "draw lines with wire" in space. This helped them to conceptualize the 3D form when they were ready to build each section of the body.
How We Built a Gnome Named Norman:
Step 1- Partner up to build individual body parts using objects as armatures to support each form
Step 2- Pinch, Crimp, and Sculpt chicken wire with aluminum wire for each section
Step 3- Attach all parts together as one sculpture
Step 4- Secure and decorate the gnome by twisting colorful pipe cleaners and outdoor holiday lights to accentuate the contour lines and detail areas
Step 4- Reflect on the group's progress and collaborate on the gnome's title and backstory in a group Artist Statement.
The team brainstormed ideas with partners before each student wrote their own version of the gnome's name and origin story. We then had a mini class critique where each person read off their story of the gnome. Students shared with each other what parts of each story they liked and then voted on a final name.
As they reflected on the process some of the students realized that sculpting was much harder than expected and they were proud of their collaboration. Here are some of their thoughts:
"I learned how teamwork works in art and how to make contour lines in real life."
"It's not that easy to build a sculpture out of wire because when we first started I thought it would be easy."
"You can't do everything by yourself, sometimes you will need help."
"I think we did a good job thinking together about what our gnome's backstory should be and I think we shaped the wire to the body part well."
Once the gnome was named, the students quickly put together a brief history of Norman's origin story as a gnome.
Norman aka (GnomoTron)
Group Artist Statement:
Santa kicked Norm out of the workshop and demoted him to a garden gnome in Detroit where at his lowest point he found his calling as a rapper. Some of GnomoTron’s greatest hits are “Gnome Shuttlesworth” and “Minute Gnome.” After Norm’s first 1 million dollars and record-breaking success, he has developed an expensive taste as a fashion icon with his flashy “G” belt and emerald green hat. Made from wire, inspired by Alexander Calder, and built from the ground up, GnomoTron raps his catch phrase in contour lines... “Go Green or Go Gnome!”
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*UPDATE:
Norman had a wonderful stay at the Krasl Art Center for the "Go Big Or Go Gnome" competition this month and has returned home to New Buffalo High School where he will greet the students outside the art room in the cafeteria commons area until winter break. Thank you to Krasl Art Center for providing this opportunity for our students!
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