Experimentation in Product Design
Below are the six pieces that I submitted for my senior seminar class for our Six Works project. Each project is an experiment in product design. Making these six works was the first time I had followed product design through past a graphic model. For this series of work, I focused on two main areas. First, I explored the process of creating a product. Unfortunately, I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked on the research portion of this project. I did find, however, that in order to truly understand what I was trying to create, I needed to make a physical model. Second, I concentrated on how a product design piece might fit in a critical fine art gallery. One of the more successful ways that I faced this was by presenting the work as a kind of sculpture. Ideally, I would like to have all of the information that is required to have a functioning product. This information will not be exhibited in a gallery. Instead, I will present the “sculpture” to the art world for contemplation on the idea behind the work.
In the class critique on these pieces, several helpful tips were given. (09.22.16)
One of the ideas, was to make the works moving or functional in the space they are presented. For example, for You’re Invited!, I could cover an umbrella with the proper ink. In the gallery, there would be a water release system that would drip water onto the umbrella. This way, the viewer could see the product in action. This eliminates the need for a diagram or written explanation of how the product works. This leaves space for greater contemplation and a more significant impact of what the work is saying.
I explored how product design might fit in a gallery through the use of diagrams. While not superbly designed, I was interested to see how the class reacted to the information given them. The result was a general consensus that less is more. Through the title, I could give enough information to the viewer. This title would give a helpful indicator as to the piece’s mood or intended purpose. The piece would then consist of the title and the product itself (hopefully functional and active).
Several people mentioned the silliness or “absurdity” of 372,000. It was helpful to hear this response since it was the opposite of the reaction I was hoping for. The title of this piece indicates the number of deaths by drowning annually world-wide. This fact was apparently dwarfed, however, by the “absurdity” of balloons on a shoe.
It was encouraging to hear from my professor regarding the presentation of my work. She noted that the way I had presented some of my pieces was indicative of some work seen in LA galleries. This confirmation of the validity of the work I was trying to make was encouraging. It was also helpful to know that my method of those presentations are on the right track.
(For those of you not in my class, I apologize for this post’s academic tone. But in all fairness, this is for an academic course :)
