Library Mobile Project Procedure and Materials for General Mobile Lesson Introduction to Mobile Sculpture and Examples of Artworks What are all of the things requiring balance? Scales, teeter-totters, airplanes, tightrope walkers, and skiers are a few. What are the ways those things get balanced? Skiers use poles; on a teeter-totter the heavier person moves closer to center, etc. What are forms that have movement? What is a mobile? A mobile is a sculpture that moves. Kinetic art is a term that applies to art that moves. Kinetic energy, in scientific terms, is the energy possessed by a body through the virtue of its motion. What things in nature have movement? Is a mobile like any of them? What makes a mobile move? Since a mobile is almost always in perfect physical balance, it is also usually in visual balance and harmony. What is the history of mobile sculpture? Mobiles are creates for the sake of movement and each has a particular way in which it moves that capture a viewer’s attention. The physically moving sculpture is sometimes called kinetic sculpture. What are examples of mobile sculpture in our community? (See CD or transparency examples) Community artists included in these lessons include Harold E. Forgostein, James O. Jacobson and Sandra Kay Johnson. Are mobiles related to sculpture, painting, drawing, or design? How? What about the space that surrounds each piece? Are theses important? Why? Select a few examples from our community artists as well as Calder for the discussion of mobiles and the visual “story” they can tell the viewer. How did Calder make his mobiles? What were Calder’s intentions and design ideas? What do Calder’s mobiles communicate to the viewer? See attached Calder information and the intentions of his mobile artwork. Connecting the Selected Book with a Mobile Artwork Identify the key ideas and/or meaning of the selected book. Your student groups can select varied directions. Example ideas include: a character, plot, setting, storyline (beginning, middle and end), genre, author, all books by a particular author, theme, etc. Group discussion and consensus concerning the connection between the book’s focus, meaning and artmaking is the next step. What shapes, lines and colors best reflect the meaning or storyline? What media/materials would be most appropriate for the grade level and art experiences? You can encourage your students to use recycled materials and mixed media. This is dependent on the grade level and focus of the mobile. (Refer to VAPA standards guidelines) What are the key ideas that the group has determined reflects the book? How can the materials and media be used successfully to create a balanced mobile? General Overview Processes of Mobile Making Start from the Bottom: Select and arrange the pieces: Draw lines connected the bottom or end pieces. Begin wiring the pieces: Start with the small end pieces first, then connecting the middle size systems together. Balance the top: The top bar is last. Connect the middle systems to the top bar, balance. Altering size and materials are major factors in the creation of balance. Example of asymmetrical balance. The challenge for the students groups is to create a mobile that has balance and moves freely with natural air currents. Shape, color and organization of these will affect the visual impact of the mobile. Check out lesson variation links for mobile making options and media choices. Vocabulary: movement, mobile, sculpture, rhythm, balance, informal balance, formal balance, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Gallery walk of Mobile Sculptures Include individual student reflection along with class discussion concerning each mobile, its intention, design and what is communicated to the viewer.

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