Proposal Revision

The following is a revision of my proposal for my Semester 1 project.  I feel this is more accurate proposal overall, mostly due to details such as a budget.  It is also a rewrite requirement for my Studio Practices class.  The initial proposal on the grad application was a good starting point, but this puts everything in a better light.

Describe the project you will be working this semester. - My project for this semester is an abstracted head constructed out of panes of glass.  The glass panes will be 2 feet by 2 feet square, and 1/4 of an inch thick.  Reinforcements made out of smaller slabs of glass will be fixed in place using Hxtal, an industrial grade adhesive that is recognized as the only archival glass adhesive.  The panes will also be trimmed in metal edging to help stabilize the glass and help prevent shear.  The head will be organized into three walls, each wall is 3 panes tall by 3 panes wide. This will delineate the back and sides of the head.  The face will be constructed from one row of panes at the top, the next row will consist of a reclaimed window, another pane (carved to mimic the structure of the bridge of the nose), and then another reclaimed window.  All of the glass will be sand blasted on the inside and drawn on to varying degrees.  The windows, specifically, will have eyes drawn on them.  Inside this large glass box, there will be a table with bell jars, and specimens of memory alluding to the brain and it’s functions.  The panes will be held together in columns of 3 by Long D Shackles, a rigging shackle designed to take large stress loads.

Describe the final form it will take when finished. - The final form of the piece will be as described as above, the final showing of the piece will be in the MFA space.  It is the only space on campus with a Unistrut Suspension Grid rated well above the weight tolerance I will be using.  The grid is rated for 2000 lbs., the combined (rough) weight of the piece so far is 385 lbs.  Lighting might be difficult to do as planned, having all that sand blasted glass lit more from the inside would make it glow through the diffusion of light but the MFA space is well lit and I will tackle this more as fabrication begins in ernest.

List the resources, labs, and any specific instruction that you anticipate needing to complete this project. - So far the biggest resource I need is space.  Hxtal takes a week to cure completely, and I have 31 panes to glue reinforcements to.  The more panes I can lay out the more gluing I can do at once.  The faculty and staff at the Sculpture Studio have been very helpful with providing me a studio space there to work out the fabrication that will have to be done.  This includes grinding, polishing, gluing, sand blasting, and drilling 1/4 inch thick plate glass.  So lots of time on the cold working equipment and wet table to accomplish this.

Include a budget for the project. - The budget for this project is still rough and not finalized, all the estimates are on the high side for simplicity.

144 small glass pieces & 1 replacement window  - $122

           36 2’x2’ glass panes                                                   - $360

           100 Long D shackles @ $8.19/piece                       - $820

           100 ft of steel cable @ $0.25/foot                              - $25

            Additional hardware

                   42 connecting links @ $1.50-$2                        - $63 to $84

                   24 thimbles @ $1                                                  - $24

          new colored pencils                                                      - $5 to $7

          2 cans of matte varnish @ $10/can                            - $20

        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                   Rough Total  =     $1,462

Include a timetable for the project. - A timetable for this project is a hard thing to tabulate.  Nothing will start until I get the glass I need, one order is already placed and I’m waiting to hear from the supplier to go pick it up.  The earliest I was told for this order was middle to end of next week, this the order with the 144 smaller pieces.  The larger glass order will be placed next Monday (9/13) with delivery on Tuesday.   I’m still researching the Long D shackles to get the best price and that order should be placed no later than the end of next week (9/17).  Once I have the glass I need, I can really begin to work.  Until then I have been trying to coordinate everything, space and resources, and get any drawings done that need to be finished before the glass gets here.

Describe what will constitute the successful completion of this project.  Also describe how your work, process, and artistic progress should be evaluated. - This is the hardest question of this proposal.  Success, to me, would be completing this project on time as presented.  I have never attempted a project of this scale, both physically and logistically.  There has been tremendous amounts of information I have gained already, I am in the process of compiling a supplier database for things I need in town and across the country for the future.  Doing most of the leg work now, means less work and more creating in the future because I will already know who to call.  I believe that if I can hang this and it doesn’t fall apart from it’s own weight then thats is a process success.  If I can get across the idea of the head and it’s mostly working memory banks then an artistic progress success there.  I’m not sure I understand the work aspect of this question.  My work as a whole?  Related to the previous body of work? Or work as in this piece?

This is the biggest project I have ever attempted, it is a little intimidating to say the least.  However, I feel the opportunity at CCAD would be wasted on things I already do, the chance to do something completely different is very attractive.  This feels like diving in head first but not knowing the depth of the water.

I believe it will work, the science behind it is solid, however theory and practical knowledge don't always meet well.  I'm using a book of European architecture practices to help decide the best course of action with this, and it has been a valuable resource.  It is entitled Glass Structures : Design and Construction of Self Supporting Skins by Jan Wurm and it is a translated volume from German.  Amazon link here.  If you ever had a question about plate glass use, adhesives, stress diagrams, and actual glass construction then this book is for you.