Going back to Explicit space

This part of the project was really interesting. We had to create basswood models using new tools like the easycutter I swear by this tool to get the angles just flush. 15 degrees is 15 degrees ,no finagling. The objective was to be able to insert the paper model inspired by the second plant. I choose to model the underside of the left leaf,right at the angular bend of the stem. I captured the space into and out of the explicit boundary of the stem.

Spatial Volume Study with Plaster

Here are images of the Plaster work focusing on studying spatial volume captured with the boundaries of the plant. Explicit and implicit points are used to draw lines, planes that create spatial volume . I also explored relationships between the shape of the plaster planes informing the total form of the model inside and outside.

More Biomimicry Project at the BAC

Project four became a process quest. I was looking at the plant, thinking about the plant, dreaming about the plant but getting nothing done. I had to make a decision. Process first or craft first. Here are some of the images from the project. I will be uploading the sketches and charcoal drawing once I figure out how to not mess up school scanners with charcoal everywhere. I choose to design a foolproof process that will bring benefits in all subsequent projects. This process is partially borrowed from Tim Brown's Design Thinking Blog. The crit and ideation process design is borrowed from CPSI and BAC crit process. Understand and Observe is credited to Otto Scharmer's work .

Biomimicry Design with Nature

The design with nature theme ran through two projects at teh BAC. The third project asked AOP class to sketch space with implicit or explicit points, lines and planes. Check out the work from the first plant we used in this biomimicry project. We studied the relationship between shape and form. The boundaries I sensed in the physical element (the plant) informed the sptial volume communicated in the form above crafted using copy paper and masking tape.

BEEP beep...is this a traffic jam?

Nope! Not traffic jam. Human Jam.This is my second project at the BAC. The spot on the map is my teaching assistant's coffee. And my jam ! Human Traffic jam .We were making art :)

Above are some of the photographs of paper folded,cut, bent to represnt some of the ideas discussed in this blog post. Click here to see more of this project.

I really enjoyed working on the lines. Reminded me of fine tapestry with each mark with a special meaning. I picked the words to bring the lines to life. The words I choose were Genesis, memes and affect. The vertical lines depict the memes that run through civilization. The dark lines etched into the human psyche. the light toned vertical lines represent out choiceful nature to either take an idea or choose not to. Memes useful to the whole system needs to be considered. Is that sustainability? I am open to find out. The third vertical line from the left is our angelic nature where only good ideas affecting the systemic health of the whole is consciously real, the rest left to atrophy. The dark imagining of human memes squeezed out of civilization consciously. New and useful only survive.

The horizontal lines represent affect. Human emotions that run and energize this one planet we call home with love and compassion or fear and suffering. Still left to choice ,light or dark each lines with meaning, a reminder to self to choose happiness over all human affect.

I ask the questions ,"where was the genesis of memes"? Where did we get such grandiose ideas to take over planet earth and "act" so civilized ,so "growth" oriented when all that survived were polluted streams, river,s lakes, looted rainforests and animals distrustful of man's consuming nature. Where did our ego come from? How is this ego linked to design? and did the architects personality carve the planet and handed doomed fate to the next generation?

The four L-shaped lines represent this genesis of the ideator personality,the developer personality, the clarifier personality and the implementor personality. The ideator, one who comes up with many ideas. Is this personality the tyrannical driver of growth? The genesis of all things new? Don't judge ideas, good or bad they are all welcome. Ideator personality the regenerator and the troublemaker 'meme' wielder with esoteric magic. Ideas like sparks aplenty.

How sustainable is he?

The developer personality. Taking ideas forward one, two, three steps and showing what is a spark as manifested filament bulb.

The clarifier personality.Taking the hard questions and throwing up the constraints. Who will catch it. the ideator, the developer? Insisting on clarity ,the clarifier does justice to what is actually the problem to be worked on. Not what the ideator sparks about or the developer moves a few steps to realize they fell through that unseen pitfall. Only if they had listened to the clarifier. The genesis of clarification converges all energies to one focus.

The implementor personaliy. The one who gets things done, enough said. Above are some of the paper cut and folded to represent the ideas discussed in this post.

On construction Lines

The first exercises at the BAC entailed draing line weights and constructions lines. L shaped lines that touch the edge of the paper and shapes that connect 90 degrees to each other.The images above shows the lines touching all the way to the edges of the paper.