Spatial Dynamics: Nature Object Series

A lengthy compilation of a semester's worth of work in Spatial Dynamics--featuring: Corn!

At the beginning of the semester, we were all required to choose natural objects to study and explore. I chose a small Indian corn because I was drawn to its three distinct textures of the kernels, the cob, and leaf shell.

We began our journey with some research, brainstorming, and orthographic drawings.

These orthographic drawings then had to translate into clay. Here I am trying to figure out how to use the clay tools and wet/dryness of the clay to make both rounded and flaky forms. I used a subtractive method once I had my two base forms of a basic cylinder attached to a prism.

End result and hand for scale!

The next step was to create a piece by using cross sections of our object. I measured out aluminum sheets that I cut, grinded, drilled and sand blasted and positioned them on a wooden dowel standing upright. I did this to suggest the corn's original orientation growing in a corn stalk. It was a pleasant surprise to find my piece now embodied the whimsical quality of a cloud staircase.

Step three utilized skewers. We were assigned to create a structure inspired by/reflecting our object. I played around with string knots and tubing as fasteners to find a module shape, then branched from there. I was most satisfied with this hexagonal module, which I felt was sturdy enough and also round enough.

After fiddling around with staircasing connections, I came up with this abstracted corn cob.

My piece was rather large, so here's a video to better capture the structure.

The final exploration was much broader. We were asked to give our object "life" again by capturing something about its growing process and its connotations. Throughout the process, I gradually came to appreciate (and respect to a point) the systematic growth of corn, which became my focus of the last project. I compared the cob to a modular shelving unit, which I designed to be customizable so it could grow several directions. I continued the hexagonal structure.

My completed set. With the time I had, I was able to make three shelves in total, which is the abridged version of the story I wanted to tell. The wood is baltic birch plywood, sanded to be smooth to the touch. There are circular details made of dowels in drilled holes on the faces of the hexagon.

A possible base for stacking.

When stacked, the trapezoids form shelves, whose length depends on which side is flipped up or down.

The most important lesson I learned while making this was the value of jigs to make uniform and consistent parts. I also learned about using a table saw to make mitered cuts for my hexagon core.

Spatial Dynamics: Mapping Myself through Time and Space

My final for my spring semester Spatial Dynamics was a series of wooden keys that transformed back into tree branches using found material. Part of the process that I really enjoyed was finding  branches for individual increments from processed key form into a raw branch again.

Keys have strong connotations of secrecy and security- to me, they are, at the very base, are a symbol of access. For this assignment (a map of myself through time and space), I chose specifically to link these keys to access of memories. Countless events in my past are inherent to the person I am today. My family dynamic, friendships, early hobbies, etc. have led me to where I am now, but in spite of their importance, I can not remember these times clearly anymore as part of the natural process of growing up. My past is integral to my growth. I wanted to demonstrate and compare this phenomenon with wooden keys growing until they lose their shape, and therefore their function. By the end, the keys can no longer "access" that memory, but its previous key form led its growth structure. 

I first explored what elements I wanted in my keys and how to shape them using the scroll saw/sander and drill press. Below are my experiments with sticks, finishes, hanging fixtures,and types of wood, I ended up liking the middle key the best, due to its more deliberate structure.

Below are the four keys that I felt best explained the transition, utilizing the key head, shaft, and teeth to imply the shift in material,

Close ups of the keys at the end of the transition,

More photos of each individual key can be found here on my Flickr.

Service: Desine-Lab Poster

A group of students and faculty from RISD's architecture department run a group called Desine-Lab, which works with local groups around the globe on projects that are a mixture of social justice, entrepreneurial, and community building missions. Their recent project actually brought them closer to Providence-- a community development plan for next door city neighbor Central Falls. I became involved in creating a poster announcing their summer build academy, in which they had invited Colombian students to help out Central Falls' council. I collaborated with another first year RISD student, who drew the raw illustrations. I complied and altered them digitally to make several drafts.

These were my first two drafts. The top's color blocks are inspired by the Colombian flag (Central Falls is one of the largest concentrations of Colombian-born citizens living in the city, which is why Desine Lab invited Colombian students to help in city planning). The bottom draft is simply based on a summer-y theme with city skylines.

My collaborator and I however decided to take a route more personalized towards the city itself. She drew one street in the city and I created a small illustration for it. The flag colors make a return, although more muted.

 We then played around with hierarchy of information and trying to find a balance between text and interesting designs. Ultimately, the Desine Lab team chose the poster on the left. This was our first dive into poster design, and I feel more and more comfortable with drafting digitally/quickly. I wasn't able to join in the efforts myself, but the team had a great summer and have gotten a lot of great work done!