Hello everyone!
Today we will be exploring art and math by creating a collage made entirely by chance. Or was it?
This project is geared toward early childhood classes and young kiddos. It allows them to experiment and explore mathematical theories like probability. Although your little one may be too young to question whether randomness exists, we can certainly introduce them to the idea of making predictions and observing results using glue, yarn and paper!
Supplies –
- paper, card stock, cardboard or any other surface you will use to be your canvas.
- glue – liquid glue works best.
- collage materials – I used different lengths and thicknesses of yarn, thread, rope and tape. You can also use different types of paper. You can even use dental floss!
Steps –
- art is messy – make sure you spread newspaper or a plastic garbage bag on your work surface
- lay your canvas down and cover with glue. I don’t paint the glue on because I’ve found that the collage materials need a thicker line of glue to adhere to the canvas.
- the application of the glue can also be “random” by squeezing the glue bottle and moving your hand around the canvas or squeezing and letting the glue drip where it will .
- once your canvas is covered to your liking, start by dropping your collage materials, one by one onto the canvas.
- try dropping the yarn or paper close to the canvas, from farther away or even stand on a chair and drop them onto the canvas placed on the floor!
The idea is that the collage materials will land where gravity takes them and so the result will be a collage that is determined by chance and not by the purposeful placing of the materials.
Once your collage is dry, you can preserve it by covering it with clear plastic wrap or paint on a coat of watered down white glue.
Project Extensions –
- can you predict where a piece of yarn or paper will land?
- does the placement depend on how thick or thin the material is?
- do you see any pattern in how the pieces landed or where they landed on the canvas?
- if you use yarn and thread, once dry your collage makes for a great sensory experience too. The glue and yarn make interesting textures!
Art History – Jean (Hans) Arp was an artist that was part of the DADA movement. One of his most famous artworks is; Untitled (Collage with Squares Arranged according to the Laws of Chance).
You can learn more about Hans Arp and his technique here – MOMA Learning
I hope you are enjoying the projects and getting a chance to watch the videos at https://www.facebook.com/artoutofanything/
See you next week, on Tuesday, when we will be learning about Jackson Pollock!
Thanks for visiting and keep creating!
Patty
artoutofanything.com 