What gives you a feeling of comfort, security, and safety?   

  

Students from the art course Beginning Sculpture, taught by Professor Amalia Galdona Broche, were assigned to create a sculpture (or a form) made of wire armature covered in paper mache. A student in this class, Michael Montgomery, created his own sculpture called “Tenere: To Hold” to explore what these feelings meant to him.   

  

Michael, who also goes by Monte, is a junior at Millsaps majoring in Studio Arts with Digital Arts Concentration.   

  

According to Monte, “The students were to create a form inspired by sound, data, or an action to visualize an abstract idea. It had to be at least 3 feet long in one direction, 70% had to be covered by paper mache to create volume, it needed to be dynamic, and had to interact with the human body in some way.”  

  

Monte created his sculpture to capture the action of holding or being held by someone. He worked on this for about three weeks. Monte describes the process of making his form as a “rollercoaster of experiences and emotions.”   

  

He explained the steps he took in making this specific form:  

  

 “I used wire cutters, two different types of pliers, black wire, a drill and its attachment, flour, water, acrylic paint, and a blue plush blanket. I then twisted two strands of wire together to create a stiffer and thicker wire that would make the skeleton much stronger and supported.”  

  

He also used lighter tones and light pinks, blues and purples to convey the feeling of comfort and softness. Through his sculpture, Monte wanted to display the message that the action of “holding” can be a way of giving and receiving comfort, but it can also be entangling and addictive.  

   

Monte said he enjoyed learning how to use wire effectively and how to use power tools. Because he is currently involved with creating abstract works, this process gave him more practice and expanded his range of opportunities.   

  

As we discussed his future in art, he said he would consider making more sculptures should the opportunity arise.   

  

“Installation is something I am currently experimenting with at the current moment but implementing sculptures or the skills I learned from this project would certainly improve my installation pieces.”  

  

When asked about his instructor, Monte stated, “I appreciate having a professor who knows the elements and principles of art as well as how to manipulate materials and tools. She is good at teaching us how to create sculptures as well as how to critique our own works and make them convey what we intend more effectively.”  

  

Monte recommends this course to any art major, minor, or anyone with a lot of free time, and who enjoys crafting sculptures and 3D forms. Overall, he has enjoyed his time being a part of the class and getting the experience to create these different art forms.