The concept behind my model was the emotion sadness, specifically the sentimental sadness that comes with the passing of time and aging of life.
My design supported this concept through form, material choice, manipulation of materials and sound. My form is based upon the shape of a sand timer which is a symbol of passing time and time counting down. The materials chosen were leather and wood, both organic and therefore susceptible to aging and were materials that could represent an aged and old object that is not from this era. I manipulated the leather by tearing, sanding and stretching it in order to give it a more worn look, although it had some natural wear already as I salvaged it from an old leather bag. I manipulated the wood by creating an oxidisation solution with steel wool and vinegar. This solution drained the colour from the wood, giving it the faded grey colour that weathered wood obtains and then scratched away at the surface of the wood with a wire brush in order to increase both the texture and visibility of the grain and emphasis an old used look. Finally after inspiration from the 5-ply hemp used to stitch old leathers balls I chose to use a thick twine to stitch my leather panels together. The noise the motor within the model creates is a quiet scratching noise created by thin plastic strips scratching at the leather; it has a low pitch and can be slowed down like the dying of a heartbeat by lightly squeezing in the flexible leather sides of the model. This sensory experience allows your influence on the model to increase the sad feeling of the noise.
I found this last project much more rewarding and easier to consider design wise as it had a function and emotion to base many of the models properties on. In the first two project where it seemed no final point was asked to be reached I did not challenge myself enough and as a result was not pleased with my final models. This project required me to think much more about how the model would influence people and I was really pleased with how all my elements came together to create a unique and interactive piece. If there was one thing extra I could do however, it would be to photograph the piece amongst old objects and the backdrop of an antique/odd-bits shop. I feel as though even though it was created recently my choice of materials and creation methods would make it fit right in.
