Parents often rack their brains to create activities for their children at home, especially during Coronavirus quarantine. Currently, some countries impose partial lockdown again to prevent the coming of Coronavirus third wave. Some kids can’t go to school while their parents still work from home. Why not involve your children in art? Invite your kids to make a paper sculpture that is inspired by Michael Bolus!
Michael Bolus was born in Cape Town South Africa in 1934 and settled in London from 1957 until he died in 2013. Bolus was known as a sculptor who can create artwork from difficult materials such as gold, silver, and steel. His abstract sculptures emphasize flatness and dynamic patterns.
11th Sculpture, 1963, by Michael Bolus Presented by Alistair McAlpine (later Lord McAlpine of West Green) 1970 https://www.tate.org.uk/
Bolus made his sculptures from steel, but along together with your kids, you can create a similar sculpture made by cut-out paper. All you need are a cereal box/ cardboard for the base, some colored papers/scrap papers, a glue stick, and scissors.
5th Sculpture, 1966, by Michael Bolus. Presented by Alistair McAlpine (later Lord McAlpine of West Green) 1970 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T01356
8th Sculpture, 1963, Michael Bolus. Presented by Alistair McAlpine (later Lord McAlpine of West Green) 1970 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T01351
Here are the steps to make Bolus’s sculptures from the paper:
1. Cut the cardboard in rectangle or square shape as the base.
2. Cut the color paper according to the shape that you want.
3. Apply glue on part of a color paper that you want to stick.
4. Stick the color paper, press and hold it with your finger for 5 seconds, to make the color paper really stick on the cardboard.
5. Twist and fold the paper to get a dynamic shape.
This step can be watched on this video:
You can browse many other art activities for kids on Tate Gallery’s special section: Tate Kids.