by lockwasher
These delightful Robots are all made from gathered bits and pieces in the workshop of Lockwasher.
As you can see, each one is a work of art and has a unique personality. Read the rest of this entry »
by Nancy S.M. Waldman
My grandmother, Polly Mahala Reed was a talented seamstress. When I think of the word “Alterations” I think of her.
She, like many of her generation, made most of her family’s clothes. My mother can describe in detail the colors and fabrics of the outfits she and her sister are wearing in the black and white photos from her childhood in the 1920’s and 30’s. But when I knew my grandmother, she was working as a seamstress in a smart little dress shop in San Diego. She did alterations.
Making clothes from scratch is a pretty great skill, but the idea of taking something ready-made and tailoring it to meet the needs of a particular body or taste, is even more amazing. Polly had to not only be able to envision what would work and how, but also have the technical skills to carry out those changes and have the finished product look better than new.
Altering anything can make it new again.
So here’s an Alterations Challenge!
functional objects out of art |
Here are some functional items you could play with to transform into art:
* toothbrushes
* hair brushes
* broom
* pet toys
* plant pots
* old technology (be careful with the ‘innards’; many have toxic materials)
* any kind of recycling - plastic, cardboard, cans
We’re using the term “art” broadly to mean something that is fun, beautiful, wacky, decorative, playful, colorful, wonderful, unexpected, instructive, metaphorical - but NOT primarily functional.
Here’s a great example that was featured in the original PCQ:
Here’s another favourite of mine:
Clean out your make-up items that are not being used and make an assemblage out of them. Construct a shadow box or doll furniture (ok, so that’s slightly functional but we’ll count it as art) . Try playing cards, match boxes, pin cushions, ashtrays, magazines. See our Altered Books article for inspiration.
Here’s a sun-catcher I made from a used gelpen:
As for the other side of the challenge: use old, dusty, dog-eared, torn, faded, broken or “failed” art or photographs as the raw material for something beautifully useful, such as:
* jewelry
* containers (for cell phone, glasses, jewelry)
* frames
* pots
* waste baskets
* pillows
* lamps
* small furniture
Here’s a box I made out of a painting I did years ago:
This was a ready-made craft store box that I covered in old photographs and paper:
Use things you have around the house that would otherwise gather dust, or be thrown or given away.
How about broken glassware or dishes? They make great mosaics and jewelry.
Do you have old craft projects that will never get finished? Think about them in a new way. It’s great for dealing with that I-didn’t-finish-it guilt that can sap and sabotage our creative energy.
Be aware of what’s around you, what you are throwing away or what is on the shelves of your closet or in your junk drawers. Raise your level of consciousness and take the time to experiment.
© 2007 all rights reserved by the artist on all images
We have a lot of fun alterations on our site. check out these other PCQ articles and examples:
Baywhale
- How to Make a Photosandwich
Maureen Shaughnessy - altered photographs
- thoughts and images
- tutorial and images
Cynthia Korzekwa
- On Colour
- Art Begins at Home: recycled and reused items made into art
Karen Hatzigeorgiou
- Altered books / Found Poetry
coming soon:
Nancy Waldman
- Found Poetry
- Article about Norman Sherfield’s, “Six Pac”: Naturally Good
Or just click on the topic: Alterations.
Originally published in the January 2006 issue of The Practically Creative Quarterly, theme: alterations
Altered slightly for re-publication in The Practically Creative Quarter
