Title - A Childhood Memory
Size - 38.1 x 15.24 x 24.13 cm Medium - Cardboard Completion - February 2022 Exhibition TextA Childhood Memory is based off my memories with my older brother playing a game we both loved. LittleBigPlanet allowed us to be creative and make levels, to make our own world and play in others. It was a source of fond memories for me, and even today, I still play it, only with my younger brother now. Inspired by Ana Serrano's work, I wanted to make something based around space and creativity, with two players on the space helmet representing me and my brother.
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Inspiration
Ana Serrano
Serrano creates colorful, intricate, and detailed pieces with cardboard. In Cartonlandia, the city she makes out of the houses inspired me to make my helmet act as a planet as well. It made me think about how to better connect my piece to the theme I wanted to convey, and to add things onto the helmet to portray that. Serrano's use of color catches the viewer's eye, and each building in Cartonlandia contrasts against the other to create a city that feels as if it has a life of its own. Buildings creates the feeling of a community, with the shops and buildings familiar in a sense. Each building has its own personality and theme, but they all fit together as a whole. |
Cartonlandia
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Buildings
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LittleBigPlanet
This game has been a source of fond memories, from playing with my older brother to my younger brother now. I've always been fascinated with the aesthetics of LittleBigPlanet, with its focus on creativity and creation showing through the various materials they use. It's always felt unique compared to other games, and the ability to play levels that other people have made only enhances that unique feel. The game also has a focus on space, with the player having a ship and a moon as their place to make levels. It's what inspired me to decide on making a space helmet. In the process of thinking about concepts, I realized that the helmet also acted as a planet. The two characters would be exploring the "planet". |
Planning
For my sketches, I referenced a space helmet and tried to draw the general shape of it. The helmet symbolizes childhood to me, the nostalgia I feel when I see the characters in LittleBigPlanet. The game influenced the themes I wanted to show, which was that idea of creation and space. The decorations would add detail and stand out against the helmet. I broke the helmet into pieces to figure out how to make it out of cardboard, and this helped a lot. Turning the pieces into layers made things easier to visualize and connect. I also drew the protagonist of the game, just to get a feel for what shapes I could make and to understand his anatomy.
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I broke down the shapes of the glove and planned out how to make the base for it. This was simpler than I thought it would be, and I figured the gloves wouldn't be too complicated to do. On the side, I drew out ideas for the decorations I would cut out, and decided on mainly clouds, planets, and various simple shapes. I chose to put the stickers on the gloves as well so the parts would match, and there would be more detail. In my last sketch, it was the space helmet's final concept. I planned for the two figures and decorations, same as my first sketch of the helmet, but I made a hole so I could see. Since we were going to do a runway, it was important that I would have some visibility and wouldn't trip while walking. It also would make the helmet easier since I wouldn't have to make the visor entirely closed, just the top and bottom.
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Process & Experimentation
I first separated the helmet into pieces, cutting three pieces and then gluing them together to make the base for the helmet. I was fearing that it wouldn't work, but it was successful and held together. I didn't do exact measurements for my head, but guessed a few inches larger just to be safe. When I wore it, the helmet was able to stay on my shoulders. After making sure everything would stay together, I cut cardboard into strips to add to the top of the helmet and build on it more. While the first half of the top was easy enough to put together, the last half connecting the top to the rest was difficult to do. It was hard to try and connect the last piece, and so I had to place it into multiple parts. While the result wasn't the best, it was done and I was able to move on.
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I decided to make the gloves oversized to fit my hands and have enough space for decorations. I started with the palm base of the hand, and then added the fingers to the top. I did the same process for the other side of the hand, and then connected them together with a two-inch wide piece on the side. Then I connected the fingers, and found that it was a tight fit since the cardboard was thicker. It wasn't hard to fit the rest of the pieces, though, and I was able to finish my hand. I did the other hand, and then decided to add a piece to the gloves to make them resemble space gloves more. I left the sides open so it would fit my arm.
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After finishing the helmet, gloves, and putting on the decorations, I made the two figures. It was definitely a challenge to try and glue details on with how small they were, but I managed. I first started with rolling two pieces of cardboard and gluing the sides together to make the body and head. Then I cut out circle pieces to finish the two parts, and cut out black cardboard for the eyes and mouth. I decided to glue on white highlights to give the figures more life. To finish, I used strips of cardboard for the arms and legs, gluing them onto the space helmet. I made a base for the standing one to be supported on so it wouldn't fall off when I transported it.
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Critique
Similarities
Serrano's piece and mines both utilize color to make the piece stand out and give it life. They're also both made of cardboard only, and don't use any other materials. There is also the idea of a place for people to live in, the parts building on each other.
Differences
Serrano's work uses more colored cardboard than my piece does, since mines is used for contrast and to emphasize creativity. Hers is used to create a structure of buildings, a city. She focuses on infrastructure while my work is a wearable.
Serrano's piece and mines both utilize color to make the piece stand out and give it life. They're also both made of cardboard only, and don't use any other materials. There is also the idea of a place for people to live in, the parts building on each other.
Differences
Serrano's work uses more colored cardboard than my piece does, since mines is used for contrast and to emphasize creativity. Hers is used to create a structure of buildings, a city. She focuses on infrastructure while my work is a wearable.
Reflection
I think my piece was done well enough considering I'm not used to cardboard. It was largely a learning process and figuring out how to get things to fit or connect, and some spots of my work are rough, but it went better than I expected. My favorite part of my work is the two figures, since the small details weren't easy to glue on and I was expecting them to come out worse. I like the figure sitting on the edge the most. My least favorite part is the back of the helmet, since it doesn't look well put together and it took me a while to figure out how to get it to stay on. The inspiration Serrano's work gave me helped to add color to the piece and add contrast as well; I think it made my piece more interesting than just having brown cardboard. When we went to UWM, the runway was a nice experience and gave me a perspective of how it would be like at college. It was neat to see others' projects, and for mines to be seen, even though I was nervous. Doing another cardboard project is something I might be interested in in the future, depending on what I want to make.
ACT
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The colorful pieces Ana Serrano makes inspired me to add color to mines as well.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Creativity allows you to see things in different ways and find ideas that can change your piece.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A piece can eventually become something more and also represent another idea in the process.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is that creativity in childhood, as well as nostalgia.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Emotion is conveyed through the colors used and how it's utilized in the piece.
The colorful pieces Ana Serrano makes inspired me to add color to mines as well.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Creativity allows you to see things in different ways and find ideas that can change your piece.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A piece can eventually become something more and also represent another idea in the process.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is that creativity in childhood, as well as nostalgia.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Emotion is conveyed through the colors used and how it's utilized in the piece.
Citations
“Cartonlandia.” Ana Serrano, https://www.anaserrano.com/iii.