MODEL MAKING

This has been an interesting course as it encouraged me to think beyond the usual 2D representations of ideas into a spatial experience. We were required to read a number of extracts from design theorists and extend our interpretation of their ideas into a 3D model. 'The Fold' by Gilles Deleuze resonated with me the most, as I am interested in the idea that our world is not made up of separate parts but rather one, connected form continuously folding and unfolding in different directions.

The first model is based on the idea of multiple folds making up a whole. It would have been better to create it all out of one piece of card, but I am pleased with the overall effect. I felt it was important to include the A3 base in the model so there is interplay between the positive and negative space and use of light and shadows.

 


For the second model we were required to explore a part of Sydney's CBD and develop a response to our experience, through a 2D collage, text and ultimately model. My main reaction was the sense of layering and revealing and concealing of views as I walked down Hunter Street. My chosen found material was semi-opaque plastic containers which lent themselves to the notion of layering and gradual concealment. I cut into the base to try and emulate the sense of perspective I felt when looking up at the buildings, and the labyrinth the streets produce. I could have incorporated the textured playdoh more and this was the weakness of the scheme.









The third and final model was an investigation into the use of balsa wood as a modelling material. We were required to investigate and test a number of joinery techniques and means of using balsa in innovative ways.
My chosen word was 'Peace' and from that I looked into the definition of peace both texturally and through imagery. I decided to use the Ying-Yang as my representation of 'Peace' as to me it meant disparate parts joined together in harmony to create a whole. This related well both to my understanding of the 'The Fold' and to the joinery techniques of balsa, and this became a central theme to my model. I treated my poster as a record of this thought process and a reflection on my understanding.
My model was designed to celebrate timber joinery and the production of a whole from multiple pieces. I deliberately set myself the challenge of not using any glue, only joinery techniques to hole the whole model together. I wanted the base to reflect back the arch, as a mirror would, in the theme of the 'Ying-Yang', positive to negative. This final model was a good review to my journey of the workshop, as it incorporated all that I had learnt from the past weeks. I very much enjoyed the chance to express my design ideas in a spatial sense.








FLUID THOUGHTS TO ACTION


In this workshop I developed my freehand drawing and painting skills using charcoal and ink. Using creative methods we were encouraged to use the materials to express alternative perspectives and ways of exploring spatial environments.

We started slowly, using charcoal to depict objects from different vantage points and the way motion can be suggested in a 2D composition. The next week we learnt how to stretch watercolour paper and use ink in a variety of methods. This was a real learning experience for me as I am not familiar with the medium and struggled initially controlling the ink. Through practice and homework a home I began to understand how to use the ink effectively.

We then had a field trip to the Museum of Sydney, and completed a number of sketches with charcoal and ink. Using these as inspiration I produced a final work which was designed to incorporate all the skills I had practiced in the past weeks of the workshop. It incorporates movement, through the change of one position around one of the rectangular pillars in the forecourt, and has an ink base and charcoal layer over the top to enhance contrast and fluidity of the superimposed images.
This is the work of which I am most proud as it is a good resolution to my experience of the workshop. I will definitely be able to use the skills from this workshop in future.

THE ANIMATION



This is the final product. It is a short animation on the process of observation and sketching. The viewer first notices the shape of the object, in this case the Red Centre, and then as the time continues the viewer can focus on the detailing and minor features which add to the overall recognisable image of the Red Centre. Then, a changing of perspective takes place, as the viewer begins to appreciate the bigger picture and context of the object, and so the process of shape to detail continues.

PROCESS

Due to the nature of the storyline, a building up of detail, it made sense to try and use the same drawing continually captured to create the majority of the animation. To do this, I drew an outline of the finished sketch, and then through tracing I would add a line, photocopy the page, add another line, photocopy the page, etc. This way I had hard copy versions of the sketch as I drew it. For the shifting perspectives I could not use this method, but I found it none the less enjoyably challenging. Before scanning and adding the drawings into iMovie, I had a total of 80 slides. The actual sequencing of the slides into a movie was the simplest part of the project.





STORYBOARD



My process of creating the storyboard for my animation was to first decide on a begining, middle and end slide. Then, I would continually divide the slides into five, ten, twenty and eventually forty thumbnail sketches of what I roughly plan on drawing. To allow the animation to flow smoothly I will need more than forty, but these are just basics to get me to plan what I will draw.




Currently, the storyline is that an observer who will be sketching the outside of the Red Centre, first thinking of its shape and gradually adding detail. I would like to play with the idea of losing the gained detail, perhaps through loss of light or shifting of perspective and/or distance.



SHAPE TO DETAIL

Brief: There is a process of observation when sketching an object, be it animate or inanimate. First, note the overall shape and obvious features of the object, and then, as time permits, focus on individual detail. The build up of detail is what in the end allows the sketch to be recognisable. An experimentaion of this process will be the aim of the animation.



FINAL MODEL


Below is a link to my final Unreal Ed model:

http://files.filefront.com/13920518




Final design.

The structured pathway through the design is a simple circuit. To neutralise the meeting space I have designed the elevators to work such that Prada must go up to meet Obama in his office, so that they can both enter the meeting space together. Once lunch is over, Obama must accompany Prada back to her work space, before continuing back up to his office. This creates a connection between the two clients that extends beyond simply having lunch together.




Obama's entrance hall. Intimidating initially, until the columns react to the client's presence and sink creating openings to the outside.

See: ftp://emustore.fbe.unsw.edu.au/resources/samples/Arch/ARCH1101%20-%20Lowe/Lecture_Nine_Action_Interaction_Reaction/prison.mpg




Elevator up to Obama's office; the building responds to the client, enhancing a feeling of power.




Obama's office, classically simple yet warm; different to the intimidating entrance hall before.




The meeting space and dining table for Obama and Prada to share their lunch in a neutral environment.




The meeting space. The dining table and chairs rise back up as Prada and Obama leave.




Prada's building is constantly pumping, working hard to maintain the status and power of the "Prada" label.
 


Prada's production gallery.


 

Elevator from Prada's space back up to Obama's space.

 



Elevator animation



SKETCHUP MODEL


This model is a compilation of all my movers: elevators, dining table, meeting space, and Obama and Prada’s buildings.


 

THIRTY-SIX CUSTOM TEXTURES

Below are my custom textures for ‘movement’. The words I used for inspiration are: Linear, Rotational, Scalar, Extend, Flow and Absorb.










I have used my linear texture in my model to denote the movement of my elevators.


FINAL DRAFT


This is my basic model. I feel I have created spaces and movers which reflect my concept of power as best I can. More work needs to be done to polish off the entire scheme.

http://files.filefront.com/13920453






The overall scheme of the building.

Obama above, Prada below and a meeting space which hangs onto the bridge and only exists when the two clients meet to have lunch.





The meeting space 'creating' itself.


The space could not exist without the floor from Prada's building or the columns from Obama's holding it in place. It is a collaborated effort encouraging the notion of interdependance and a neautralized place to enjoy lunch.


REVIEW



This is a feedback sheet for Barnaby Hartford-Davis and John Caldwell, neither have finished Experiment 3 so the marking is not very accurate. It is interesting seeing the different approaches. Barnaby has extensivly used SketchUp to create free-form shapes and John has used a story-line as the inspiration for his designs.

DRAFT


This draft is very basic, as I am still changing my design constantly. I have clear concepts; however my attempt at executing them is still not to my satisfaction. Modeling up my current idea has been helpful in thinking critically about what ideas will and will not work. I still have much more work to do.







Entrance to Obama's Office




Below is Prada's building and next to it is where the meeting space will be.






CONCEPT


Both Obama and Prada possess a power over society, however the source, motivation and ultimate utilization of their power is different.


Obama: Political power. Governing. His power is personal. Willingly bestowed upon him by society. His power is stable, however will only last for a specified amount of time.The building gives Obama power. The building will react to him. Strong, stable, Government power; inevitable loss of Obama’s personal power.

Prada: Economic power. Industrial. Her power is the company “Prada”. She had to ‘capture’ the attraction of society to gain her power. She could lose her power at any time, thus she must constantly work hard and exert her power to keep it. The building is the power. Prada is moved by the building. The building must constantly ‘work’ to sustain its power.


Meeting space: Neutral. This is a shared space for two powerful individuals. It is where they will have lunch, and not do business. Thus, their ‘power’ should be neutralized to create and fair and relaxing space. Avoid egotistical symptoms: create interdependence. The two separate work spaces should collaborate to create the meeting space; so that one could not enjoy lunch without the other.


This neutralization of the client’s power could be taken further, by forcing them to arrive and leave the meeting space together.

EIGHTEEN PERSPECTIVES


Below are selections of my best 3D perspective sketches. They are a mixture of one and two point perspectives of ‘F’ and ‘H’ shapes mashed together to create pathways.


At first my notion of pathways was quite limited, and I created shapes that you would walk around in, rather than on. As I had more practice, my designs became more complex and potential realistic spaces. These will serve as inspiration for my meeting space.












MASHUP







Miuccia Prada entered the family business 1978 and soon revolutionized the appearance of its products. Barack Obama is revelling in presidential power and influence unseen in Washington for decades. Madonna is clearly in charge. As her career approaches its third decade, Madonna represents the triumph of willfulness.


She has consistently pursued a very particular and unusual aesthetic. Obama already is assured a legacy at the top of all three branches of government - executive, legislative and judicial. “I rely heavily on the people that I collaborate with to inspire me.”


"The only way to do something in depth is to work hard.” “I'm at my most creative when the pressure's on.” Having firm control over the White House and Congress, Obama has the ability to push through ambitious plans.


Prada is entirely in charge of the companies creative decisions, basing her decisions on intuition. The federal government's bailout of banks and auto companies has given Obama the power to force an overhaul in those industries. Nothing holds back Madonna. Not love, not pop expectations, not tastefulness, not religion, not the laws of physics.


She is reported to be overly fussy about each detail of her design. Each product has to be changed over and over in order to come closest to Prada's initial idea. Madonna can do what she wants. “Art is about learning and about living with people. It's alive.” His job approval ratings are well over 60 percent, giving him political capital to undertake big challenges. Madonna called criticism of her adoption "shocking"


Prada is said to be the most prominent example of a new form of inward-directed luxury. "Anything she can do to get out the word that these kids need help is appreciated." "I cannot in my memory remember a time when a president of the United States has had more influence.”



1. Alastair Sooke, “Miuccia Prada Interview: Fondazione Prada,” UK Telegraph (May 2009), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/5277507/Miuccia-Prada-interview-Fondazione-Prada-Milan.html (accessed May 12, 2009).
2. Jost Krebs, “Miuccia Prada biography,” Fashion Infomat, 18/1/2007 http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/miucciaprada.html (accessed May 12, 2009).

3. AFP News, “Obama plays comedian-in-chief,” Sydney Morning Herald (May, 2009) http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/obama-plays-comedianinchief-20090510-az1q.html (accessed May 12, 2009).


4. Steve Holland, “Obama revelling in US power unseen in decades,” Reuters, (May, 2009) http://uk.reuters.com/article/motoringAutoNews/idUKTRE5406CF20090501?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0 (accessed May 12, 2009).

5. Miranda Sawyer. “Madonna,” The Face (August, 2000), http://www.madonnacatalog.com/music/theface.htm (accessed May 12, 2009).

6. Karen Thomas, “Madonna Speaks out over Furore”, USA Today, (October, 2006),
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