Project: Internal Peace Among External Pressures Diorama Box

---two different interior dioramas

This project makes me giddy when I see the students getting more and more comfortable with collage and with social commentary. Each box has a collage on the outside which articulates issues and conficts that are current in the student's mind. The outside is contrasted to the calming diorama on the interior. Students are creating a visual of their own means of finding inner peace among external pressures.

1) I start students off with a image search session where they pull as many images from magazines as possible in an entire class period which seem upsetting and unpleasant in any way they see fit.

2) Next students spend a period finding words. First they find unpleasant or powerful words and phrases for twenty minutes. Then they spend the period rearranging them into phrases and grouping them with their pictures.

3) Students are given a wooden box with hinges and are told to mar and age the surface. This helps them get away from thinking of what a great jewelry box or gift for mom this could become. They can gouge it, carve it, sand it, paint it, stain it. Then they must add some newspaper with words to each side. (This can be removed later if desired).

4) Student add collage to exterior. Plan the collage to be interesting and meaningful when viewed from each side. Discuss with peers the meaning of your collage. See if they can guess the meaning first. If not, fix it.

5) Students MUST use transparent painting techniques to blend images.

6) When done students create a peaceful interior scene. I use writing prompts to help them create a theme.

7) Students must first create the background including the sides of the interior.

8) The middleground and foreground are mounted to cardboard or mini tiles and glued in place to create depth.

7) Something must be glued to the very edges of the interior as well for added depth.

8) We use mod podge and gloss gel medium for glue and glazing.

TIPS: Found objects can also be used in the diorama and collages. I've had students use seashells for a beach scene and scrapbooking pieces for a sandcastle, etc... I used lots of donated tiles for building diorama layers away from the backboard. Also, precut pieces of tagboard were handy.

CHEAPCHEAPCHEAP: I've seen cardboard versions of the treasure chest and have used smaller boxes in the past. Shoe boxes could work for this.

EXTENSIONS/ALTERNATIVES: This could be a great ceramic or paper mache project. Collaging the finished sculpture. I have students write an artist statement describing the content and symbolism and display it along with their sculptures. Students create titles that reflect both the inside and outsite of their boxes.