Art & Automata

Fueling their imaginations with this year’s One School, One Book selection—Cog by Greg Van Eekhout—Fay Lower School students have been engineering some robot-inspired art this term.

Experimenting with industrial design, third graders used clay and found objects such as nuts, bolts, springs, and hooks to 3D-model a free-standing or seated robot. As they designed their robots, they reimagined the bits of hardware into features and characteristics that would convey their robot’s personality.  Fourth graders took on an empathy-driven design challenge, conceptualizing a robot that would actively solve a problem and benefit the Fay community. Using cardboard and gears from the Center for Creativity and Design, they glued the pieces together in layers to construct the robots, then added color to the projects with oil pastels, blending them with baby oil. The fourth graders considered the kinds of robots that might be helpful around campus, creating service bots such as a Nature Bot to care for plants, a Tech Bot to help the tech team fix computers, and a Hydration Bot that dispenses water when needed.

Fifth-grade artists brought their robots to life through the magic of collagraph printing. Students started by engineering "robot plates" out of cardboard and carefully wrapping their designs in aluminum foil. After rolling ink onto their finished plates, they pressed them onto canvas to reveal beautifully textured, vibrant robot prints. To finish their masterpieces, the artists added thoughtful pops of color to make their favorite robotic features truly stand out. “They had a lot of fun with it,” shared Art Teacher Suzanne Kaplan, “and they really enjoyed learning all the different printmaking steps.”

Sixth graders took on the role of engineers, exploring blueprints to design robots that would make a positive difference on campus. Applying what they learned in their Principles of Design class, students started by drafting precise scale drawings of their robot ideas on grid paper. Next, they brought their visions to life by transferring the designs onto foam printing plates and inking them onto the page. With each project, Suzanne increased the complexity of the steps required, ensuring the students continue to grow as artists and problem-solvers!