Experiment and Create

In order to start investigating concepts and future design guidelines I wanted to experiment with making something not only to test out material relationships but also to just create something with my hands. Too many times in studios I get caught up in model making as a perfect and finalized product when making a study model should be about experimentation and exploration. I approached this particular project as more of an art piece that was created with certain rules and goals.

The idea behind this piece is the relationship between the man-made world and the natural world. My sculpture piece shows that this relationship is a delicate balance, which is at times precarious but can also be a symbiotic relationship. My rule was simple: Use found materials. The materials I used were naturally fallen twigs, wooden picture frames, glass from one of the frames, and cotton string.

I approached the construction of the project like a bird weaves a nest: carefully and delicately. Each component that I added depended on what was already there, like a living sea coral growing slowly over time. As I was building I thought about repetition of forms and how each component branches from another in a delicate balance. I also thought about the interplay between the found materials and the inherent qualities of each. The wooden frames lean and stack and overlap while the branches connect and grow and the string wraps and hangs and trails. I thought of the wooden frames representing the man-made world and the branches and string representing the natural world.

Ultimately I am suggesting that they can support and grow from each other, fostering habitats and climates that are healthy for both humans and nature. Throughout my investigations I would like to focus on the connection between the built and the natural environments and materials.

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