EARLY CHILDHOOD

Alyssa R.

John Purcell

I introduced the concept of vinyl records to my first-grade class because I had bought a crate of them at a yard sale, not realizing then that they would become our found object. These discs were once in every home, but are mostly unknown by students in the contemporary world of digital media. Only two students in the class knew what these round black objects were.

Students marveled at how the flat vinyl record transformed into the colorful sculpture they were detailing.

To get ideas for using the vinyl, I started paging through art books on classical Greece and ancient China. I became interested in art that had a function in daily life. I saw how an object that was used every day to serve food and drink could also become a work of art. The ornate detail and elaborate design and painting on some of the ancient bowls I saw in the texts inspired me to have students create bowls from the records.

Dylan P.

I called on my art-instructor friend Maria Teresa Cardenas to help with this lesson. Maria Teresa reviewed the process of “baking” the vinyl records in the oven until they soften and can be shaped into bowls. The vinyl is heated just enough to make it pliable. Maria Teresa shaped all the records for students at home and documented the process so the class could view it. (Since adequate ventilation and the careful use of the oven are absolutely needed, do not try this with students or at school.)

The vinyl melting process.

Maria Teresa placed a glass bowl into the oven and heated it to 250ºF (121ºC). A vinyl record was placed on top of the glass bowl and, over a period of eight to ten minutes, it slowly softened. Maria Teresa carefully pushed the vinyl down into the glass bowl so that it would form into a bowl shape. Once formed, she removed the vinyl and it soon hardened into the formed bowl shape. The center of the record with the label served as a flat bottom for the bowl.

Leonardo R.

Once the bowls were shaped and cooled, we were ready to paint. I showed students pictures of various historical bowls, then I showed them pages from the illuminated manuscript of the Lindisfarne Gospels, and we talked about the symmetry of the designs, the bright hues, and the winding lines of color. Many students drew parallels between the designs from Lindisfarne and the growth of plants, vines, and other flora.

I had students spend time drawing and coloring drafts of patterns, shapes, and lines to paint on their bowls. In keeping with our theme of recycling, we talked about why it is beneficial to recycle materials to prevent waste and help the environment. We viewed photos of the beautiful things nature produced such as flowers, plants, and bright colorful coral reefs. This spurred students’ imagination before Maria Teresa asked them to choose several colors they wanted to work with.

Johnnie C. 

Students first painted their base colors on the inside and outside of the vinyl bowls with acrylic paint. When it dried, they started to construct the patterns from their earlier sketches.

Painting took several sessions because students wanted to embellish their designs with beads and jewels. They enjoyed this part of the process best and marveled at how the flat vinyl record transformed into the colorful sculpture they were detailing. Some students expressed that their bowl resembled a large flower blooming and that it just needed a giant stem. Others mentioned that their bowl resembled a coral reef made out of candy. Students finished by painting over the entire bowl with a waterbased sealer that gave their work a sheen that glistened in the light.

The finished bowls were displayed in the Helen Lindhurst Galleries at the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Fine Art. When students saw their bowls showcased on pedestals in a professional art gallery, they beamed with joy.

Samantha R.

John Purcell is a teacher at the 32nd Street USC Magnet School in Los Angeles, California. 
Lost and Found