History-Art-Child
Development
![]()
We
would like to present you two wooden toys that reinterpret the
monumental sculptures
The Silent Table and
The Endless
Column made by Constantin Brâncuşi, one of the fathers of modern
sculptures. The works, along with
The Gate of Kiss and
The Chairs
Alley, are part of the Sculptural Ensemble from Târgu Jiu / Romania
which was commissioned by the National League of Gorj Women to honor
the Romanian soldiers of the WWI, yet they are works of art that have
nothing militaristic in them. Instead Brâncuşi talks about love, time
and space.
These
wooden toys bring together “history-art-and
child development”
as Sarah Airhart, founder and director of West Seattle School
Community, described them after introducing them to 3 and 4 year old
kids:
![]()
«They
are climbing, running, singing, playing and engaging each other
constantly. We introduced these beautiful blocks as an individual or
a 2 person material in a space with a small table with just 1 chair
tucked away in the classroom. This kind of space is important to
provide, so children can find the solace they still require/desire.
Having time to oneself to slow down, think, take a break, reflect,
work on something hard or just to sit and doodle or read is important
because it provides some balance to the child's busy and sometimes
hectic day.
These
blocks are the perfect material for such an area because they allow a
child to be absorbed into their beauty, their texture, color and
multiple opportunities in which they can be used. And while the
history of how and why these blocks were made may be slightly lofty
for their development
they can still appreciate that these blocks are formed because of the
inspiration of an artist's work.
We
have also printed and posted the picture of the actual statues in the
classroom so the children have some perspective for their own work. I
love that the children can be introduced to the idea that what they
are doing with these blocks is also something an artist and an
architect does, it's 'real' work».
Sarah Airhart, founder and director of
West Seattle School Community
Shapes
and Colors
![]()
We decided not to make exclusive
art-objects, but to multiply them in order to reach as many kids and
adults as possible. We managed to produce a few sets and with
the helpful support of our friends from Magma Gallery/Saint George,
it was also possible to organize a workshop with children of all ages
which aimed to establish an intimate relationship with Constantin
Brâncuşi. We proposed a short biographic presentation of the artist
and offered the children the possibility to experience forms and colors and to appropriate these objects by investing them with their
creativity.
Why do we need your help
![]()
It's
been a long way from the first prototype (February 2012) to the final
version and, despite of their apparent simplicity, they involve a
great deal of energy and time. It also implies an expensive
manufacturing process, that for the moment is accomplished in a small
rudimentary workshop (including the artist's kitchen and storeroom),
with a limited production capacity that also affect the final price.
The
Little Table of Silence contains
12 chairs, made out of two easily interchangeable pieces and The
Little Endless Column contains
a flat support with 15 holes and 15 elements so one can build the
column one wishes to have. Right now they are made out of beech-wood, partly mechanical - cutting and drilling and
partly manual - multiple
stages of hand sanding and polishing for
smoothness and exact dimensions.
They are manually paint brushed by the artists themselves with great
care. We use only kids friendly materials such as water-based
non-toxic colors and 100% organic protective lake.
Raising
funds would allow us to negotiate a larger production series and to
keep on-going a project that receive nothing but positive feedback.
We need at least 500 units/order, for each model, in order to
to apply for a production process and ease the production costs. We
exclude China and instead we will try to find a production line in EU
or in US (Or even both).
![]()
Also,
if we raise enough money we would like to complete the Brâncuşi
Series, with a reinterpretation of The Gate of Kiss, in form of The
Ring of Kiss– a dental ring for babies.
Our intention is also to organize
more workshops and with special discounts for educational institutes,
to develop a more consistent pedagogical component.
«Children
should be surrounded by the most beautiful of things, pieces of
exotic fabric, good coloring pencils, vases of fresh flowers,
different textures of wood, marbles etc... they don't have to be
expensive nor mechanical but should specifically be
touchable.
This
way they develop a deep appreciation for the work of an artisan and
the materials/mediums they use. Children will take care of this
material for many many years and in turn will also see all the beauty
the world has to offer. As Froebel described his materials, these are
GIFTS and I truly believe they are.» Sarah Airhart, founder and director of
West Seattle School Community
We would like to celebrate thus the original works and the biography of a
great artist who only wanted to offer us “pure
joy”.
____________________________________________________________________________________
About Constantin
Brâncuşi
(1876-1957
)
There is a large
bibliography on Constantin Brâncuşi, hundreds of books, essays and
articles written about his life and his work. Also MoMA, Museum of
Metropolitan Art, Guggenheim, Tate Modern, Center Georges Pompidou,
etc, contain both information about his life and his works. Here
we'll present him very briefly.
He was born in a small
village in Romania, and like most of the children at that time he
didn't have a proper childhood. He started to work at an early age as
a shepperd and later on as a carpenter apprentice. Since he had a
remarkable talent, with hard work and some help he started to study
Arts and Craft in Craiova, and finally, he managed to study the rules
of the 19th-century sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in
Bucharest. One of his works the “Ecorché”, became very popular in
medicine schools around Romania, since it reproduced exactly the
muscular parts of the body.
At the
age of 28, and after one year of journey (a 1600 miles long distance
made almost entirely by foot) he reached Paris where he settled and
began his artistic career. For a short period of time, he became one
of the August Rodin's alumni, but he leaved his atelier claiming
that “at the shade of great trees, nothing grows”.
Even if he had friends
among the most popular artists in Paris, he didn’t belong to any
cultural trend or “ism”, preferring instead to look and search for
his own path, that was basically the “direct carving” in the
pursuing of “the essence of things”.
At the top of his career,
he was invited in Romania to build what it became the Monumental
Ensemble from Târgu Jiu. Later on, communist authorities tried to
demolish the Endless Column with the help of a Russian tractor. The
Column won.
____________________________________________________________________________________
About us
Minitremu is an Romanian NGO whose purpose is to bring art and understanding of art to a very tangible and accessible dimension for kids.
http://minitremu.tumblr.com/