Wire Sculpture
I taught this lesson to juniors and seniors in an Advanced Art class. We started by looking at Alexander Calder’s mobile works as well as his “wire sketches”, and Ruth Asawa’s intricate wire sculptures. We spent the first two days experimenting with wire, making wire sketches of still life objects and getting a feel for the material and tools. Then each student began working on their individual sculptures, which had to incorporate a found object or additional material. Some students used these found objects and materials as the springboard for their concept, while others added these materials at the end of their process to create additional visual interest or context.
This project was a blast to teach, inspired by my own high school experience with wire, and my students loved the challenge of working three-dimensionally and incorporating found objects into their final works.
