UCA Week 2: 3D Design, Theme: Organic Design

Reworking a chair

As the first project we were instructed to recontextualise a chair from our studio, and given a sheet of images of the work of Pablo Reinoso as inspiration. We were given 90 minutes.

We were given corrugated cardboard, and used staplers and masking tape, to create our non-permanent additions to the chair.

Inspired by the way Pablo Reinoso’s structures split and tangle into organic messes, we decided to similarly ‘grow’ from the chair’s limbs to create a larger, more vegetal object. I came up with some initial sketches.

And then we started.

At the base, the legs extend into a tangled root system whilst on the wall, extensions from the seat form vines that crawl upwards.

The next step was to play with scale using undersized scale indicators. The size of the figurine transforms the chair into something architectural.

After finishing construction and having documented the final result, it was time to tear the object down again.

The above image tables don’t export properly, I’ve emailed Ulysses and they say it’s unlikely to be fixed soon. As a placeholder, here is a gif. The teardown link stays below.tomb

View post on imgur.com

teardown video - 6 seconds - Imgur

Notes around 3D work and sketchbooks

The next day we were given a set of tasks related to research and experimentation - the 1st, 2nd and 3rd consisting of watching and reading around sketchbooks and 3D design. These are my notes, where possible I’ve linked the original resources.

Task 1:

What is 3D Design About?

Interactions between people and their surroundings.
Relationship between body and things used.
– Ergonomics: designing for human usability.– Considering how we used objects, buildings and spaces.
Working with the environment.
– Questioning things.
Working with our environment.
– Using light and space.
Problem solving.
– Being playful.– Exploring different materials.– Exploring structure.
– Using projection and drawing.– Supporting the design process with technology.
Team work and communication.

Possibilities in 3D Design:

Designing functional objects.
– Working to solve problems.– Trying new materials and learning processes.
Thinking about architecture.
– Designing objects and structures that can be liveable and useful, as well as considering structure, volume and light.
Converting concepts to reality through 3D media art
– Wide range of resources available for making 3 dimensional, tactile artwork or artwork with volume.

Task 2: Notes from the Videos ‘Exploring Sketchbooks’ and ‘my Last Moleskin’ and other resources

’Exploring Sketchbooks’ video

Important not only to see final piece, but process that led there, in order to understand it. Even for professional or developed artists.
Important for young or starting artists to see how ideas can develop into final works.
Important for organising ideas and concepts as guidelines for bigger works.
Sketchbooks should not be perfect.
– For example normal life doesn’t need to be excluded from them, things like shopping lists diary entries etc.– Should be treated as a tool, with respect but not too much care.

‘My Last Moleskin’ video

Mixture of found elements such as
– Stickers– Images– Postage stamps– Newspaper clippings
As well as own work such as
– Photographs– Writing : in ink– Drawings
Often intricate, lots of information on each page, many different ideas.
Use of double page spreads to create larger compositions.
Semi-perfect.

‘Using Sketchbooks’ PDF

3D artists should:
– Challenge the idea of a sketchbook
– Does not have to be a book, for example a roll or a wall spread.– Make them 3D
Make them personal
– Increases the value to yourself, means you are more likely to invest time and attention
Tell the story of a project
– Add anything that contributes to this story– Keep it with you at all times

‘Whiteread sketchbook’ video

Many technical drawings.
Working out ideas whilst planning through photographs, sketches.
Documents every stage of her process from design to construction of final product.
– Helps to visualise the entire story in the mind of the reader.

‘Jeff Keen's Dreams of the Archduke Sketchbook’ video

Follows a graphic story book format
– Lots of images– Chapters with headings– Linear progression through story
Visually stark and attention grabbing
– Dense, colourful pages.
Uses a book as its base.
– Coloured over for images– Original text frequently left part visible for texture and/or background.

‘"The Art and Science of Folding" - Origami Artist Paul Jackson 25.2.2019’ video

Folding important throughout society, found in many areas such as manufacturing, architecture, textiles.
Folding as a concept important throughout history, for example as the root of many words with Latin and Greek origins.
– Describes not just objects that have been folded, but is also used to express emotional concepts and situations.
Transformational, not adding or subtracting.

Photographing folding

After being shown a video of the artist Will Dorner’s work ‘bodies in urban spaces’ we were given the task of taking a series of images in response, alternating between directors and performers in a group.

Chair Sketching

We were given pens, ink and sticks and told to sketch a sculptural pile of chairs twice, first with four pens in one hand, then with a stick at arms length and the paper on the floor:

Artist research

Olafur Eliasson, ‘the Weather Project’

I was inspired by Olafur Eliasson’s deeply immersive work, creating an artificial sun in the Tate Modern’s turbine hall. The use of warm colour creates a mesmerising environment, where viewers are compelled to lie down and watch the non-ending sunset.

’Light Lines’, Helene Binet

The architectural documentary photography of Helene Binet, largely in black and white, highlights the lighting skills of many architects, as she focuses on scenes with high contrast, and spaces filled with, or limited in, largely natural light. Her images present truly immersive architectural spaces, where all design decisions contribute to one single environment where a subject is drawn in. Each image is real as it as fantastic, and I was inspired by the power in each photograph to create an immersive piece for my project at the end of the week.

”Adjacent Field’, Linda Tegg

Using abandoned plants from construction sites, Linda Tegg highlights humans’ relationship to nature through urbanisation and construction, by creating strange spaces filled with greenery, where the combination of natural and artificial elements is somewhat disturbing. On the positive side, I found the idea of an indoor green space calming, inspiring ideas of a chill-out space which led to my end of week work.

Anish Kapoor

’Mountain’

’Leviathan’

Early in the week we were shown images of the the wide range of sculptural and 3D work by Anish Kapoor. His ability to create spaces or structures with raw power embedded in them, to evoke strong emotional responses of grandeur and geographical power, as in ‘Mountain’, or womb-like intensity, as in ‘Leviathan’, shows again the immersive and emotional power of 3D art.

Bamboo Grove, Sila Sveta

The commercial work by Sila Sveta for Lexus was built on the concept of ‘the adventure’, combining lighting and natural design to create an immersive forest of light.

Joris Strijbos, ‘Homeostase’

Similarly, Joris Strijbos used loops of light to create a mystical forest environment for ’Homeostase’.

These two artists in particular informed my use of light for my end of week work.

Alexandra Kehayoglou, Argentinian landscape inspired wool rugs

Inspired by her Argentinian heritage, Alexandra Kehayoglou creates rugs that reflect natural environments from where she grew up, merging nature with the home space, creating a comforting environment.

’UN-VEILED’, opening for RIBA North, KHBT & Office for Subversive Architecture

The use of construction side scaffolding cladding fabric, which is removed when a building is finished, to unveil it, KHBT and OfSA obfuscated the internal space of RIBA North’s new HQ, immersing those attending instead in the layers of fabric.

Phoebe Cummings

Phoebe Cummings uses a range of tools, including garlic presses and paint brushes, to create intricate clay works that aside from their colour are hyper realistic, representing a range of natural objects such as mushrooms, moss or leaves and flowers. The beauty of each object is amplified by the simplicity of the clay, as well as its impermanence - many of her works are displayed under dripping water, which slowly warps and dissolves them.

Clay work

We were given the task one day of working with clay, having been shown a series of images of its versatile use in 3D design, for mockups but also for sculpture, its capability demonstrated for example in the work of Phoebe Cummings.

I wanted my work to show some of these organic shapes and qualities that clay can take on. I started off with a folded bowls, adding pinches around the edges.

I then moved to recreating textiles and meshes with the clay, starting by plaiting thin strips.

After this I tried making meshes, starting with wider strips, but moving to thinner and more delicate strings with each iteration.

Towards the end we were given two tasks, one: to create something explicitly delicate and two: to create characters and try to weave a narrative in.

If i had had more time i would have liked to use more specialised tools to create the fine strands for the feather, but I enjoyed the spending time on a small item.

For my characters i made basic block figures, and had them marching forward while being squashed, as a 3 step story.

Someone highlighted that it could also been seen as 3 separate figures, with the third sleeping, so I used the last 15 minutes to make a blanket to bring the delicate work back in.

Design Sheets and Mock-up, Final Work

For the last day we were given the task of creating either two different design sheets, or one design sheet and a mockup. I chose the second option, and worked to realise my ideas for a chill-out space, a room filled with plants and soft lighting that would be both inviting and relaxing. I started with some basic sketches, and printed some artist references, later combining them into this design sheet:

insert first design sheet scan (maybe add some text first)

After sketching and looking at references, I assembled a mock-up of the design.

Starting by assembling the basic structure, using corrugated cardboard for its strength and for the ease with which you can manipulate it.

Then adding collected moss, which stands in for any plants used.

I created two crude benches using the same corrugated cardboard as the rest of the structure.

Having documented this result, I decided to take the next step, which meant adding lighting, in order to give the space a sense of warmth.

I experimented with different lighting ideas, settling on ground-level lighting around the edges of the room, obscured by the moss to diffuse it. Happy with the result, I documented it against a white backdrop, under different lighting conditions within the room.