WORKSHEET 3.2 - SCALE & FORM

ACTIVITY 1: Claes Oldenburg’s Ice Bag – scale B is a larger than life sculpture of an everyday ice bag. Brainstorm in small groups why you think Claes Oldenburg chose to create a larger than life ice bag. What meaning can you make from this work? Is the colour important? Is the scale important? Does the form of the work remind you of another object?

Claes OLDENBURG Sweden born 1929. United States of America from 1936 Ice bag – scale B 1971, moulded plastic, synthetic fabric, electric motor, from an edition of 25, 101.5 x 122.0 (diam.)cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Purchased 1975 © Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen

ACTIVITY 2: Choose a household item and design your own soft sculpture on paper using this object as inspiration. Think about what materials you would use. What parts of the object would you exaggerate or keep the same and why? How big or small would it be? What colour would it be?