Realising where I am

I had a talk with Camilla today and came to a realisation that I was a bit behind in terms of designing. This is due the fact that I have been focusing to much on the technical manufacturing aspect of the work. I found out that it had limited me and where I can take the form forward. I noticed this when I started compromising my design decision to make it possible within the time limit and my technical ability. I decided to give up on trying to make a full-scale model and will be making a scale prototype of my design.

Carpenters workshop gallery

 Vincent Dubourg
I found his work very inspiring. I like the way he observe something that is consider to be ugly ( destruction) and from that he simplifies and put it in his product. I found out that this work is on display at the carpenters workshop gallery......and is still on!!!! So I decided to pay a visit.

Using a vacuum forming method, I created a raised trapezium shape onto the surface of a sheet plastic. Then, I tried flatten down the raised area by reheating and vacuumed in to a flat board. I found that there is a limit on the no. of time it can be reheated. After 3 times, the surface broke. 

What i like about this result is the pattern that was made by the template board and was distort when i flatten the sheet.

Detail of the distorted pattern

I went into the school shop today just to see what new materials i can experiment on. I found this material, alginate. The funny thing is that it was labelled "dentist use only". 

I just discovered that it can cast to such good details.

Bubble from not mixing the alginate and water well

Casting of an expanded polystyrene. I like the pattern of it so I decided to try!

Alginate casting of my hand. I like the way my finger prints are on the cast because it seems to be like my own stamp on the work. I think this could be a good solution to put individuality in my product!

Finger prints are also symbols for identity! It would be a really good idea to have consumers' fingerprints on their product!

After a few days, alginate dries and shrinks. The interesting thing is the piece curves from its initial shape.

Alginate casting of straws

Experiments

I did some experiments that involves mistakes and faults.

Poured wax into a can mould with holes in the base. I like the unpredictable pattern the spillage. If this happens in a production, non of the mass produces good will look the same.

I like the wavy pattern of spilled wax. This was cause by the rippling water that I used for cooling down the wax. 

I also did this experiment in the can. I deliberately pour oil up to only half the depth of the plastic content. This means there is not enough heat to melt the other half. I like how the shaped doesn't take up the exact shape of the mould.

Evaporation of salt water

I left salt water in the mould for 4 days. The mould was set to dry in a slanted position, so the evaporation rate was not consistent. I love the crystal pattern formed on the surface. I can really use this on my final work. And because each crystals are unique and one off, my product would have it individual stamp!

Imperfections

While mass production factories strive to make a so-called perfect products, I found it more interesting when things are a little off, a little different or simply unique.

I took a trip around to Brick lane and found a lot of interesting old stuff. These are my observations of faulty products and ruin surfaces.

Mistake occurs on the process of piercing out the holes.

Air bubbles traps under paper. 

Process of repairing leaves scars. I find this very interesting because it shows history and character.

Found this really really interesting victorian sofa in front of a vintage store

I love the weather works on the leather texture. I think repairing an old or broken furniture is also an interesting way to go with this project.

Rashomon and Sherlock jnr

By seeing both films, SHERLOCK JNR and RASHOMON, I found that the two films conveyed such a big difference in the story line and emotional effects they have on me; yet there were some similarities.

Timing was the biggest thing that distinguished the two films; not only that, both films also owed their success to it. In Rashomon, the story was conveyed through pauses between the actions rather than the actions itself; making it a much slower-paced movie. The characters would perform a situation and always leave some long pauses, and this was where the audience fitted in. We had more time to analyse the actual actions and think about the consequences, and so felt more engaged with the story. At some points in the film, I even found myself holding in and letting out my breath as the performers were doing so. On the other hand, in Sherlock Jnr, I truly believe it would not have been half the fun to watch, if it hadn't been for the smooth, quick pace of each scene and physical movements.

"The film is presented almost as visual poetry, paying a great deal of attention to sights and images while sound and dialogue have lesser importance. It would be possible to watch Rashomon without subtitles and still capture more than a small fraction of its essence".--A film review by James Berardinelli. I totally agree with this statement. As a non native English-speaker, I was having to go back and forth between the subtitles and the acting. It was a bit of a distraction at first, however later on in the film, I found myself less dependent on the subtitles. The body language was something both films paid attention on, as the uses of speech were minimal. This encouraged the audience to strongly focus on the physical movements and facial expressions of the performers. I found this more difficult, yet more interesting to watch than some of the modern films with lines and sound effects. Some of the actions were exaggerated and bigger than life. While others, although very small, were deliberated and would stay on for longer. For instance, at the start of Rashomon when the wppdc took in a long, deep breath, his body was still, his gaze was locked. Every bit of his body pointed towards that particular breath and nothing in the frame can take away from that one small intake of air. I was fixated and was curious to see what would happen next. One comment I would make is to take out the ending where three men were discussing how not to trust anyone. In my opinion, the whole film had already been persuading that concept through four different flashbacks of each characters.

For the project I am working on, I looked at a Japanese philosophy called 'Wabi Sabi'. It is a concept of beauty in nature which roots in the japanese culture for more than 600 years. It was interesting for me to see an old film (Rashomon) made by a Japanese filmmaker and to see through his point of views. I saw a lot of nature references from the setting he chose and the way the camera pans. Through his film, Akira Kurosawat, showed a great appreciation of the imperfections in nature. The rain shelter, for instant, was decaying away with time yet he shot it so perfectly that the old wreck looks stunning. Worn surfaces and broken structures also appeared throughout the films.