ABSTRACT
For this project I will be creating an acrylic sculpture exploring negative space, color theory, and laser cutting. I am creating this with hopes of learning more about digital to physical media. The acrylic laser cut pieces will be layered in a variety of orientations with hopes of creating new overlapping color experiences in the negative space. Negative space is described as “the empty space around and between the subject of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape.” I believe there is so much beauty to be discovered in the overlapping, laser cut acrylic pieces in this sculpture format.
THEME
Negative space has always been something I have been curious about. When I create art I tend to want to make it as bright as possible and fill every square inch but with this project I am looking to explore bright colors with a moment of relief in the negative space. With this I am also asking, what do you see in the negative space? There are times we don’t think there’s anything there but with the depth and differing angles there is bound to be something beautiful found there. There will be no backside of this piece in order to not be able to hide in the negative space but rather view it from every possible angle.
BACKGROUND
Negative space in art and in the human mind are always things I have been fascinated with. I conceptualized this idea a few months ago and began to do some preliminary research of other laser cut artists. Anila Quayyum Agha creates these beautiful laser cut lanterns that project shadows onto colorful walls. Martin Tomsky creates stories with creatures using laser cut techniques. Lastly, John Edmark creates sculptures using geometric shapes and creates a sense of illusion. David Batchelor was the driving force behind this discovery. He creates sculptures using laser cut acrylic and mounts it in concrete. This gives the viewer a chance to explore the piece from multiple angles. After extensive research I have yet to discover an artist that creates laser cut sculptures that explore the negative space.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
For this project I want to explore the opportunities within laser cutting acrylic. This isn’t a very explored medium in the art field and I believe it has a lot of potential. I think this project can provide a lot of valuable experience in going back to the basics, design principles, design elements, and color theory exploration. This project will benefit myself as an artist and designer as receiving the opportunity to create something untraditionally beautiful for people to ponder. This piece will be a free standing sculpture with a concrete base. It will have protruding acrylic and shapes stemming from the concrete. It will be about 18 inches wide and 4 feet tall. It will be one solid piece of concrete with about 20 sheets of acrylic sticking out and layered with a variety of shapes cut out of them. I envision this piece in an area that people can walk around and view at every angle as there will be no backside to it.
APPLICANTS BACKGROUND
I am currently in my last year of the Graphic Design MFA program. I received my BFA in Interior Design in May of 2022. I have completed many art and design courses over the past 11 semesters where I have learned time management and organizational skills that makes me confident in my ability to succeed at this project. I have worked in multiple professional creative settings. I have participated in 8 exhibits in a variety of venues over the last three years. Two years in my undergraduate I directed the set design team to completion of three set designs for The Iowa State Fashion Show and have plans to return this Spring. I have experience in laser cutting in multiple studios but the most recent experience was in my Graphic Design Graduate Studio II class last Spring. This was a 3D fabrication class and I proposed to my professor to allow me to laser cut earrings for my small business. This is something I had always wanted to complete and the class gave me the opportunity to, it is the driving force behind this grant proposal. Lastly, for my thesis project I am creating an immersive art exhibit that explores color theory and play with hopes of escaping the attention economy. My updated knowledge of color theory makes me feel confident in the ability to explore it in this laser cut project. Overall, I am a very curious person and I thoroughly enjoy exploring materials and mediums and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to explore negative space through laser cut acrylic pieces. Attached are just a few examples of my laser cut acrylic earrings, a process photo of the acrylic sheets after the designs were cut, and my previous set design experience to explain my building capabilities.
