Tracy Chu

Textiles student at Chelsea College of Arts and Design

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Unit 5 - Evaluation

As I enjoy using a range of materials in Textiles - stitch, I chose material innovation as my topic to discover different ways of using materials but learning about new materials that I could use in my own work. In Textiles- stitch, we are encouraged to use everything; everything and anything can be used as a material.

This expanded practices unit has been very informative. I have learned about and been inspired by a range of designers and artists and, by their methods of using materials. I have learned about how a common materials can be used different ways (like plastic), the history of some materials and how designers are constantly finding new purposes for the materials.

I was not aware that we are able to grow our own materials, prior to this unit. Learning about Biocellulose, Mycelium and guided growth gave me a different view on how we can design materials to grow a certain way and, create more natural and sustainable materials. I found the idea of 3D printing the most inspirational technique and I was really inspired by glass as a material. I enjoyed researching about 3D printing, as it is quite a new invention that has become popular in the past few years. I didn’t know that there were so many possible uses for 3D printing.

3D printing with glass by MIT researchers combined both, a technique that I am inspired by, and a material that I want to use. Neri Oxman and her team at the Mediated Matters and MIT have developed a technique that allows glass to be printed.

Inamura, C. (2015) Glass Printing Mediated Matter.

The glass pieces are amazing, the organic, curved structure of the pieces make it seem as though it has been created through coiling melted glass rods rather than from printing. I think the use of light enhances the aesthetic of the pieces making them seem very elegant. The glass artists and designers I have researched about, all experiment with light in their work. Chris Wood’s use of light and shadow with her dichroic glass pieces has made me think about how I could use light in my work.

Wood, C. (2015) Deflect II. 

Her work has made me realise ways of pairing light with my samples and also how light can effect the presentation of my work. As I am currently looking at traditional sweets sold in glass jars, I can experiment with how light interacts with glass and the transparency of the sweets, which would be helpful to my studio research.

The blog tasks have further improved my analytical skills, I am able to look at a piece of work, criticise it and comment about designers’ work in terms of colour, form and material.  I have also learned how to create and use mood boards effectively from the trend-forecasting lecture and have started using them more in my studio work. Some of the lectures have also helped me with presentation of the blog posts, such as using relevant images in the posts and how to layout the posts.

I feel that the main thing I could improve on, is, being more concise with what I post. I feel that the information that I post doesn’t deliver the main points of what I am trying to explain and tends to ramble. I also feel that I should improve my time management especially as I struggle with referencing, and find it quite time-consuming.

If this unit was longer and more practical, I would really like to try some of the techniques and experiment with materials that we have learned about in lectures and in our own research. It’d be amazing to try 3D printing and I’d also like to try to work with glass (I especially want to try glassblowing).

References:

Inamura, C. (2015) Glass Printing Mediated Matter. Available at: http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/08/Glass-Printing_Mediated-Matter_Neri-Oxman_dezeen_468_6.jpg (Accessed: 17 January 2016).

Wood, C. (2015) Deflect II. Available at: http://www.chriswoodglass.co.uk/gallery/_2wallpanels/medium/2208_deflect-large3.jpg (Accessed: 17 January 2016).

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3D Systems (2015) 3D Systems Culinary.

3D Printed Sugar

Carrying on from a previous post about 3D Printing, I decided to do further research. In this post, I will be focusing on 3D printed food, in particular, sugar.

The idea of 3D Printed food sounded a little bizarre to me at first, my initial thoughts were whether the printed food is edible or rather are they safe to eat. After looking into 3D printing with sugar, I am amazed at how technology has evolved and what can be created using 3D printing.

The Sugar Lab was a 3D printing business set up by architects, Kyle and Liz von Hasseln. It was later acquired by 3D Systems in 2013 and released the first 3D food printer in 2014. The ChefJet and the ChefJet Pro (the 3D food printers) use thin layers of powdered sugar and water (with alcohol) to build up structures that are input by designers. The ChefJet is able to print single-coloured structures whilst the upgraded printer, ChefJet Pro can print chocolate or coloured structures with different flavours such as; mint, cherry and sour apple. The ChefJet and ChefJet Pro are aimed at pastry chefs as the sugar structures can be used for cake decorations however I find that they are visually pleasing just as they are.

  3D Systems. (2015) 3D Systems Culinary.

3D printing allows for the sugar structures to be made into intricate designs and can be made custom. I think that these 3D Printed sugar structures can change our perspective on food as they are unconventional and, they can be used to enhance dining experiences through aesthetics. The colours and floral pattern used in the piece below, remind me of china plates. It could be, that 3D printing food could be used to create edible tableware (such as plates and bowls) where chefs can present their creations. Rather than seeing food just as something we consume, printing food, allows for chefs to use food as a design medium in a new way.

 3D Systems. (2015) 3D print color sugar blue detail.

More 3D Printed Sugar

I came across a video (Miller, 2012) that shows 3D printing using transparent sugar (see below). This type of 3D printing is different to the one I spoke about earlier, it uses melted sugar instead powered sugar and water-alcohol solution. As the sugar in this type of printing is heated, it creates a transparent outcome. This transparent sugar is similar to the 3D printed glass I mentioned in a previous post.  The glass and sugar may have similar visual properties, however, the sugar is much more fragile and doesn’t last as long as the glass.

The team behind this type of sugar printing, are bio-engineers and surgeons who are exploring ways to print blood vessels using this sugar solution and silicone. In their research, they have successfully transplanted their printed blood vessel and blood was able to flow from the native blood vessels to the attached vessels. Miller states, “This study provides a first step toward developing a transplant model for tissue engineering where the surgeon can directly connect arteries to an engineered tissue. In the future we aim to utilize a biodegradable material that also contains live cells next to these perfusable vessels for direct transplantation and monitoring long term.” (Molitch-Hou, 2015)

Jordan Miller (2012) 3d printed sugar octopus.

References:

3D Systems. (2015) 3D Systems Culinary. Available at: http://uk.3dsystems.com/culinary (Accessed: 7 January 2016).

3D Systems. (2015) 3D Systems Culinary. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I8mmTx4PaQ (Accessed: 8 January 2016).

3D Systems. (2015) 3D Systems Culinary. Available at: http://www.3dsystems.com/sites/www.3dsystems.com/files/2015/culinary-26-3d_printed_sour_candy.jpg (Accessed: 7 January 2016).

3D Systems. (2015) 3D Systems Culinary. Available at: http://www.3dsystems.com/sites/www.3dsystems.com/files/2015/culinary-23-3d_print_color_sugar_blue_detail.jpg (Accessed: 7 January 2016).

Davis, S. (2012). Sugar Buzz - Printing 3D sweets . Available: http://tablematters.com/2012/11/07/sugar-buzz/. Last accessed 10 January 2016.

Dezeen. (2013) The Sugar Lab by Kyle and Liz von Hasseln. Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/07/04/3d-printed-sugar-cubes-by-the-sugar-lab-kyle-and-liz-von-hasseln/. (Accessed: 7 January 2016).

Dezeen. (2014) First food 3D printer launched by 3D Systems. Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/09/first-food-3d-printer-launched-by-3d-systems-at-ces/. (Accessed: 7 January 2016).

Jordan Miller (2012) 3d printed sugar octopus. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp1H8ksyphk (Accessed: 10 January 2016).

Molitch-Hou, M. (2015). Researchers Successfully Implant Artificial Blood Vessels Made with 3D Printing. Available: http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/11/02/researchers-successfully-implant-artificial-blood-vessels-made-with-3d-printing/. (Accessed: 11 January 2016).

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Dichroic Glass

In this post I will be exploring the artists, Chris Wood and Teresa Kowalski, who both, use dichroic glass in their work but in different ways.

What is Dichroic Glass?

Dichroic glass is a type of float glass that has been coated with a thin layer of metallic oxides (Morton, 1999). Float glass also known as window glass because it is usually used for windows. Float glass comes in forms of large, clear sheets. They are created by molten glass being poured into a molten tin where it spreads out evenly and, the upper and lower surfaces stay flat and parallel. The metallic oxide layer creates a transparent but reflective surface on the glass that, at certain angles, reflects a different colour.

Chris Wood

Chris Wood is a British artist who is known for her works involving light and glass (especially dichroic glass). In Wood’s dichroic glass installations, she mainly uses geometric shapes that she arranges in a particular way in order for the glass to reflect a certain colour. She says ‘Glass is a material which allows me to exploit the aesthetic potential of light.’ (Wood, 2015). 

Wood, C. (no date) Barcode.

I find her use of light and shadow very interesting as the view of her installations and pieces change according to where you view it from but also where the light source is.  In Barcode (no date), Wood has arranged thin pieces of dichroic glass vertically with various spacing in between them. As you can see, when the light reflects of the shards, it creates different coloured patterns. The different width of space between the pieces creates various sized reflections making a barcode-like pattern. I think that it is amazing how so many different colours are reflecting from this one type of glass.

In Spark (no date), Wood also uses dichroic glass, however, in this piece, the shards have been placed closer together in a circular formation. This piece creates an explosion of colour that blend together. I think the reflections of colour looks like watercolours as they also have transparent qualities.

Wood, C. (no date) Spark.

Teresa Kowalski

The artist, Teresa Kowalski uses dichroic glass on a much smaller scale. Instead of using cut pieces of dichroic glass, she uses glass fusion (also called warm glass or kiln formed glass) technique to create unique pieces. She states, ‘Warm glass is art glass that is formed in a kiln. This process involves firing a mosaic of compatible glass in a kiln up to 1500 degrees until it fuses together,’ (Kowalski, no date).

Kowalski, T. (no date) Beachcoming.

Kowalski’s work also plays with light and shadow but as she uses a mixture of both dichroic glass and coloured glass, she is able to experiment with transparencies. In her piece, Beachcombing (no date), she has used a mixture of coloured glass, dichroic glass and also beads. This wall hanging has a very organic shape and the waves in glass seem very appropriate for the beach-themed name. I like how she has experimented with textures in this piece, as you can see from the image, there are some areas with a scale-like textures, raised beads and also manipulated glass rods. Kowalski has used a mixture of bright and muted colours, on the left side; the colours are cool and bright whereas, on the right, the colours are more muted but warm. There is also a lot of detail in each of the glass beads positioned in the centre of the wall hanging; some are transparent, whilst others have dichroic properties or are marbled.

In the piece, Focal Point (no date), dichroic glass is more prominent. The bowl has also been created using fused glass with areas that use just coloured glass and others using just dichroic glass, I really like how the light reflects off the surface of this rounded piece. Rather than focusing on the reflection (like in Wood’s work), the focus of the dichroic glass colour is in the bowl itself.

Kowalski, T. (no date) Focal Point.

As you can see both artists, have a completely different approach to using dichroic glass. Wood uses geometric shapes in a structured pattern whereas Kowalski uses dichroic glass in a more experimental, organic way. Wood focuses on the dichroic glass creating patterns from the reflections and shadows and, Kowalski uses dichroic glass to add another colour element to her work.

 References:

Jobson, C. (2015). Geometric Dichroic Glass Installations by Chris Wood. Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/09/geometric-dichroic-glass-installations-by-chris-wood/. (Accessed: 17 December 2015).

Kowalski, T. (no date) Teresa Kowalski - Art Glass Fusion. Available at: http://www.kowalskiglass.com/index.htm (Accessed: 17 December 2015).

Kowalski, T. (no date) Beachcoming. Available at: http://www.kowalskiglass.com/photo.php?id=105 (Downloaded: 17 December 2015).

Kowalski, T. (no date) Focal Point. Available at: http://www.kowalskiglass.com/photo.php?id=132 (Downloaded: 17 December 2015).

Morton, J M. (1999) Glass: An Inspirational Portfolio. New York: Waston-Guptill Publications.

Pilkington TV (2011) Pilkington Float Glass - Float Process. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVokYKqWRZE (Accessed: 16 December 2015).

Wood, C. (no date) Barcode. Available at: http://www.chriswoodglass.co.uk/gallery/_2wallpanels/medium/2029_barcode-large1.jpg (Downloaded: 17 December 2015).

Wood, C. (2015) Chris Wood. Available at: http://www.chriswoodglass.co.uk/ (Accessed: 17 December 2015).

Wood, C. (no date) Spark. Available at: http://www.chriswoodglass.co.uk/gallery/_2wallpanels/medium/4315_spark-large-icon.jpg (Downloaded: 16 December 2015).

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Knitted Glass - Carol Milne

In this post I will be looking at the work of Canadian sculptor, Carol Milne.I was inspired by one of the 3D printed glass pieces from the previous post.One particular piece had similarities to the structure of knit and I was intrigued by Milne’s work as it combines glass and knit together.  

Milne, C. (2015) Go Knit Yourself.

Milne’s sculptures are created using wax rods that she wraps around the knitting needles, to create coils. She unravels the coils to create loops in which she interlocks to form the stitch structure. The structure is then made into a one-off mould whereby the wax is steamed out and then the mould is kiln-casted.

Kiln casting consists of pieces of glass being slowly melted inside the mould until it reaches melting point (around 1400-1600 degrees Fahrenheit). After all the glass has melted, and has filled the mould, the kiln is left to cool down to room temperature, removed and de-moulded.

Milne likes to experiment with colour. Colours are added into the mould and sink to the bottom, after about 12 hours she adds other colours. The colours will appear different in every piece and she will only know the results when the piece is de-molded. The colour of the piece will also differ depending on how long it is left in the kiln for.

Milne, C. (2014) Knit Knot.

I like how her pieces confuse the audience. She plays with texture and structure. You would not usually pair glass with knit and she states, “It really messes with people when they see a knitting needle and then …well this is glass, but this is glass! I like that because it makes people look at some things in a different way.” (Heather DiPietro, 2015)

Heather DiPietro. (2015) Carol Milne.

Knit is commonly associated with wool, which is soft and warm, whereas glass is hard, cold and shiny. I like how she has used opposites in her pieces pairing a soft structure with a rigid material. I feel that it really does make you think and wonder about how materials can be used. In a way it suggests that, materials don’t have to be used for what they are stereotypically known for and further pushes ideas for use of the material.

References:

Heather DiPietro (2015) Carol Milne. Available at: https://vimeo.com/119147681 (Accessed: 15 December 2015).

Jobson, C. (2015). Artist Carol Milne Knits with Glass. Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/10/artist-carol-milne-knits-with-glass/. (Accessed: 15 December 2015).

Jobson, C. (2015). Delicate ‘Knit’ Glass Sculptures by Carol Milne. Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/11/delicate-new-knit-glass-sculptures-by-carol-milne/ (Accessed: 15 December 2015).

Milne, C. (2015) Carol Milne. Available at: http://www.carolmilne.com/ (Accessed: 15 December 2015).

Milne, C. (2015) Go Knit Yourself. Available at: http://www.carolmilne.com/artwork/images/iserv/936/knitting_brand_brknitted_go_knit_yourself.jpg (Downloaded: 15 December 2015).

Milne, C. (2014) Knit Knot. Available at: http://www.carolmilne.com/artwork/images/iserv/904/knitting_brand_brknitted_knit_knot.jpg (Downloaded: 15 December 2015).

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Top: Keating, S. (2015) Glass 3D printing process. Bottom: Inamura, C. (2015) Caustic patterns of a 3D printed glass structure.

3D printing with Glass

In last week’s post I looked into 3D printing inspired by Biomimicry using polyamide plastic. In this week’s blog post I will be talking about 3d printing that uses glass.

The method of using glass for 3d printing was developed by a team of researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in collaboration with Mediated Matter Group.  The G3DP technique uses a dual-chamber where glass is heated in the top chamber, at 1900°F and extruded into its programmed structure. The honey-like molten glass is extruded from an alumina-zircon-silica nozzle that allows it to form consistent coils in layers.

Mediated Matter Group. (2015) GLASS.

The structures formed from this technique are very vase-like. The pieces have been paired with moving lighting which enhances their aesthetic. The way the light reflects off the glass to create these random-yet-elegant patterns are amazing. The patterns add a softness to the cold, hard glass which it is made from. The moving light from above, creates a changing waves of patterns resembling a sound equalizer.

Although the structures aren’t as complex as conventional plastic 3D printing, it is an amazing development into 3D printing. By using other materials that are not Nylon plastic, we could discover ways of using organic material for production which would be much more sustainable. However, there is a disadvantage of 3D printing. Due to the fact that 3D printing works in layers, the process is very time consuming which would not be ideal for mass production. We are still in the early stages of 3D printing and there are teams trying to reduce production time. Hopefully in the future 3D printing will be a lot cheaper, less time consuming and also more sustainable.

References:

Dezeen. (2015). Neri Oxman's new glass printing technique could lead to 3D-printed glass building facades. Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2015/08/26/neri-oxman-3d-printing-transparent-glass-sculptural-structures-mediated-matter-mit-media-lab/. (Accessed: 14 January 2016).

Inamura, C. (2015) Caustic patterns of a 3D printed glass structure. Available at: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/glass-1.jpg (Accessed: 3 December 2015).

Keating, S. (2015) Glass 3D printing process. Available at: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/glass-3.jpg (Accessed: 3 December 2015).

Mediated Matter Group (2015) GLASS. Available at: https://vimeo.com/136764796 (Accessed: 3 December 2015).

MIT Media Lab (2015) Mediated Matter. Available at: http://matter.media.mit.edu/ (Accessed: 3 December 2015).

Sierzputowski, K. (2015). Watch Molten Glass 3D-Printed From a Kiln at 1900 Degrees. Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/08/3d-printed-glass/. (Accessed: 5 December 2015).

Temperton, J. (2015). We can now 3D-print glass - and it looks amazing. Available: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-08/21/3d-printed-glass-mit-additive-manufacturing. (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

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From Top; Van Daal, L. (2014) Biomimicry: 3D-printed soft seat by Lilian van Daal, Van Daal, L. (2014) the mesh has been analyzed for optimum stability, Van Daal, L. (2014) flexibility created by the structure, Van Daal, L. (2014) the form is based on plant cells.

Biomimicry and 3D-Printing

Biomimicry is taking inspiration from or imitating nature’s biological processes for design innovation. Designs are based on natural processes from animals, plants, microorganisms, etc, that could be used to improve human problems.

In this week’s blog post, I will be looking at the Dutch designer, Lilian van Daal. In her Biomimicry project, she looked at ways of creating soft seating in a more sustainable way. As soft seating is made up of a range of materials (for the frame, cover, padding) that are glued together, it is difficult to separate the various materials for recycling.

Dezeen. (2015) Lilian van Daal's 3D-printed Biomimicry chair shows off "a new way to create soft seating".

She used 3D printing for her chair as it uses only one material thus, reducing waste from production. Her chair was inspired by plant cell structures. She was able to create different levels of stiffness of the plastic by changing the density of structure similar to the natural structure of the cells.

Although the chair is a lot more sustainable than the soft seating ones, she has stated that she wishes to further research into ways of creating her hair using only organic materials so that it is even more sustainable.

From a far, the chair looks as though it has been created from card that has been cut. Its structure looks complex because of the detailed grid-like pattern that it is made up of, however, the structure is formed from layers of the same pattern repeated. I personally think that it has visual similarities to corrugated cardboard but on a more complex level. As the chair is white, it could be said that the chair was modelled on the structure of bones (spongey bone), as it is visually similar to plant cell structure. Although the white makes the chair look minimal and pure, I think it would be good if colour is incorporated into the design, maybe similar to microscopic images of the cells which have been dyed.

 References:

Dezeen. (2014) Biomimicry chair by Lilian van Daal replaces traditional upholstery with 3D-printed structure. Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/05/biomimicry-3d-printed-soft-seat-chair-by-lilian-van-daal/. (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Dezeen. (2015). Lilian van Daal's 3D-printed Biomimicry chair shows off "a new way to create soft seating". Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/30/movie-lilian-van-daal-3d-printed-biomimicry-chair/. (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Dezeen (2015) Lilian van Daal's 3D-printed Biomimicry chair shows off "a new way to create soft seating". Available at: https://vimeo.com/118004374 (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (2014). Biomimicry: 3D-printed soft seat by Lilian van Daal. Available: http://www.designboom.com/design/ilian-van-daal-biomimicry-3d-printed-seat-10-02-2014/. (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (2014) Biomimicry: 3D-printed soft seat by Lilian van Daal. Available at: http://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ilian-van-daal-biomimicry-3d-printed-seat-designboom-01.jpg (Accessed: 26 November 2015). (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (2014) flexibility created by the structure. Available at: http://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ilian-van-daal-biomimicry-3d-printed-seat-designboom-05.jpg (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (no date) Lilian van Daal. Available at: http://lilianvandaal.com/ (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (2014) the form is based on plant cells. Available at: http://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ilian-van-daal-biomimicry-3d-printed-seat-designboom-02.jpg (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

Van Daal, L. (2014) the mesh has been analyzed for optimum stability. Available at: http://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ilian-van-daal-biomimicry-3d-printed-seat-designboom-04.jpg (Accessed: 26 November 2015).

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Engesvik, A and StokkeAustad (2013) The Woods.

Andreas Engesvik X StokkeAustad – The Woods

The Woods (2013) is a collaboration project between Norwegian designer Andreas Engesvik and Norwegian design studio, StokkeAustad.  Norwegian forests was the inspiration for this project, the artists look at the changing forests and the ‘lights of the North.’ They particularly focused on the colour and transparency change of the forest in different seasons and, they wanted to capture these changes through the use of glass.

Their pieces are created from coloured, hand-blown glass that have different tints and been created to various proportions. The pieces have no function and are just for decorative purposes. Each piece is unique as it is hand-blown and the designers wanted to further explore a traditional technique.

The pieces come in a set of 7 different coloured ‘trees’ that have been placed in overlapping clusters. Where the pieces overlap, the glass changes colour, as they are transparent. I think that the designers’ use of bright greens in one set compared to oranges, pinks and greys in another really show the transition of seasons. The glossy quality of the glass allows it to reflect light, and I think it would be interesting if these pieces were displayed in different lighting. The shape of the pieces are curved, they have a bubble-like resemblance. The shape, colour and transparency of these pieces almost remind of lollipops and balloons.

I have always thought the idea of glass blowing of fun but I have not tried it myself. In the future I would like to try to work with glass, as it is such a versatile material.

 References:

Dezeen. (2013). The Woods by StokkeAustad and Andreas Engesvik. Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/02/02/woods-stokkeaustad-andreas-engesvik-designgalleriet-stockholm/. (Accessed: 22 November 2015).

Engesvik, A. (no date) Andreas Engesvik, Olso. Available at: http://www.andreasengesvik.no/ (Accessed: 22 Novemeber 2015).

Engesvik, A and StokkeAustad (2013) The Woods. Available at: http://www.andreasengesvik.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/the_woods_spring_appart1_web-740x493.jpg (Accessed: 22 November 2015).

Engesvik, A and StokkeAustad (2013) The Woods. Available at: http://www.andreasengesvik.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/stokkeaustad_andreasengesvik_the_woods_automn_web-740x493.jpg (Accessed: 22 November 2015).

StokkeAustad. (2016) StokkeAustad. Available at: http://stokkeaustad.com/ (Accessed: 15 Decmeber 2015).

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Left to right; Lundkvist, S. (2012) Minirals 2012 MFA Konstfack Glass Castings 6x5-8x5cm, Lundkvist, S. (2012) Creating Magic, 2012 MFA Konstfack Glass Castings 6x5-15x8cm.

Sara Lundkvist - Glass Artist

For this week’s post, I will be looking at the designer, Sara Lundkvist. Lundkvist is a Swedish artist who works with glass and ceramics.

Lundkvist’s pieces are inspired by the ‘connections between spirituality and materiality within the New Age material culture,’ she states that she looks at “material and spiritual culture with its values, aesthetics and material relationships with us humans,”(Lundkvist, 2012). She is interested in how crystals and stones have taken from nature and have been charged with value (e.g. luck, hope, dreams, etc.)

In Aura Crystal (2012) and Creating Magic (2012), she has kiln-casted glass, using moulds, in which coloured, molten glass is poured into and then solidifies. The mould allows the crystal-inspired pieces to be geometric and angular. Although she has used glass for these pieces, they don’t particularly look like glass but rather, rubber. The matte finishes of these ‘crystals’ have a similar feel to rubber bouncy balls and the colour also plays a role in this effect. I like how Lundkvist uses fluorescent colours that have blended together in the kiln, and as these pieces are translucent, they have a glowing effect when reflecting light. I think her use of light and dark really creates a ‘magical’ atmosphere that is appropriate for the topic of her installation.

References:

Lundkvist, S. (2012) Creating Magic, 2012 MFA Konstfack Glass Castings 6x5-15x8cm. Available at: http://40.media.tumblr.com/78d66d56b1fd7122700f0d405aa081fc/tumblr_mn9m6g5wdY1ruh6fio1_1280.jpg (Accessed: 21 December 2015).

Lundkvist, S. (2012) Minirals 2012 MFA Konstfack Glass Castings 6x5-8x5cm. Available at: http://41.media.tumblr.com/bc539f233141d4423a1c7e0661a750e2/tumblr_mn9m6g5wdY1ruh6fio3_1280.jpg (Accessed: 22 December 2015).

Olanders, E. (2014) Sara Lundkvist. Available at: http://www.saralundkvist.com (Accessed: 22 November 2015).

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Marten, M, Visser, J. (2014) To The Bone.

Dyed Bones

In this week’s blog post I will be looking at a project called ‘To The Bone’, which was a collaboration between the designers, Michiel Martens and Jetske Visser.

 In this project, the designers were trying to find a new way to work with a natural material that is now considered waste. Historically, bones were used to craft jewellery and create tools, however, their use is becoming lesser with the invention of new materials. The designers wanted to give the bones ‘another lease of life’ by making them beautiful.

The idea of using bones as a material is not new to me, however, I have actually never thought of it as an option. From last week’s post the garment made by Iris van Harpen reminded me of skeletons, which made me think about how bones can be used as a material.

I find Marten’s and Visser’s work intriguing because they are trying to find a new way to use an ‘old’ material that people no longer use as often. My favourite pieces would have to be the dyed bones. I had no idea that dyeing bones was possible. I like the gradient-dyed effect on them and how they have grains and specks of darker colour (where the colour has been absorbed more). The pattern, which was created by the absorption of the dye, reminds me of a wood grain effect. The bones have been cut down to geometric shapes and have a matte finish so they no longer look like bones. They look ornamental, something that could be used to decorate another piece. For example, it could be made into a table or chair leg, or they could just be left as they are because I find the aesthetically appealing just as dyed 3D shapes.

References:

Martens, M. (2016) Studio Martens. Available at: http://michielmartens.com/ (Accessed: 3 November 2015).

Marten, M, Visser, J. (2014) To The Bone. Available at: http://materialsagency.tumblr.com/post/111667363344/dyed-bone-jetske-visser-and-michiel-martens (Accessed: 4 November 2015).

Marten, M, Visser, J. (2014) To The Bone. Available at: http://michielmartens.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/jetske_visser_michiel_martens_to_the_bone_0-682x1024.jpg (Accessed: 4 November 2015).

Marten, M, Visser, J. (2014) To The Bone. Available at: http://jetskevisser.nl/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TO-THE-BONE-jetske-visser-michiel-martens-13-683x1024.jpg (Accessed: 4 November 2015).

Marten, M, Visser, J. (2014) To The Bone. Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/62/83/f9/6283f9db0719d9438f8c71e97e16e053.jpg (Accessed: 4 November 2015).

Visser, J. (2016) Jetske Visser. Available at: http://jetskevisser.nl/ (Accessed: 3 November 2015).

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Plastic as a material

In the previous post, I talked about the designer, Dave Hakkens and his use of recycled materials. In this week’s post I plan to look into where plastic comes from and how it has changed over time. Plastic is material that is all around us, it has a vast range of uses and can be considered to have changed our lives.

Plastic was first accidently discovered in 1839 by Charles Goodyear. He had mixed sulfur with a crude rubber, which was heated then cooled. This created a material that was flexible that also snapped back to its original form. The first plastic polymers were discovered in the 1930’s by a chemist called, Wallace Carruthers. The polymer was created by the condensation of adipic acid and diaminohexane monomers. These polymers could be drawn into strands that is known to us as Nylon.

BerkeleyChemDemos (2013) nylon synthesis.

Plastics are usually created from oil, in particular crude oil. The crude oil is extracted from the ground through drilling. They are then put through fractional distillation that separates the oil into different substances according to their boiling points. These substances are then combined to create the plastics (polymers).

There are many types of plastics and all have different uses. There are two kinds of plastics; thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. Thermoplastics can be easily formed into shapes using heat. Due to their low melting point, they can be easily melted and re-used and recycled. Some examples include; acrylic, acetate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and High-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Thermosetting plastics have a higher melting point and undergo a chemical change when heated; this means they become a lot more rigid. They are therefore, non-recyclable. However, thermosetting plastics can resist heat and fire because of their high melting point so they are commonly used for pan handles, wire covers, electric fittings, etc. Some include; epoxy resin, urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde.      

Plastic is used almost everywhere, and because there are so many different types of plastics with different properties they can nearly be used for everything. I find plastic very interesting as a material for this reason. Plastic can be easily coloured and manipulated which is why it makes a great material for many products.  One use of plastic, which I find fascinating, is 3D printing garments. Iris van Harpen’s Spring/Summer collection in 2010 (that was inspired by crystallization) displayed clothes created using 3D printed plastic.

Daniels, M. (2010) Backstage Crystallization.

This 3D printed garment has a skeletal structure. Its colour and the used of symmetry also plays along with this idea. The layers almost remind me of pleats and folds however as the garment is made of plastic it is rigid and its shape holds a lot better than a conventional fabric like crepe. I personally think that this piece has strong visual links with bones and the human anatomy rather than crystallization. Harper’s choice of colour and opacity doesn’t reflect ‘crystallization’ well. When I think of crystallization, I imagine transparencies and irregular jagged shapes rather than a symmetrical pattern that is one solid colour.

References:

BerkeleyChemDemos (2013) nylon synthesis. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNWc6xUf6U4 (Accessed: 10 January 2016).

Daniels, M. (2010) Backstage Crystallization. Available at: http://www.irisvanherpen.com/_uploaded/irisvherpenss11-320.jpg (Accessed: 27 October 2015).

Freudenrich, C. (2007). How Plastics Work. Available: http://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic1.htm. (Accessed: 10 January 2016).

Van Harpen, I. (2016) Iris Van Harpen. Available at: http://www.irisvanherpen.com/ (Accessed: 27 October 2015).

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Hakkens, D. (2013) Precious Plastic.

Precious Plastic - Dave Hakkens

Hakkens is a Dutch designer who aims to make 3D printing recyclable. In this project he created his own Precious Plastic machines, which shred, extrude and mould plastics. His pieces are made of old plastic bottles from house cleaning products, food packaging, etc, which he was donated by local residents. Hakkens collects the plastics, and separates them according to colour and the type of plastic. The plastic in then shredded in flakes which are melted according to the plastic’s melting point. It is then extruded around rotation moulds or injected into mould. His machines are like a simple version of a 3D printer.

I was drawn to his project because when I initially saw his work, I thought that his structures were made of wax or a wax-like material, but in fact it was plastic. I was also intrigued by his work ethic of how he wants to move the plastic industry forward by using waste plastics.

Hakkens, D. (2013) Extrusion Tests.

The injection-moulded structures he has created, has a speckled pattern, this is due to the colour of the shredded plastics that he has used. The patterns are quite painterly; like drips and daubs. I think these pieces have visual similarities to paintings by Jackson Pollack as they share similar patterns and also colour. The injected-mould pieces look as though they have a rough surface because of the chips and imperfection on its edges. I assume that they almost have a similar texture to corkboard but is much more rigid.

Hakkens, D. (2013) Rotational molding tests. 

The rotation-moulded pieces have an organic form. They have a dome-like structure that uses coils of extruded plastic layered on top of another. The colour of these pieces, look more intentional as they have an ombre effect meaning that certain colours would have to be used in order to get this effect, rather than randomly like the injected-mould structures. The colours of these pieces are muted compared to the injected mould pieces, this works well with the structure, as the colours look more neutral. These pieces also remind me of woven bamboo baskets and rolls of wire.

Hakkens has developed this technique so that he can recycle locally. He plans to reveal his blueprints of his machines so that anyone can create their own recycling and manufacturing centres. This project can help countries that have an abundance of plastic waste.

References:

Ehmann, S., Klanten, R., Verbruggen, D. and Warner, C. (2014) Printed Things: Vision and Essentials for 3D Printing. Berlin: Gestalten.

Etherington, R. (2015). Precious Plastic by Dave Hakkens. Available: www.dezeen.com/2013/10/21/precious-plastic-open-source-local-recycling-workshop-dave-hakkens/. (Accessed 20 October 2015).

Hakkens, D. (no date) Dave Hakkens. Available at: https://davehakkens.nl/ (Accessed: October 19 2015).

Hakkens, D. (2013) Extrusion Tests. Available at: https://davehakkens.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/extrusie_samples__421.jpg (Accessed: 19 October 2015).

Hakkens, D. (no date) Precious Plastic. Available http://preciousplastic.com (Accessed: 19 October 2015).

Hakkens, D. (2013) Rotational molding tests. Available at: https://davehakkens.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/rotaion_samples_1.jpg (Accessed: 19 October 2015).

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Reflective Statement

From Unit 1, I think that I have become more aware of how to reflect about my work. I think that it is good practice to reflect as it can help me develop my work. Even though I have reflected on my work, I feel that I should do it more regularly (e.g. after every piece I create) because it helps me to collect my thoughts but also helps to check my progress. I think reflecting could also be a good way for me to manage my time because I currently feel that it is something I really need to improve on, as it is one of my weaknesses.

I think the blog and blog tasks have also helped me improve my analytical skills. I am able to look at my own work, question myself on what worked well and what didn’t in order to further develop it. I am also more aware of important topics relating to the real world, which I am asked to study by visiting museums, watching videos and reading. I then respond with my own opinions in the blog tasks.

I purposely chose a minimalistic theme for my blog so that my work can be easily viewed. I personally prefer this type of theme because it is easy to navigate through my blog and the theme doesn’t distract my work. I think I should definitely be more careful when taking photographs because the lighting downgrades the quality of my photos. I could also try to add GIFs of my work and techniques too, this so that my blog doesn't look so static and it'll also help remember how to do different techniques.

I think I could make my blog more personal by posting my interests and inspirations. I feel that my blog just shows my work and nothing else. I don’t think my personally shows in my blog so I plan to post more regularly and I will also try to become more confident in sharing my work with others.

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More Print Inspirations

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Print Inspiration

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Final Print Samples

I found that the print technical block (the print studio part) was really fast-paced, we only had two days in the print studio to complete about six samples so I was constantly moving around. 

Above, are my final screen print samples, personally, don't like them because they seem rushed and some of the dyes didn't pass through the screen very well (I was running out of the dye towards the end). 

I found it quite difficult to visualize the different layers of the print and how my stencils would fit together, which I think was a weakness in my process of printing. However, I think that the colours of my prints do reflect my collection and is fun and playful.

If I had more time, I would spend more time thinking about how the different layers of my print could fit together and also be more careful when printing so that my prints (some) are even more sharper.

My favourite samples are the first and last because they are the most crisp and I think they work because I haven't overloaded them with too many patterns, but my friend has told me that she likes the orange sample (lower left corner). I did originally like that sample until I 'messed' it up by not aligning the screen properly with the previous print.

Overall, I did enjoy printing, It was fun learning the different techniques, mixing colours and you don't know how the print will turn out until you've done it.

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Digital Print Samples

Learning techniques on Photoshop and illustrator was quite fun. These samples were created on photoshop using my swatch drawings as pattern bases. I like the colours of my print designs but I think they're a bit simple and not sophisticated. Rather then seeing them as prints for fashion they remind me of children wrapping paper designs. Yes, that does fit in with my collection but I am not satisfied with my designs. I think I could have layered more patterns over some of the designs using juxtaposition to create better and more developed designs. I felt like I had a creative-block during designing these and maybe I should have looked at my print research to get inspiration. 

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More Wrappings

These are a few more wrappings which I created from my palette knife drawings, I like the contrast between the chaotic paintings and the neat  stripes. I think I have captured the colour of the paintings well but the materials don't reflect my collecting well. For these wrappings, I used less plastic as they are smaller and I didn't have the right colours so I ended up using conventional yarns rather than another material. If I was to improve these wrappings, I would probably try to use a bigger mix of materials so that they relate to my box collection more.