Design Problem and Site Assessment
The Kansas City Art Institute is a school known for its outgoing personalities and attention to detail throughout the campus, curriculum, and students. There is, however, a location apart of the KCAI main campus that may miss out on those characteristics. On the east side of the green, in between the Dodge Painting Building and Irving Building, there is an open area of green that is not being utilized to its potential. It is simply a patch of dirt that catches no attention, attention that is needed in this area because of it being so close to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, a place where anyone interested in art, goes. And anyone interested in art should want to explore the Kansas City Art Institute. But, upon that street, how would they know? Also, the knee-high, silver posts on the boardwalk serve no purpose other than to deter the cars away from entering. Those stakes also resemble prison bars, something completely not welcoming, an aspect that KCAI should not dictate. So what can we do?
Site Assessment
Looking at this site, the area seems to have no unique features brought out. It lacks on interest and leads the viewer nowhere on campus. In the middle of the site lays a dull, grey walking path to the campus’ green. To the right is the Irving Building with another boardwalk, perpendicular to the path leading to the green. Small, limestone brick half-walls also surround this area that block off certain areas and patches of grass. The space is somewhat surrounded by large trees that shrouds the rest of the campus buildings. Upon the perpendicular path, small white blocks appear in a formulated set up. These blocks are white in the daytime and colorfully lit with lights of green, red, and blue at night. Not much captures attention to someone just passing by with this site. Knee-high gray posts at the end of the boardwalk, close to the area that connects to the street, stay put to ward off vehicles into entering this particular area with three posts in the grass that really don’t serve a purpose. By the street there is also the map of that block of campus that gives street information, building names, and where you are in relation to the rest of campus. You see sculptures, paintings, etc. all over the KCAI campus, yet this space has nothing but a slice of green and rock.
Proposal
To embrace the KCAI artistry, the knee-high posts need to go. But we cannot leave an empty space so in the spaces that the posts are in, instead, a letter will be placed. One letter for each space for to spell out the word “Adroit.” Adroit is a synonym for the dictionary definition of the word “art.” It means: expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body; cleverly skillful or resourceful. The word “adroit” wholeheartedly captures the essence of the Kansas City Art Institute with the conotation of new discovery, learning, and becoming an expert artist with the education and teaching that is given to each student. The letters are to be shaped from silhouettes of photographed people, with the choice of lowercase or uppercase. This is to relate to the diversity that surrounds the campus and the need of a community to support the school; the need of each letter and person to complete the word. This solves the problem of the ambiguity of the space and taking away the unwelcoming posts and replacing it with a work of art.
Inspiration
PI L OBO LUS
Synonyms for “art” as per thesaurus.com
• adroitness • aptitutde • craft • dexterity • expertise • imagination • knack
Attitutde/Voice
LEARNING NEW DISCOVERY
COMMUNITY
WELCOMING
DIVERSITY
Materials
COPPER
LASER CUTTER
PLEXIGLASS
Process
This collaboration between Alyssa and I began with several ideas but the thought that we went with involved silhouettes and mirrors. The same materials were going to be used with the silhouettes being connected with the mirrors being imperfectly reflecting. Upon the first critique of this project, it was decided, with the critique given, that this idea needed to be reworked. So, Alyssa and I sat down and put our heads together again and came out with this idea of creating the word “adroit” with people to keep the idea of the silhouettes. We scratched the mirrors and made the typographical statue to be just copper metal, laser cut from a plate of pressed copper metal. An engraved plexiglass sign would be placed upon the side of the “t”to give definiton and reason for the word upon the side of the boardwalk that leads into the green campus of KCAI. It is well known that copper rusts over time, but the degredation and color would create an interesting focal point in which to gain viewer for the sculpture.
Scale Drawings
Visual Image
Adroit Artists: Alyssa Sams & Jennifer Abate Graphic Design Collaboration November 19, 2012 Materials: Copper, Plexiglass Adroit is a word to synonymously describe the word art. It is a word that many may not know, referring to the names of great artists that some may not recognize. Willing volunteers posed in photographs to gain the silhouettes that create each different letter to create the word “adroit.�
Adroit Artists: Alyssa Sams & Jennifer Abate Graphic Design Collaboration November 19, 2012 Materials: Copper, Plexiglass Adroit is a word to synonymously describe the word art. It is a word that many may not know, referring to the names of great artists that some may not recognize. Willing volunteers posed in photographs to gain the silhouettes that create each different letter to create the word “adroit.”
12’