Introduction:

If you’ve ever been around young children chances are you’ve heard them ask the infamous question: Y? Why is the sky blue? Why do people have different coloured eyes? Why do I have to eat vegetables? One of the great opportunities of post secondary education is the ability to ask your ‘why’ questions. 

The Project:

Here at Fleming College, students are encouraged to ask their questions and the GDV Studio is one of the best places to do that. The pictures in the following blog post are the result of a project commissioning GDV students to take pictures of a certain letter and consider its relation to Fleming.

Chairs of GDV Studio with Y structure
The beginning of this project was with the Y structured chairs of the GDV studio.

The Results:

Bringing the Outdoors In

Wooden pillars in shape of a Y

This Y picture was taken in a sunny hallway in the B Wing of Fleming College. There are high, arched, glass ceilings that really enhance the connection between the indoors and outdoors. What I really like about this picture, however, are the colours. The mint green of the metal panel walls make the rusty red colour of the wooden poles more outstanding. In addition, the combination of the natural wood textures and the metal holding the support beams together enhances further the juxtaposition between the natural outdoor feeling with industrial indoor architecture. 

Y in Artwork

Copper piping in shape of Y
Art isn’t necessarily paint on a canvas, sometimes it’s a copper sculpture.

This Y here is part of a sculpture of a bird. The sculpture was made out of copper piping, as seen here, and other industrial materials. There are several sculptures of this sort around Fleming, made by students in classes such as welding, construction, and robotics. What I like about this picture, and this sculpture, is the reminder that art isn’t necessarily made with conventional materials but even the most everyday items can be made into art. 

A Different Perspective

Concrete pillar and wooden beams in shape of a Y
The separate concrete pillar and wooden support beams can look like a Y at the right angle.

This picture shows a Y that is only visible from a certain angle. The concrete pillar and the wooden beams are not connected but are close enough together looking up at the beams to appear to be a Y. I really like the large screws that are through the wooden beams and the plum colour of the metal bracket holding them together, making the junction of the Y. This picture can be seen as a reminder that sometimes you have to change your perspective to see what you’re looking for.

The Conclusion:

people standing in a Y shape
The letter Y can easily be contrived with the help of others.

This picture, made possible by the contribution of several awesome classmates, was taken in the B Wing of Fleming College. The lighting of this hallway is amazing for portrait-type pictures because of all the natural light let in by huge windows.  While this letter was not found naturally in the architecture of the school, it is a good memory of the fun times the class was able to have exploring places in Fleming that none of us would have experienced if not for this project. 

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