Boxing up a mini herd: art put to pasture - conceptual art project using cow print Gateway computer boxes - Brief Article

Arts & Activities, May, 2002 by Midge Zimmerman

My South Dakota school district is located just two miles west of Gateway[R] Computer Co. Two miles north of our school is one of the largest cattle companies in the state, and two miles south of the school is Iowa Beef Processors Inc. World Headquarters.

You might wonder what these companies have in common. The last two deal with cattle, so how does Gateway fit in? The box! The pattern printed on Gateway's trademark box is that of a Holstein cow--white with black spots.

Last summer the school was updating some computer hardware. Guess what brand of computers we have in the district? You got it--Gateway. Many of the black-and-white boxes were lined up in the hallway just outside of my classroom. Being the typical art teacher that I am, I didn't want to see anything go to waste. But what to do with the famous spotted boxes?

Inspiring creativity in my high-school students often takes some creativity on my part. Luckily, I remembered the Cows on Parade exhibit in Chicago in 1999. I was so impressed by the presentation of 300 hand-designed and attired, life-sized fiberglass cows that were placed in public spaces all over the city of Chicago, that I knew I had to develop a similar assignment for the classroom.

Suddenly, the idea of a conceptual art mini-herd made from Gateway boxes came into my head. Students in my district know plenty about cows but are not familiar with a variety of arts and cultures. Through this project, my students could create a sculpture of an animal that was familiar to them, and at the same time, receive an introduction to a new style of art.

The "dirty work" of planning began. The only supplies needed for this unique project were a box, a pair of scissors and a hot-glue gun. The students were encouraged to embellish the eyes or tail with additional items, but otherwise they were to use only one box to create their cows. They could cut, shape and glue the box however they wanted. Plans were sketched and the forming began.

After one week of construction, we had 13 different interpretations of cows. Some appeared to be munching on straw, some were lying down, some had long legs, and some had stubby legs. The students also used various accessories to individualize their cows. Some students used cookies, golf balls or plastic cups for eyes; others braided yarn for tails and crimped pink paper for tongues. One cow sported a "silver" bell fashioned from a Pringles[R] can.

Following the creation of the cows, the conceptual art portion of the computer-box project began. The students carried the boxes onto the school's football field and placed them in formation. The scene was then photographed. Conceptual art is designed to be temporary but demands that a permanent record be made of it, such as a photograph. The project was meant to teach students that art is not just painting a canvas or modeling a clay sculpture, but rather something you can experience and explore.

What a success! The students really learned what conceptual art is all about. They learned how to work in a three-dimensional format with flat, rigid material, and applied all the structural engineering techniques they could develop through trial and error. Each structure was unique and different; some students even gave the cows names to add to their personalities.

To conclude the project and show off our sculptures, we roped off a section of grass at the next home football game and put our cardboard herd out to graze and be admired by parents and students.

RESOURCE

Sullivan, Mary Ellen. Cows on Parade in Chicago. Partners Book Distributors, Inc., 1999.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will ...

* apply common medium in creative application of design and structure.

* demonstrate the ability to construct a freestanding sculptural form.

* develop an awareness and application of conceptual art.

NATIONAL ART STANDARD

Understanding and applying media, technique and processes in artworks.

Midge Zimmerman teaches art at Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, South Dakota.