Dumpster Diving

The thing about the MFA program at Clemson- from what I can tell so far- is trial and error.  They are very interested in grads trying new things, especially materials.  Since I've done a fair amount of metal work, I feel pretty comfortable in that.  But as a second year mfa student told me last week, the motto for the program is "embrace the uncomfortable".

 And since sometimes the pictures go in the order that I want and sometimes they don't, I'll just have to make do with what they're doing right now:

Cardboard is the material of choice right now. Roger Wohlford would be so proud.  I'm a teacher assistant for a 3D foundations class that uses a lot of cardboard.  Last week the students and I (mostly I because that's what t.a's do...whatever the professor doesn't want to do), broke the previous class's big cardboard sculptures down and walked them to the dump.  At this point I didn't realize cardboard and I would soon be forming a unique relationship.  So a few days later, when I reach that understanding, I go dumpster diving for leftovers.  Cardboard leftovers, not food. Although there were some spaghetti noodles in there. 

The picture above is what's happening in my studio. Oh I need to post a picture of the studio! These cardboard boxes have sort of become symbolic over the last couple of years.  Now they're dancing all over the studio, interrupting mine and my studio roommate's space.  I'm not sure where this is headed but since the theory around here is to "just get started, you'll figure it out that way," we will see where it goes.

 

 

This is where I was surviving while staying with Tif in Gville. That's a crib.  She's having another little girl in about two months.  But I guess you figured that out by all the pink stuff.  Getting to her house every night and seeing that bed before going to sleep really put some thoughts in to my head.

 

This "crib" by a sculptor named Robert Gober is just fantastic.  It's been another source of inspiration.  So simple yet there's so much going on there.  Sometimes I think the overthinking kills it.  Simplicity in life is a great thing, simplicity in sculpture is a much harder thing.