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THE NORMAL RECORD. of this synthesis increase. Clearly then the pencil is not the proper medium for the very earliest work of our young pupiis, which should be of the simplest concrete character. For some years past, clay modeling, which in times gone by was deemed proper only in the highest classes of technical schools, has been taught as the earliest and most elementary branch of form study and form expression. We can almost say of the clay that the stone which the builders rejected— at least for the lower courses of the substructure—has become the corner stone of the temple. Every classroom should be well equipped with a supply sufficient for every pupil, and weekly or more frequent exercises, especially in the first year, should be given in modeling. The objects studied should be the simple geometric forms, because they are simple and not complex and confusing like natural forms, however more interesting may be these more human forms—"life forms" the kindergartener would say. Considerable time should be spent in the early weeks in school in these form-study exercises. At first only the general conception of the type forms should b2 expected; perfection of execution not being ad?sidesHtum, the object being rather to present a few type forms, followed by many applications in simple, natural objects, to furnish the child with all the breadth of thought possible for his future study. The element of finish should not, however, be ignored, and as each month passes by more and more insistence must be made upon it, and more must be expected of the pupil. Remember, first of all, good ideas to express, and then mechanically trained hands to execute them." Clay modeling in common with all the work in. concrete materials, sticks, tablets, paper, etc., is to be ranked in value in exactly inverse ratio to the number of the grade, being of the utmost value in the first and lower grades, and of constantly decreasing value in the ascending grades. After the simple facts of the sphere, cylinder, and cube have been recorded in the soft clay, the more complex facts of common objects should be attempted, especially those objects based on the first two models mentioned. Following these three simple type forms, the variations of the sphere and the rectilinear models should be attempted. Natural products are especially suitable for modeling in clay. They should not be indiscriminately selected, but should be taken up in connection with the exercises in systematic form-study, that the general likeness to the form model may be recognized, thereby training the powers of observation. An essential point must be noticed here, and that is, that notwithstanding the likeness, near or remote, of any particular object to the type-form, the pupil in his model of it should not aim merely to show the generic shape, but rather the individual shape. Too much stress cannot be placed on this point. The study of the generic or type- form of the object should be merely as the charcoal sketch lines to the oil portrait—the first blocking in. The real, serious work must be that training of the perceptive faculties which will enable the pupil to see and express in his work: (1) The general type- form; (2) The specific form; (3) The individual detail. Any model which simply shows the conventional shape of its kind, with all the characteristic details which stamp its individuality left out, is a wasted effort. Yet how familiar to us all are those smoothly rounded, ellipsoidal potatoes and impossibly spherical apples. Better one rough, incomplete, but correct representation of a fruit or vegetable than a bushel of such products. Let us allow no overweening allegiance to type-forms to render negatory the main purpose of clay modeling—the training of the eye to perceive and the hand to express the characteristics of form. This training can never be accomplished by a rigid insistence upon type-form resemblances. Better no type models whatever than that individual details should be slurred over, however divergent they may be from the type. The same innate appreciation for the artistic is observable in the child. This love of the beautiful, of its cultivation or retardation. It can be retarded and deadened by the exclusive, or too frequent modeling of the lifeless, uninspiring wooden type models, which should be recurred to only occasionally, after the earliest years, and then only for their splendid training in exactitude of proportion and form, and for the perfection and continuity of their surfaces. On the other hand,
Object Description
Title | The Normal Record. January 1897 |
Original Date | 1897-01 |
Description | The Record. Published by the Associated Students of Chico State College. |
Creator | Chico State College |
Call Number | LD723 C57 |
Digital Collection | The Record: Chico State Yearbook Collection |
Digital Repository | Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. |
Description-Abstract | The Record served as both a student magazine and a commencement program for Chico Normal School. In the year 1897, it was published almost monthly. |
Date Digital | 2013 |
Language | eng |
Rights | For information on the use of the images in this collection contact the Special Collections Department at 530.898-6342 or email: specialcollections@csuchico.edu |
Format | image/tiff |
Filename | index.cpd |
Description
Title | 1897_01_NormalRecord.006 |
Original Date | 1897-01 |
OCR- Transcript | THE NORMAL RECORD. of this synthesis increase. Clearly then the pencil is not the proper medium for the very earliest work of our young pupiis, which should be of the simplest concrete character. For some years past, clay modeling, which in times gone by was deemed proper only in the highest classes of technical schools, has been taught as the earliest and most elementary branch of form study and form expression. We can almost say of the clay that the stone which the builders rejected— at least for the lower courses of the substructure—has become the corner stone of the temple. Every classroom should be well equipped with a supply sufficient for every pupil, and weekly or more frequent exercises, especially in the first year, should be given in modeling. The objects studied should be the simple geometric forms, because they are simple and not complex and confusing like natural forms, however more interesting may be these more human forms—"life forms" the kindergartener would say. Considerable time should be spent in the early weeks in school in these form-study exercises. At first only the general conception of the type forms should b2 expected; perfection of execution not being ad?sidesHtum, the object being rather to present a few type forms, followed by many applications in simple, natural objects, to furnish the child with all the breadth of thought possible for his future study. The element of finish should not, however, be ignored, and as each month passes by more and more insistence must be made upon it, and more must be expected of the pupil. Remember, first of all, good ideas to express, and then mechanically trained hands to execute them." Clay modeling in common with all the work in. concrete materials, sticks, tablets, paper, etc., is to be ranked in value in exactly inverse ratio to the number of the grade, being of the utmost value in the first and lower grades, and of constantly decreasing value in the ascending grades. After the simple facts of the sphere, cylinder, and cube have been recorded in the soft clay, the more complex facts of common objects should be attempted, especially those objects based on the first two models mentioned. Following these three simple type forms, the variations of the sphere and the rectilinear models should be attempted. Natural products are especially suitable for modeling in clay. They should not be indiscriminately selected, but should be taken up in connection with the exercises in systematic form-study, that the general likeness to the form model may be recognized, thereby training the powers of observation. An essential point must be noticed here, and that is, that notwithstanding the likeness, near or remote, of any particular object to the type-form, the pupil in his model of it should not aim merely to show the generic shape, but rather the individual shape. Too much stress cannot be placed on this point. The study of the generic or type- form of the object should be merely as the charcoal sketch lines to the oil portrait—the first blocking in. The real, serious work must be that training of the perceptive faculties which will enable the pupil to see and express in his work: (1) The general type- form; (2) The specific form; (3) The individual detail. Any model which simply shows the conventional shape of its kind, with all the characteristic details which stamp its individuality left out, is a wasted effort. Yet how familiar to us all are those smoothly rounded, ellipsoidal potatoes and impossibly spherical apples. Better one rough, incomplete, but correct representation of a fruit or vegetable than a bushel of such products. Let us allow no overweening allegiance to type-forms to render negatory the main purpose of clay modeling—the training of the eye to perceive and the hand to express the characteristics of form. This training can never be accomplished by a rigid insistence upon type-form resemblances. Better no type models whatever than that individual details should be slurred over, however divergent they may be from the type. The same innate appreciation for the artistic is observable in the child. This love of the beautiful, of its cultivation or retardation. It can be retarded and deadened by the exclusive, or too frequent modeling of the lifeless, uninspiring wooden type models, which should be recurred to only occasionally, after the earliest years, and then only for their splendid training in exactitude of proportion and form, and for the perfection and continuity of their surfaces. On the other hand, |