Day 1 – Introduction

Introduce the project with a slide show (see additional resources).

Questions to ask while viewing examples of wearable sculptures include:

• What do you see?
• How do you think the artist created this art?
• Why do you think the artists created this art?
• How do you think these artists used math in their art?

Explain the creative process for the project

• Students will practice with the materials
• Students will sketch ideas for their wearable art
• Students will create their wearable art using at least three shapes

Day 2 – Artmaking

Review the project goals

Create a wearable sculpture by:

• Building a 3D model using a template net
• Calculating scale factor and surface area of the 3D model
• Documenting the finished sculpture with a photo shoot

Show the class samples of 3D objects created from 2D nets.

• Let the students experiment with the nets

Students should start brainstorming and sketching ideas for their wearable art

• Recommend that they use different sizes of the 3D forms or different shapes

Show the class how to create 3D objects with straws and pipe cleaners

• Straws can be used as frames for the objects
• Straws can be held together with pipe cleaners and hot glue

Day 3 – Artmaking

Review the project goals

Create a wearable sculpture by:

• Building a 3D model using a template net
• Calculating scale factor and surface area of the 3D model
• Documenting the finished sculpture with a photo shoot

Students should begin creating their wearable sculpture using the materials and their sketches as a guideline

Students could use scale factor to create different size shapes

Students should record shape dimensions and calculate surface area

Day 4 – Artmaking

• Students should finish creating their wearable art. Embellishments can be added with paint, tinfoil or paperclips.

Day 5 – Presentations

• Each student will wear their sculpture and have it photographed. Students can present their projects to the class. The students should be able to talk about the art choices they made and be able to answer any geometry questions.

Slide examples:

Wearable art and geometric art

• Introduce project
• Encourage students to share what they see in the slide show: there are no wrong answers

Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings

• Mathematician, inventor, and artist
• Measurements of the Canon of Beauty

M.C. Escher

• How does Escher use math in his drawings?
• Shapes
• Measuring

Jay Nelson’s “Golden Gate” vehicle

• How does this artist use math?
• Measurements
• Angles

Design first, and then build

• Paige Smith’s “Urban Geode Project”
• What geometric shapes do you see here?
• 3D triangle = pyramid
• Your artwork needs to hold itself together

Nick Cave’s “Soundsuits”

• How does this artist use math?
• How does this artist make his art wearable?

Phil Ferguson

• From Australia; made wearable sculptures to see how many friends he could make on Instagram
• How does he use math?

Nora Fok

• She makes wearable sculptures
• Students will focus their project on a specific body part

Head Pieces

• Makotoyabuki.com, Hector Sos, Tracey Featherstone, Fred Butler (including picture of Lady Gaga)

Neck Pieces

• Tatiana Inglis, Suo Emiko, Bin Dixon-Ward, Sarah West

Examples of open form and closed forms

• Closed forms look heavier, open forms look lighter

Shoulder and Chest Pieces

• Tine De Ruysser, Tracey Featherstone, Dominique Thomas Vansteenberghe, Mashallah Design

Back Pieces

• Tracey Featherstone, Birgit Toke Tauka Frietman

Arm, Hand and Finger Pieces

• Bin Dixon-Ward, Hande Akcayli, Murat Kpcyigit and Linda Kostowski, Tracey Featherstone, Bryan Cera

Day 1 – Introduction

Introduce the project with a slide show

• Describe how art and math are related
• Provide examples of graphic design considerations (ex. balance, movement, pattern, symmetry, color, and shape)

Day 2 – Artmaking

Students will be shown a demonstration of how to record their equations prior to beginning their sculptures

• They will need to plan out the equivalent equations prior to building

Students will cut, color, and measure the shapes that they need for their project

Students will begin to organize and plan out their designs for each side of the equation

• They should try to have this finished by the end of the day

Students should sketch or take a photo of their layout for reference

At the end of class, students should put all of their work and papers in a large envelope to save their work for the next class

Day 3 – Artmaking

• After students have chosen a color scheme and cut, colored, and measured their shapes, they should build their cube and then adhere their designs
• At the end of class, students should put all of their work and papers in a large envelope to save their work for the next class

Day 4 – Artmaking

Students should finish gluing their projects together

Students will write an artist statement, which should include:

• A description of their piece, including the colors and materials they used
• An explanation of how art and math are related
• The equations they used, and how they are equal
• A description of how their piece shows movement, balance, color, and symmetry

Day 5 – Presentation

Students take turns presenting their work to the class, talking about:

• Their design and their use of symmetry, balance, color, movement, and rhythm
• Their mathematical equation
• How they discovered art and math are related

The Intersection of Math and Art
The Golden Rule

Slide examples:

Our goal for this project is to use expressions and equations to create graphically designed 3D shapes

How are art and math related?

Students will create a 3D sculpture with a different design on each side. Each side will incorporate symbols to create designs that are mathematically equivalent equations. Consider the elements below in your design.

• Rhythm—repetition and placement of similar colors, shapes and lines throughout
• Balance—colors, shapes and lines placed symmetrically or asymmetrically so the design looks evenly distributed
• Movement—colors, shapes and lines that lead the viewer’s eye in and out of and around the art
• Symmetry—when it is the same on both sides

To complete the project:

• Develop an equation and create equivalent equations for each side of the sculpture
• Create a design that corresponds to each equation
• Assemble the structure and make designs using construction paper cut-outs
• Write a brief artist statement (3 sentences) about the process, equations, and the combination of art and math
• Present the artist statement and sculpture