half masks to portray the juxtaposition between human and machine. Some students chose to alter the
appearance of a human face all together by hiding all facial features.
Once the plaster had dried, we covered the masks with metallic acrylic paint and students began
selecting their items from our technology graveyard. This breathed new life into the dormant bits and
pieces and students began thinking of them as purposeful again. It was a cycle; a relationship between
the unmaker and the maker. I wanted them to see these objects in new ways and to explore the
possibilities of what individual elements could become when grouped together.
The next class, students began planning
their designs by placing their elements on
the masks and making decisions as to how
they were going to interact with one another.
We discussed adding small and large
elements together to create a more dynamic
composition as well as the principle of
emphasis and how it could be used for
balance. Through rigorous decision making,
reflection, and editing, students began
solidifying their ideas and attaching the
pieces that would complete their character.
STEAMed Magazine
28
July 2016 Edition