#theartassignment imaginaryfriend

[cridgley]

Embracing a Wider Framework for Art Production

I have spent a lot of time on The Art Assignment this semester, for my art education course. I based one of my Unit Lesson Plans off of this video, Imaginary Friend. I chose to continue with this assignment because I truly believe that art teachers should do the work that they are also expecting their students to do. At the end of the video, the artist JooYoung Choi, provides three ways to create your new imaginary friend. I chose to take two of my favorite animals, the sloth and the platypus, and create my new creature. Meet Norbert, the Slothapus.

Choi also talks about how she has made many of her puppets and characters based on feelings that she and others were experiencing. For example, Bernadette was created to eat up feelings of despair and loneliness. I really like that idea of creating a character out of emotions, especially emotions that we don’t know what to do with. In my lesson plan, I had my students do this to some extent. Because I will be an art teacher, I figured I should do the same thing that I am asking my students to do. I created Norbert to be a comforting presence. During this time of isolation and frustration, and not being able to even touch people, Norbert is here to bring comfort and joy, and encourage that inner child to resurface to help you find things to do (not on a screen) during this time where people are feeling incredibly bored and closed off from the world.

Why a sloth and a platypus? I liked sloths before they were “the animal to like,” and over the years I have received sloth stuff from friends and family. When I was younger, I always loved the platypus. They were just so weird, and seemed like something made out of spare parts. While I was creating Norbert, I kept asking myself, why these two animals? Why was I so drawn to them. I think because both these animals are such anomalies. Neither quite fit into any category: is the sloth a monkey or a lemur or a bear? is the platypus a duck or a mammal? You just don’t really know as a kid. I like that you cannot put either animal into a box, they are unique and weird, and only unique and weird people can truly appreciate them. 

Norbert is created out of old pillow cases, polyester cluster fiber fill, and buttons for eyes. He is incredibly soft and huggable. This was my first time sewing a creature, so he is a little lopsided and frayed, which makes him all the more endearing to me. 

#theartassignment imaginaryfriend #4dart covidsucks findingthejoy