Category: Process

3D Final Project for CDL

Artist Reference for final work

I was inspired by how such unique wave like structure could act as a roof for a house from this artist Robert Oshatz. Thus, I have decided to do a similar shape that is also a wave like structure but curving in a different way. Also, the combination of an inorganic shape with a geometric shape makes the work to seem less proportionate but still visually appealing to look at.

I initially had different ideas when I first encountered the theme called “Towards Zero Waste.” I was actually thinking on the meaning of waste and zero waste. Indeed, I have searched through the internet and found out that the meaning of waste is to use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose. It also means to describe a material that is eliminated, discarded as no longer useful or required after the completion of a process.

From there, I searched up the types of resources or materials that have been wasted including land, textile, water, food. Based on these resources, I narrowed my focus towards land, water and generally, the resources found on earth that are depleting. The final selection was also done based on some artist references which I found appealing and some of the research which I have found that is more appealing to me.

For example, in this sketch, I was inspired by the style from Constantin Brancusi’s Bird in Space. The way he captured the movement of the bird is done so elegantly and very simple just by using one shape to represent a bird.

Image result for constantin brancusi bird in space

Similarly, in my work I wanted to represent the idea of how the earth may look like in the future if we continue to waste our resources and the resources start to deplete without us knowing it. Thus, instead of representing earth as it is in a round shape, I have just made it into a three dimensional curve like shape that resembles a wave. The lines would draw the viewers attention towards the hole in the work making them understand how our resources are slowly depleting if we continue to use them extensively and to no purpose. However, due to the technical difficulties that I have found in this idea, I have decided that I would focus my attention to my final idea instead.

I was shocked when I read this information on how Singapore as a clean and green nation could have some dark hidden truth behind it. The amount of waste thrown in the sea at all coastal beaches has increased year after year from 3.1kg in 2002 to 4.2kg in 2013. This shocking fact actually draws my attention to create such a work that could act as  warning to the viewers on how such waste dumped into the sea would affect the marine life in the sea.

Exploration of material

At first, I decided to go with a soft material such as clay to build my study model. This is because of how my design has a wave and fluid like structure at the top. Thus, I have decided to go with a soft material. However, this does not work for the sharp and jagged edges because of how the nature of the material has this ability to make the shape to appear inorganic but not sharp and geometric.

Then, I moved on to another material using a thin cardboard for my study model. I realised that it could make sharp and jagged edges because it is not just thin but it is also hard enough for me to cut into a sharp diamond. However, I realised that without a base, this sculpture cannot stand. Thus, I have decided that I should build a base to not just stabilise my structure but also to fulfil my idea of warning the viewers about the future consequences of waste dumped into the sea. I have also come to a conclusion on the type of materials I want to use is something thin and bendable for the wave structure and something hard for the diamond shapes.

First Final Product

Front

Back

Left

Right

The first final product may seem to look simple as there is not much of wood being used showing a lack of technical skills in my work.

Final Product

Peter suggested to me on adding more wave like structure around the diamond shapes. Then, I realised it does help to bring out the aesthetic of the structure and the fact that it looks like how the waste are dumped deep into the sea.

Front

Back

Right

Left

Reflection

This project helps me to discover the meaning of waste and how it can also affect a clean and green nation such as Singapore. The shocking fact on how Singapore can have such waste dumped into the sea makes me reflect about how we have been taking our resources for granted and using them extensively with no significant purpose. This artwork of mine does not just act as a warning towards viewers but also a reflection on how we have chosen to exploit our resources.

3D project 2: Disorientation

Thought process

When thinking about the word “disorientation”, I was actually thinking more towards having the sense of confusion which leads to illusion. Thus, I initially had a few ideas before arriving into my final piece.

When peter suggested I could do a wearable, I was thinking of the red and cyan 3D glasses. I had this idea where I put some images which look scary and they are monsters to make the viewers feel very scared and how this illusion of wearing the glasses is made possible. However, when I bought the glasses and wore them, I see that the illusion was not impactful  and scary enough.

Then, I browse through the internet and have searched a very popular moving animation where the artist use lines to create the illusion and the images move in them. However, I could not follow the tutorial based on YouTube because I was unfamiliar with the usage of the tools they mentioned.

Thus, I research again and found this artist named MC Escher who uses the tasselation method. This means he uses shapes that could help confuse the viewers so they could see a sense of illusion. Furthermore, the changing of Colours  at a higher speed would confuse and distract the viewers as they may not know where the bird is after looking at few of the slides.

For my installation, I was intending to make something related with my video installation by having birds as the subject matter and the movement as the concept. So, by using the corner of the classroom, I could get the viewers to feel the sense of illusion where the birds are moving. I have arranged them according to the size and the length of the wall which determines how my arrangement should be like, that is having more on the left side and lesser on the right.

Installation with origami birds

Video installation

 

 

Reflection

I feel that I could have made better improvements to my video installation. I was told during the review that the installation works better and fulfils the meaning of disorientation.

Overall, I feel that this project can be quite difficult as it requires us to think deeply from what we understand about the word. We then have to create an installation based on that word alone to critic on what we understand from that word. However, this is also quite an interesting project because it allows us to think in a narrative way based on a theme given to us and allowing us to find out what type of style we have when we interpreted a word.

3D Gift Project final

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Thought process

When I first talked to my partner, I mostly asked her questions related to her major which is film. However, the answers which I received from her had words that were too general and not concrete enough. Those words were mainly movie titles. Thus, with those movie titles, I had to research on the plots of the movies in order to create a gift for my partner.

As a result, I managed to think about a gift that is a house made of ice cream sticks. The reason why I wanted to use ice cream sticks was because I based on the theme of family relationships which was the gene of the four movies I was given. The process of building the house using the sticks is very difficult and it takes time to build a steady and strong family relationship. Also, ice cream sticks are stable and strong and it matches the family values which I talked about.

However, after having talked to Peter, I realised that I was creating a gift that did not represent my partner but the movies that my partner likes. Furthermore, if I were to keep looking at my interview with my partner, I could not find any concrete words suitable enough to make a gift.

Thus, I had to ask my partner again. I asked which country would she like to travel, is she an outdoor person or indoor person and what she likes. So, my partner is an outdoor person and when she is outdoors, she would play sports and she was in Volleyball. She likes to go to LA, New York and London and she likes makeup. She also likes pop rap music.

About the product

With those ideas, I managed to combine them together with my previous idea of a house into makeup kit that is in a design of a house. The reason why there is only one door for a house is because of how I needed the space to emphasise on the lyrics of her Favourite Pop rap Singers. It is also to not make the whole product look plain.

My partner likes to go to LA, New York and London because she likes how the youths express themselves freely. With that idea, I would create the house in a more street style manner and having the lyrics of her Favourite rappers in a more graffiti manner. Furthermore, the crooked style of the house design makes it even more emphasised that it is a more street style. The house can also act as a lid as it is made of wires which I find easy to work with as I can  bend them easily and make it into a design of the Volleyball.

The makeup kit may look as if it is an empty box because it is not nicely designed. However, this is because I want to emphasise on the personality of my partner who likes to go to all of the countries that have more street arts as the youths have this sense of freedom to express themselves. Inside the kit, I did not put in any sections. This is due to the lid having designed as a Volleyball, the three lines can act as the sections to what she can put so she can have a more Organised kit.

Reflection

Overall, I feel that this project helps me to create a much better impression on my partner. Although I was in the same class her for last semester, I did not really talk to her that much. Thus, throughout the entire conversation with her, I was able to have a change of impression of her that used to be fierce and goth like to a more sporty and artsy type of girl.

As for the structure, I was leaning towards the idea of something that is very useful and convenient for my partner to carry. Although it may not be aesthetically pleasing as to how a make up tool should look like, it suits her personality of being a street art type of person.