WP3: Final Draft

Authors Note:

When given this assignment, I thought it would be much more difficult than what I found. I was wondering how I would write an essay on a piece of metal that just simply sat outside doing nothing. I quickly came to find how wrong I was. While spending time with Story, I developed a sort of connection and really began to understand what this sculpture was about. It seemed that every day I was able to learn a little more on something I may have previously looked over. While I had my ups and downs for this essay, there is always something that needs correcting.

In the first paragraph and the second to last sentence, I added the words “which I think was King’s purpose for this piece”, my reasons for adding this was because I thought it would give off a more clear idea of what my purpose is. The second paragraph I divided into two parts: 1) Smoking addiction and 2) the material in which the sculpture was made from; aluminum. I separated this paragraph because I learned that it was a little complicated to understand what element I was getting at. After those paragraphs were broken into two, I added another sentence to the new second paragraph, “I believe that this sculpture can impact and send out a message to people who smoke, and want to quit, that it is possible and makes a person feel accomplished.”

In the fourth paragraph I added these sentences, “I feel that by positioning these three sculptures close to each other and within sight, it provides a sense of variety and difference. We all look at beauty differently, and perhaps each one of these three sculptures is preferred over another.” By adding these to the essay and to this specific paragraph, I explain a little bit further why these sculptures may be all linked/connected together.

For the most part, I decided to keep the majority of my essay as is. Not because I didn’t like any of the ideas presented to me, but because I just simply like how I have it a little bit better. After completing my rough draft, I went over the essay several times rearranging paragraphs and images to better situate themselves. I think that the paragraphs are arranged well, and in correct order to make them flow through. I also believe that the images are presented in legit locations to the text.

WP3: Rough Draft

Statement of Purpose

This sculpture was made by William King and goes by the name of Story. King is an American sculptor and artist who was born in 1925, and focuses his work on the figurative portrayal of human figures. In 2007, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award given by the International Sculpture Center (Wikipedia).Made in 1970; Story is a representation of William King himself. “Smoking my last cigarette and yakking away. I’m talking about giving up smoking,” says King about his sculpture (Sheldon Sculpture Garden Brochure). By observing this piece, there are many different elements to consider such as the purpose, environment, audience, and context. I also find that this sculpture brings off a sense of accomplishment from life goals; which I think was King’s purpose for this piece. Because this sculpture represents King, putting an end to smoking must have been an important event in his life.

Giving up an addiction, like smoking, is a very difficult thing to do. By putting this sculpture in a public location, King can develop a stronger connection with his audience from the wide variety of people passing through. Since Story can relate to those who smoke, or have smoked in the past, a sense of pathos is developed. I believe that this sculpture can impact and send out a message to people who smoke, and want to quit, that it is possible and makes a person feel accomplished.

Another aspect to look at includes the material in which this sculpture was constructed. Story is made from purely aluminum; the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust (L., John). Aluminum is a very lightweight metal which is also easily worked with to shape. Being that this element is soft, durable, non magnetic, inexpensive, and does not corrode; it seems like the perfect material to use for a sculpture. I think King used aluminum for this sculpture for all of these reasons. Also, being that aluminum is fully recyclable, it relates to King’s life being recycled as well from his quitting smoking. Story does not contain any harsh elements that could be harmful, or unrelated to its natural environment.

The location of Story and the environment in which it is set in also gives off importance. Story is located between the Sheldon Museum of Art and the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Because this sculpture is part of the Sheldon Sculpture Garden, there are also other sculptures which can be found nearby. The sculptures Torso and Floating Figure form a sort of triangle with Story. When looking at the three of these sculptures and comparing them, you can notice the size difference ranging from thin to medium to larger. Story starts off this triangle being the thinnest, followed by Torso which takes part in a medium and curvier female body, and lastly Floating Figure which is the largest of the three and is almost over dramatic in appearance of a body. I feel that by positioning these three sculptures close to eachother and within sight, it provides a sense of variety and difference. We all look at beauty differently, and perhaps each one of these three sculptures is preferred over another.

Looking at the design of Story, you will notice that the figure is very thin and uses a cardboard cutout type of effect. There are only three pieces which make up this sculpture; the body, removable right arm, and removable leg. The limbs of the body are paid more attention to because they remain perpendicular to the body itself, excluding the left arm which is attached to the body. I think that by creating a perpendicular view of this piece, shading is used to help illustrate the various body parts. When looking at the arms, they both possess different qualities. For starters, the left arm remains connected to the body and acts as a type of support in holding the body up. There are no details of the hand either; it acts almost like a nub. The right arm is placed onto the body by a provide slot in which it slides into. The disconnected body parts are in no way permanently attached and they can be wiggled. The right arm is the one in which holds the cigarette, and is also bent at the elbow. You may also notice that this arm contains two fingers; to hold the cigarette as a human would.

The face of this sculpture is not detailed with any facial features what-so-ever, which I find to be extremely odd. Being that Story holds the main purpose of a man and his last cigarette while chatting, you would think the face would contain at least a mouth. Without a mouth present, there is no direct evidence that this sculpture is smoking, except for the cigarette, or even talking. Although Story is related to a human figure, there is a lot lacking. Aside from the various missing facial features, we also need to take into consideration the size of this sculpture. Story is 12-feet tall, and would be much taller standing straight up, and is less than an inch thick. The proportions for this human-like body are way off in length, width, and height all together. The beauty about sculptures is that you do not have to be anatomically correct, but can still develop a sense of what the meaning is. We know that humans have facial features, two legs, and are generally not 12-feet tall, but looking at this sculpture we can still tell it is of human meaning.

All-in-all this sculpture is obviously trying to tell a story. Although we may not all agree in what exactly is being told, I think it is up to the audience to decide how they can relate to it. I personally feel that this sculpture was created because of a mile-marker in William King’s life because he accomplished a goal to quit smoking. Before Story was created, King smoked more than a pack a day until 1971 (Sculpture Brochure). If an event in a person’s life has great importance, they may want to find a way to share it with others. I think this was King’s way of sharing his story.

Works Cited

L., John. (n.d.). What Is the Most Abundant Metal on Earth? Retrieved December 6, 2009, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/about_4587197_what-abundant-metal-earth.html

Wikipedia. (December, December 4). Aluminum. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

WP3: Rough Draft

This sculpture was made by William King and goes by the name of Story. King is an American sculptor and artist who was born in 1925, and focuses his work on the figurative portrayal of human figures. In 2007, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award given by the International Sculpture Center (Wikipedia).Made in 1970; Story is a representation of William King himself. “Smoking my last cigarette and yakking away. I’m talking about giving up smoking,” says King about his sculpture (Sheldon Sculpture Garden Brochure). By observing this piece, there are many different elements to consider such as the purpose, environment, audience, and context. I also find that this sculpture brings off a sense of accomplishment from life goals. Because this sculpture represents King, putting an end to smoking must have been an important event in his life.

Giving up an addiction, like smoking, is a very difficult thing to do. By putting this sculpture in a public location, King can develop a stronger connection with his audience from the wide variety of people passing through. Since Story can relate to those who smoke, or have smoked in the past, a sense of pathos is developed. Another aspect to look at includes the material in which this sculpture was constructed. Story is made from purely aluminum; the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust (L., John). Aluminum is a very lightweight metal which is also easily worked with to shape. Being that this element is soft, durable, non magnetic, inexpensive, and does not corrode; it seems like the perfect material to use for a sculpture. I think King used aluminum for this sculpture for all of these reasons. Also, being that aluminum is fully recyclable, it relates to King’s life being recycled as well from his quitting smoking. Story does not contain any harsh elements that could be harmful, or unrelated to its natural environment.

The location of Story and the environment in which it is set in also gives off importance. Story is located between the Sheldon Museum of Art and the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Because this sculpture is part of the Sheldon Sculpture Garden, there are also other sculptures which can be found nearby. The sculptures Torso and Floating Figure form a sort of triangle with Story. When looking at the three of these sculptures and comparing them, you can notice the size difference ranging from thin to medium to larger. Story starts off this triangle being the thinnest, followed by Torso which takes part in a medium and curvier female body, and lastly Floating Figure which is the largest of the three and is almost over dramatic in appearance of a body.

Looking at the design of Story, you will notice that the figure is very thin and uses a cardboard cutout type of effect. There are only three pieces which make up this sculpture; the body, removable right arm, and removable leg. The limbs of the body are paid more attention to because they remain perpendicular to the body itself, excluding the left arm which is attached to the body. I think that by creating a perpendicular view of this piece, shading is used to help illustrate the various body parts. When looking at the arms, they both possess different qualities. For starters, the left arm remains connected to the body and acts as a type of support in holding the body up. There are no details of the hand either; it acts almost like a nub. The right arm is placed onto the body by a provide slot in which it slides into. The disconnected body parts are in no way permanently attached and they can be wiggled. The right arm is the one in which holds the cigarette, and is also bent at the elbow. You may also notice that this arm contains two fingers; to hold the cigarette as a human would.

The face of this sculpture is not detailed with any facial features what-so-ever, which I find to be extremely odd. Being that Story holds the main purpose of a man and his last cigarette while chatting, you would think the face would contain at least a mouth. Without a mouth present, there is no direct evidence that this sculpture is smoking, except for the cigarette, or even talking. Although Story is related to a human figure, there is a lot lacking. Aside from the various missing facial features, we also need to take into consideration the size of this sculpture. Story is 12-feet tall, and would be much taller standing straight up, and is less than an inch thick. The proportions for this human-like body are way off in length, width, and height all together. The beauty about sculptures is that you do not have to be anatomically correct, but can still develop a sense of what the meaning is. We know that humans have facial features, two legs, and are generally not 12-feet tall, but looking at this sculpture we can still tell it is of human meaning.

All-in-all this sculpture is obviously trying to tell a story. Although we may not all agree in what exactly is being told, I think it is up to the audience to decide how they can relate to it. I personally feel that this sculpture was created because of a mile-marker in William King’s life because he accomplished a goal to quit smoking. Before Story was created, King smoked more than a pack a day until 1971 (Sculpture Brochure). If an event in a person’s life has great importance, they may want to find a way to share it with others. I think this was King’s way of sharing his story.

Works Cited

L., John. (n.d.). What Is the Most Abundant Metal on Earth? Retrieved December 6, 2009, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/about_4587197_what-abundant-metal-earth.html

Wikipedia. (December, December 4). Aluminum. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

Statement of Purpose

The sculpture which I was assigned goes by the name of Story and was made in 1970. William King is the artist who constructed this piece, and it happens to be a resemblance of himself. “Smoking my last cigarette and yakking away. I’m talking about giving up smoking.” says King. Because of this quote, and information about the author’s life, I find that the purpose of this specific sculpture is to be a type of memorial to his accomplishment on quitting smoking, and as a life changing event. It is a great task and extremely difficult for a person to give up an addiction such as smoking, and it should be praised when accomplished. Because this sculpture can relate to those who smoke, or have smoked in the past, a sense of pathos is developed. A person suffering from an addiction may have a stronger connection to Story because they might possibly understand his actual story a little better.

The materials used to make this sculpture are purely aluminum; which is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust (Wikipedia). Aluminum also posses the ability to resist corrosion and will retain its full silvery reflectance which holds the color. Not to mention it is 100% recyclable (Wikipedia). I think King used aluminum for this sculpture for all of these reasons. Also, being that aluminum is fully recyclable, it kind of relates to King’s life being recycled from him not smoking anymore. A new start.

When looking at how the body of this sculpture was put together, it resembles cardboard cut-outs. The head, torso, right arm, and object being sat on, is all one flat piece. The left arm and one leg, however, are perpendicular to the other piece. The arms and leg are given a lot of detail when it comes to the shape of the figures, but they are definitely not size proportionate. The audience can tell what parts of the body are being shown, but to a certain extent. Another aspect that I want to point out is that there is a lack of facial features. I find it hard to believe that King describes his sculpture as “yakking away” and “smoking”, but there is no mouth to emphasize this happening.

Freedom of expression can also play a part in to how this sculpture is put together. First off, we have the sculpture smoking in a public place, which shows a direct source of freedom. We can also relate the one leg on the sculpture to a male’s genitals. The leg of this sculpture just happens to be positioned into the center of the piece and so on. Being able to put a sculpture into a public place while being interpreted in this way is definitely because of freedom. Lastly, the author entails that he was yakking away, meaning that he is talking about whatever he may want in a public setting as well.

Being that this sculpture was placed in this specific spot on a college campus, it sends out a message and relates to those that will be observing it. Being that we live in the United States of American, college students have the freedom of choice and use this every day. There are also a lot of people on campus who smoke, so this is also another way to relate to them.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. (December, December 4). Aluminum. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

Blog Post 21

When trying to analyze my sculpture, I was mostly just thinking “a man made from aluminum”. But when you know the title and really start to put the pieces together, it is much more than that. The sculpture I was assigned is called Story. Yes, this sculpture does look like just a man made from metal, but the real point is the actual story behind it. Hence the name Story. This sculpture is a resemblance of the maker himself, William King. As King described this piece he says, “Smoking my last cigarette and yakking away. I'm talking about giving up smoking.” This could very well be the story of his life.

The sculpture was made in 1970 when King was 45 years of age. Possibly a smoker for many upon many years, he finally decides it’s time to quit. By including a symbolic cigarette into his sculpture, views may take this as something that was very important to him. Personally, I view this piece as a memorial to a life changing event. King stopped smoking, cigarettes at least, which shows strength. Not everybody who smokes can quit easily, not saying that he did, but it is definitely something to take pride in and show off.

This sculpture has a strong sense of pathos, by it relating to many people who smoke cigarettes, or those who have in the past. I think that people who are addicted to cigarettes would have a stronger connection to this sculpture just because they might be able to understand the story a little bit better. I also find that King pays well attention to the detail in specific body parts such as legs and arms, but not the face, hands, or feet. Looking at the arms and legs of this sculpture, you can notice the curves and place of joints of the body. The hands and feet do not really show specific detail, but more like a clump. The only detail in the hands are the two fingers which are holding the cigarette being smoked. The face does not have eyes, a nose, a mouth, etc. but the face does posess ears. Which may be because he emphasizes that he is yakking away, so he would also need to be listening as well. I do find it strange that the sculpture does not have any facial features though, because this takes such a strong part in what his sculpture stands for. He mentions smoking and talking which would be using the head with the lack of features.

Works Cited

Sculpture Brochure. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. http://www.sheldonartgallery.org/photos/graphics/sculpturebrochure.pdf

Blog Post 20

Looking at the sculpture, Story, and its surroundings of the environment it seems almost peaceful. It’s somewhere to get away and enjoy the presence of what you want to specifically hear for yourself.This spot is also nice because it is out of the way of the rest of the sculptures to provide a more personal setting. Story is obviously representing a human figure, and a man from that as well. The author gives the audience the description that the sculpture is of himself, and his last days of a smoker. I like how this piece is so simplistic, yet it really gives off a lot of feeling. You can relate to the man and almost hear his thoughts from his stance. The surrounding in which the sculpture is set, is a sort of bare place. Tucked away from the other sculptures, like it’s trying to get away.

I imagine that this specific spot is more quiet because it is out of the direct path of passing people. As an art-object, this piece could take part in a variety of aspects. I think it all really depends on the audience and their specific opinions the sculpture gives off. Being that the material chosen was aluminum, I feel that this is designed to take on a more modern aspect of life. This piece could also be looked at as a freedom of expression, or even speech. The author talks about how he is smoking his last cigarette, which takes on a type of freedom to do what one person wants. The sculpture itself is a type of expression and designed by the author’s style. King also says he is “yakking away”, which is where freedom of speech falls through.

By this sculpture being placed in such a specifically chosen spot, and on a college campus, it relates to the people who will be looking at the sculpture. College students have the freedom of choice, and they definitely like to keep that in mind. Being that this art-object represents the author, I imagine that he would be a very laid back and open-minded person. When he says “yakking away” to describe his sculpture, it gives off a sort of “who cares” vibe, and maybe that he also likes to chat a lot.

Blog Post 19

During class on Thursday, November 19, I didn’t really understand what was going on at the time. We all sat there is silence for most of the class period, and couldn’t comprehend why until we were left alone and the first video with voice appeared. This was the video of John Cage talking about silence, and how each one of his performances is different. Never the same. The performative aspect of Thursday’s class session changes the perspectives we have on a “normal” class session just by changing what the students and the teacher take part in. On any regular day, my classes consist of the students sitting in silence, for the most part, while the teacher explains the necessary materials for that specific class session. It was an interesting turn to not be spoken to, or lectured, during class but to simply just listen to the faint sounds.

This is also the type of experience I gained from examining my sculpture outside, and by myself. It was silent, except for the activity occurring in the background of others talking, walking, coughing, etc. When approaching these sculptures outside, we are obviously asked to look at them in a different way than if they were inside. For my sculpture specifically, it was made to be outside; makes more sense outside. Story, is of a man who is smoking a cigarette and casually sitting and “talking”. Because this sculpture is “smoking”, and also on campus, being outside with nature is really the only place to be. Smoking is not allowed indoors while on campus, so it appears more realistic when set out of the museum itself.

Material also plays a big part in determining if a piece should be placed outside. Story is made of purely aluminum, which does not rust and is very sturdy. When we look at sculptures outside versus inside, we see them as a part of nature. Inside sculptures are looked at to be more fragile and/or delicate, and not to be touched. Story fits outside because it is casual and taking an appearance of a man himself. Freedom to be where he wants.

Blog Post 18: cursory analysis for WP3

William King's sculpture, Story, is of a 12-foot tall man smoking a cigarette. "Smoking my last cigarette and yakking away. I'm talking about giving up smoking, " says King. The sculpture is a representation of King himself who smoked a pack a day until 1971. This sculpture was made in 1970, so perhaps this was a marker of a soon-to-be accomplishment. William King is a contemporary American sculptor, born in 1925. His work mostly focuses on the human figure and can be seen in various states throughout the country. During the years of 1994 to 1998, he served as the president of the National Academy of Design (Wikipedia). In 2007, King was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award given by the International Sculpture Center (Wikipedia).

The sculpture is made only from aluminum and is put together like cardboard cut-outs would be. I think that the choice of using aluminum for this piece, and how the sculpture is put together, uses shading to help illustrate the various body parts. Looking at this piece I first noticed the giant leg coming out from the body itself. There is only one leg on this sculpture, and it is inserted into a slotted area through the midsection of the figure. There are two arms present and one of them is also in a slotted area like the leg. The arm which is placed in the slot is also the one which posesses the man's cigarette. As for the other arm, it is connected to the main body and is not as detailed as the other. The attached arm's hand does not contain fingers, but more of a ball-like fist instead.

The appearance of the body seems to be well defined and curvy with detail. It is easy to point out where the kneecap, ears, and other various joints are located. The arms and leg all have a bend to them, taking on a more human like form instead of a stiff one. However, they do seem to be a a little unproportional to the rest of the body. This definitly calls more attention to these specific parts. I think that this sculpture is trying to focus more on movement than anything else. The rest of the body is sort of left to a blank. We do not know what the man looks like, except from looking at a picture of the author himself, becasue there are no facial features except for his ears. No mouth, nose, eyes, or bone structure. I think that the sculpture gives off a vibe of freedom and self independence. The man is very laid back looking and holds his cigarette knowing it is his last. He makes his own choices.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. (2008, November 3). William King (artist). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_King_(artist)