Play

Introduction:

You're never too old to PLAY!! It's an important part of our lives.  Playful activities are often described as spontaneous, fun, or even mischievous!  Sometimes we think of games or sports, but we can also think of play as experimentation, innovation or embracing mistakes. 

As we grow older, the way we play might change, but it continues to be a good outlet for our creativity and sparks our imagination.  Artists get inspired by playing with materials and ideas.  How can you get inspired by PLAY?

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What is the difference between playing alone and with others?  

• How can making art take on the act of playing? 

• How does play differ between cultures?  How do different cultures play?

Project Idea Starters:

• Make something you or others can play with, like a game or toy. 

• Make art inspired by your favorite game or toy.

• Make art by playing with something or out of objects you play with. 

• Create an interactive experience that invites a group of people to play together. 

Artists Who Work With the Theme of "Play": (good artists to research)

1. Alexander Calder

• Is an American sculptor known for his kinetic art, specifically for making the first "mobile". 

• He was interested in engineering and eventually got into art. 

• Had a job as an illustrator for a magazine and was asked to draw pictures of the circus in town.  He was inspired to make his own playable wire circus.  He traveled the world to presenting his circus to people! 

• Click here to see a video of Calder's Circus! 

2. Caine's Arcade - Caine Monroy 

• Caine was 9 years old when he built a cardboard arcade in his father's auto parts shop that turned into a huge success!

• He now has a Foundation that supports creativity and imagination!  They even started the "Global Cardboard Challenge"!

• Click here to see a video of Caine's Arcade. 

3. Tobias Gutmann

• Is an Swiss artist and inventor. He created the the Face-o-mat, a social portrait drawing machine.

• Click to see a video of it! 

Sources: http://handheldart.cas.sc.edu/play; https://www.youtube.com/watchv=t6jwnu8Izy0; http://www.tobiasgutmann.ch/;  http://whitney.org/Collection/AlexanderCalder/8336195;