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Pure Joy

Wooden toys that reinterpret the monumental sculptures “The Silent Table” and “The Endless Column” made by Constantin Brâncusi

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Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Wooden toys that reinterpret the monumental sculptures “The Silent Table” and “The Endless Column” made by Constantin Brâncusi

Wooden toys that reinterpret the monumental sculptures “The Silent Table” and “The Endless Column” made by Constantin Brâncusi

Wooden toys that reinterpret the monumental sculptures “The Silent Table” and “The Endless Column” made by Constantin Brâncusi

Wooden toys that reinterpret the monumental sculptures “The Silent Table” and “The Endless Column” made by Constantin Brâncusi

Minitremu NGO
Minitremu NGO
Minitremu NGO
Minitremu NGO
1 Campaign |
Târgu Mureş, Romania
$1,462 USD 36 backers
8% of $17,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

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”.

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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.

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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/



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