DSDN111 Project 2 Summary
(Adapted somewhat from presentation board)
My final model is very dynamic in its apparent desire to leap off the surface it stands on, but at the same time appears to be restrained from doing so by two lengths of thread. This creates a tension between the wire base and the skin, as well as putting tension on the skin itself. The wire reacts to the shape created by this, pushing up into the space created by the skin to emphasise the movement. The two skins demonstrate a shift, as if showing two snapshots of a single entity jumping off the ground. Both skins have sharp points at the corners, and only just seem to be touching the ground, if at all; this creates moments of visual tension at each point. There is both an interaction and a juxtaposition between line and curve: the spine of the outer skin is mostly curved but has an implied line running along it; meanwhile the frame of the model is very regular, solid and grounded compared to the more dynamic skins. Both skins have a transition in texture; starting off unblemished at the wider end, and becoming increasingly sanded and rough towards the far point. This texture has been deliberately angled along the form to add to the sense of upwards motion, and to draw the eye along the model. The connections between wire and skin are simple and unpretentious; the stitching on the lower skin shrinks in spacing from the outsides to the centre to draw the eye upwards.
The presentation board highlights the dynamic of the model. The side view (it’s not quite an elevation) demonstrates the jumping movement by having only the bottom points of the model apparently on the ground, with the rest of it leaping into the white background above. The detail also shows the point which both skins are restrained from, preventing them from taking off entirely. The front view emphasises the points of restraint on both skins, and the tension created by the sharp points.
I enjoyed this project more than the first one, because we were concentrating on refining one final model. This meant I had a better sense of what was required from the outset. However, I still struggled initially to find my own specific direction, and got stuck for a time on a concept that didn’t lend me much inspiration. Once I worked around that I really begun to get into the project, and would have happily carried on with it. I learnt to consider two separate elements simultaneously when designing to bring them both into a balanced composition, rather than addressing one and then the other. I also picked up my level of craft and patience in creating the models, particularly for my final form.