CuriculART

Home » All Projects » Chatter Boxes » Teachers' Notes

Chatter Boxes / Teachers' Notes

This idea could not be simpler or more effective. So many modern sculptures are based on the basic pyramid, cone or cuboid and then developed. These particular figures were inspired by the work of Beverly Pepper and Lynn Chadwick. These were among the internationally renowned sculptors whose work was recently in the Beyond Limits exhibition at Chatsworth in Derbyshire.

As well as using the curriculART templates you can also make shapes by simply folding a piece of thin A4 card any way you wish, then joining it together at the ends. The joins can overlap as much as you like. When they are stuck together, you can trim the top and bottom to make the shape stand up. Add legs if you wish. See our More Ideas section for examples of how you can develop this idea.

In the same way you can create tall, thin or fat, squat conical shapes.

Use card of 200 gsm (that will be stated on the container). If it is heavier, it will be more difficult to fold cleanly. Lighter card will not stand up well.

Try to start without a fixed end product in mind. When the forms are made, let their shape tell you which way to arrange them. Put their ‘heads’ at a jaunty angle to suggest an expression - make them chatter!

You can also go wild with cutting into the assembled shapes. Make very simple, one-line cuts or be more elaborate and make the cuts fold inwards.

Experiment freely with shapes, cuts and decoration. If you would like to decorate them with the same photos of Chatsworth that we used, download them from the Chatsworth website (just below the sculpture photo). These abstract figures made from very basic irregular shapes can be made full of character and inspire much more creative thought and work.

For more photos of historic buildings, see our Photo Library.  Project a slide show for your class. Download and print high resolution images for collage and display.

Aims, Objectives & Outcomes