Revisiting Ian McMahon

Process is a word we use a lot with the children. It is explicitly revisited because it reveals the thinking behind the work. We have been focussing and connecting Ian Mc Mahon's work with the children's own work process. They envision, plan, consider materials, revise, execute and follow through on ideas all the time. They develop strategies that they carry to other work. They realize that they have within themselves the abilities and the ways to solve future problems and execute ideas.

And so we revisit the work of Ian McMahon with the intention of noting changes and more details, for it is these that will more clearly reveal his process.

He was trying to make 24 marshmallows.  BROOKE

Let’s go see where he is.  BROOKE

I can see paint.  VIVIAN

He’s definitely in there. He’s spraying the stuff.  Ian McMahon are you in there?  CHARLIE

He peels it [plastic] like a band aid.  BROOKE

The wire was going into the plastic.  CHARLOTTE

He gets to do it [plaster] over himself.  He gets to see it.  VIVIAN

Now I am drawing how high it is.  I’m measuring how high it is and how tall it is.  Wide and long.  BROOKE

There’s holes in there [pipe].CHARLOTTE

This side is different from the other side.  CHARLIE

I’m measuring.  VIVIAN

Should I measure the poles?  CHARLOTTE

On our way back to the studio we stop to see the plaster samples and the video of some of Ian's other works. The videos show the purposeful destruction of his gigantic sculptures.

He crashed his whole sculpture! Charlotte

Cuz he's done. Vivian

I guess he wanted to build something new. Brooke

That was AMAZING! Charlie