Cardboard Sculptures and the Human Form

Location

James E. Booth Hall (BOO/007A) - 1912

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What if the limitations that artists face– lack of expensive materials, environmental concerns, and the endless hours poured into your craft– weren't obstacles but sources of inspiration? "Cardboard Sculptures and the Human Form" is an installation that aims to inspire and promote new waves of thought about the ideas of accessibility, sustainability, and time commitment in the fields of arts and crafts, through a display of humanoid cardboard figures. This immersive installation proves that creativity thrives in constraint, offering a fresh perspective on what it means to create art with what's available. In terms of Imagine RIT, this is a solo exhibition that can represent the College of Art & Design at RIT by displaying what kind of work the college results in, showing how student work has a time and place for showcase, and as an art exhibition, promoting new waves of thought. For example, I started using cardboard as an artistic medium more frequently after I needed to create an articulate puppet for a stop motion film, and cardboard was the first material that came to mind. The result, and the reactions to it, sparked a new passion and shifted my mindset about creating. I hope I can spark similar new ideas in the minds of others with the installation.

A wide-angle view of an 80-inch display case featuring a television with stop motion video, a cardboard video camera and spotlights, and cardboard dolls on white pedestals

The third case of the exhibit features a cardboard-framed television running two stop motion videos on loop, and the characters in these videos are displayed on pedestals next to it. A detailed cardboard camera and spotlights also tell the story of the process behind the video in the center.

A wide-angle view of an 80-inch display case featuring a mannequin on its knees with its face being caressed by a cardboard sculpture of a figure protruding from a frame. Behind the mannequin is a floating hand outreached and reaching for him. Cardboard frames mimic a gallery on the wall behind him.

The first case of the exhibition represents a gallery. The mannequin represents a gallery visitor having a personal moment with the art he is experiencing. The cardboard figure and hand behind him represent the immersive and personal experience one may have when encountering art that resonates with them deeply.

A panoramic view of all three cases together

The panoramic view of all three cases together as they would be viewed in-person

A segmented cardboard hand that appears to float, reaching for the back of a mannequin

The "floating" cardboard hand represents one's personal experience with art in a gallery setting

A detailed cardboard sculpture of a video camcorder on a cardboard tripod

A close-up of the cardboard video camcorder and tripod

A close-up of a cardboard stop motion doll who appears feminine and clothed in rags

A close-up of one of the cardboard dolls created for the stop-motion video

A wide-angle view of an 80-inch display case featuring a layered cardboard artwork surrounded by scraps of cardboard that created it, with a brown fabric overlay with cutouts that reflect those of the scraps behind it

The second case features a central cardboard artwork made of layered sheets of the material, surrounded by every piece of material that went into its creation. The fabric overlay is cutout to symbolize those same scraps, while cardboard boxes fill the floor behind it.

A close-up of the layered cardboard artwork in the center case, showing a girl holding a small man

A close-up of the center artwork in the second case.

A sculpture of a person made of cardboard scraps with hands outstretched and caressing a mannequin's face

One of the featured artworks is of a figure protruding from a frame and caressing the face of a gallery visitor

Location

James E. Booth Hall (BOO/007A) - 1912

Topics

Art and Design
Innovation

Exhibitor
Hartley Bauer

Advisor(s)
Chase the Case committee: Shane Durgee, Jennifer Schoonmaker, Taylor Kennedy, Kate Johnson

Organization
This project as a whole is not affiliated with a class, but elements of it are. The exhibition is part of an annual contest called Chase the Case for students in the School of Art and School for American Craft. While most of the installation was created f

Exhibit Website

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