Play
Statement about Play:
The mind grows by self-revelation. In play the child ascertains what he can do and discovers his possibilities of will and thought by exerting his power spontaneously. In work he follows a task prescribed for him by another, and doesn’t reveal his own proclivities and inclinations; but another’s. In play he reveals his own original power.
Freidrich Froebel, Education of Man, 1901
Play is a pretend work station on wheels. This rolling cart include plywood cut outs of various hand tools, a 908 piece block set, a peg board, a chalk board, and flip out tables all for you to play with in many different ways. I have put together this cart as a way to explore relationships between work and play. I reference the “Standard Unit Block” principle developed by educator Caroline Pratt in the early 1900’s. Caroline Pratt expressed the ideas of Friedrich Froebel, the inventor of Kindergarten, who believed that open-ended materials provide people with endless opportunities to represent their world. This basic idea has lasted and proved itself through generations of block building. As a way to identify the different ways children and adults construct spaces and experience material I am inviting you to interact with this cart no matter what your age is. Play is commonly defined as frivolous and a non-serious activity but I have found that play does not always come easy and it never comes without work. Mix work with play in Play: A hands on [portable] Exhibition by Ellie Richards.
*Artist assumes no responsibility for splinters, dirty hands, or getting sawdust on your clothes.
**Handle cart, blocks, and tools with care.
Artist Bio
Eleanor C. Richards is an artist, woodworker, and teacher. In 2007 she received a BFA in Art Education with in emphasis in Sculpture from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. She is currently pursuing a MFA in wood sculpture at Arizona State University. She teaches 3D Design to college students and is also a co – instructor for ASU ArtSpace, a transdiciplinary arts and design after school program serving the Phoenix public schools. Ellie’s work has consisted of hand crafted objects, gallery installations, sculptural furniture, and graphic design. The content of her work is drawn from her experience working with children, technical woodworking information and research that connects the act of play with learning. Casual anecdotes of her studio progress can be viewed at playbuildmake.blogspot.com.