Build a Better Sled: Saran Wrap Sculptures

These are the sculpture that my Art Foundations students created.

The sculpture was created using some Saran Wrap and Scotch Plastic Packing Tape.  Extra support was added with the help of plastic drinking straws and  aluminum wire, the dogs eyes are blue glass beads and the gangline was made with strings of Christmas tree lights which also helped to illuminate the sculpture at night.

We created the figures by “body-wrapping” each other piece by piece and then putting the parts together, using the body as a “mold”.  (See Mark Jenkins/Tape Sculpture).

The dogs were created by forming models out of newspaper and then covering the molds with a layer of Saran wrap. Then we covered that with layers of packing tape and cut the dog models out to reuse.

The sled was created using a plan for a wooden sled on line, the students enlarged the plan on brown paper and then started to build the parts with a combination of Saran Wrap, packing and aluminum wire.

The final piece was put together in the courtyard outside of the art room, it is life size, and I think they did a very good job of creating the feeling of movement as the musher drives the dogs and the sled into a “haw”-turn!

Susan

Birmingham, MI

Original Posting Date:  Feb 18, 2011