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Transforming Materials: Close Looking

Brian Jungen is an indigenous artist from the Dane-za tribe of British Columbia, Canada. His artworks are inspired by traditional masks made by indigenous peoples from North America. The traditional masks are carved out of wood, but Brian Jungen makes them out of Air Jordan shoes.

Look closely at the traditional mask and Brian Jungen’s mask. What is similar? What is different?

Brian Jungen, Prototype for New Understanding #16, 2004,

Nike Air Jordans, human hair

Willie Seaweed, Kwakwaka’waka Bird Mask, Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada. prior to 1951. Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, Canada

(On cover.)

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Transforming Materials: Close Looking at Process

To make the masks, Brian Jungen cuts up the shoes and carefully stitches them back together in new ways to make new forms. He uses found objects and transforms them into something completely new and different.

Why do you think he chooses Air Jordans as his materials?

Why do you think he uses the form of traditional masks?

Brian Jungen, Prototype for New Understanding #11, 2002, Nike Air Jordans, human hair

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Transforming Materials

In this lesson, you will:

explore what it means to transform something
think about examples of things �that transform
transform your materials �by changing their form and/or texture

You will need:

Your collection of found objects

A piece of paper or cardboard

Scissors

Make sure you have permission from �an adult to use these items safely.

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Transforming Materials: Techniques

There is an unlimited number of ways that an artist can transform a material. Here are a few simple techniques that you can use to get started.

Experiment with ripping, rolling, cutting, twisting, poking holes, scratching, folding, bending, and snapping your materials.

What other techniques can you think of? Try them!

Ripping

Rolling

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Transforming Materials: Cutting and Twisting

Cutting

Twisting

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Transforming Materials: Poking, Scratching, Folding and Bending

Poking Holes

Scratching

Folding

Bending & Snapping

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Transforming Materials: Transforming Different Materials

Explore how different transforming techniques work on various materials. How do the same techniques work differently on different materials?

Try combining multiple techniques. Here is a plastic soda bottle that is cut into many strips. Then, alternating strips are bent back to make a flower shape.

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Transforming Materials: Reflection

How did you transform your materials?

Which techniques did you use?

Did you combine multiple techniques?

Did you transform a 2D material into a 3D object? How did you do it?

What surprised you about these experiments?

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Remote Arts Learning Partnership

Module One �

Studio in a School NYC Team

Julie Applebaum, Senior Director

Remote Arts Learning Partnership Project DIrector

Writing Team Project Team

Nick DeMarco Jamie Powell Belinda Blum Nicola Giardina Paul Urevitch

Robin Holder Tim Thyzel Andrea Burgay Katherine Huala

Graphic Design

Don Giordano

NYC Department of Education OASP Team

Karen Rosner, Director of Visual Arts

Amber Lodman, Arts Program Manager Kaitlin Trammell, Remote Arts Learning Partnership Project Coordinator

NYC Department of Education Visual Arts Teacher Team

Maria Bonilla Susan Bricker Amie Robinson Lara Tyson

These educational materials were created through a partnership with Studio in a School NYC and The New York City Department of Education Office of Arts and Special Projects (OASP) and made possible by the generosity of The New York Community Trust.

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