Monday:

Context Talk on Site Material Narratives and Surface Design

Document in detail surfaces of your site in Fort Lane:

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Select 3 case studies (art and design ‘surface’ related projects) and research materiality, assembly, fabrication
processes, poetics of space, and relationship to site.

1. The Cineroleum – contructed using cheap industrial, reclaimed or donated materials and made by volunteers with the help of handbooks. I’m especially drawn to the curtain of this project. ‘The Cineroleum was an improvisation on the rich iconography and decadent interiors of the golden age picture palace.’ ‘The auditorium was enclosed by a curtain, created by hand-sewing about three kilometres of seam in roofing membrane.’ This roofing membrane is incredibly effective with blocking the light but it also has this radiance to it that makes it look very luxurious and very old hollywood. This curtain perfectly marries the industrial nature of the site while bringing the decadence of old cinema and creating an intriguing atmosphere.

https://assemblestudio.co.uk/projects/the-cineroleum

2. Atmospheric Wave Wall – Olafur Eliasson

‘Motion is the central principle behind this public artwork, planned especially for Willis Tower. The dynamic pattern on the wall is activated by the motion of people walking, driving, or biking past; by the motion of the earth in relation to the sun as light moves across it; and by changes in the season and weather. Viewing the work from various positions and at various times of day produces a dramatically different experience. The artwork covers the wall with a pattern of metal tiles based on Penrose tiling. Discovered by mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose in the 1970s, this approach produces a system of non-periodic tiling that is based on five-fold symmetry. The result feels both regular and random, hovering just beyond our ability to quickly comprehend it.’

I really like this idea of ‘you only see things when you move’ especially when thinking about a cinematic brief. Creating a surface that animates with the movement of the observer.

https://olafureliasson.net/archive/artwork/WEK110953/atmospheric-wave-wall#slideshow

3. Anouk Haegens – MERGING WORLDS

‘Rugged construction materials blend with the classic refinement of macramé knotting.’ This idea is very much in line with the fort lane site. Blending materials, textures, patterns as you move through the space.

https://www.anoukhaegens.nl/MERGING-WORLDS

Tuesday:

Create 3 x surface designs. Consider materiality, assembly and detail.

Create a screen – something to see through or a curtain?

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Acrylic screen etched to create a focal point and then heating and extruding the focal point to catch the light and warp colour.

Resin pool filled with cement, dirt and brick reflecting the site and its elements whilst literally reflecting the surrounding environment off of its smooth face.

Beaded curtain bringing an old hollywood flair to a window, bouncing light and adding texture.

Wednesday:

Produce a sketch design (drawing) for one surface design (or combination of designs). Consider how your surface
design will be scaled up (pattern, repetition and difference, variations and permutations) Develop surface design
through iterative design process. Consider materiality, assembly and detail. You may wish to work in studio or the
3D lab to develop your surface design samples.

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I really liked the tactile nature of my Acrylic screen and wanted to take it further. I explored a few different patterns of warping the acrylic and when I went to find some acrylic sheet I found a piece that had a laser engraving in it from a previous project which I thought would add an interesting dynamic. I would use these tiles in place of window panes drawing people close to touch it whilst also causing people to pause in their visual intake and observe the screen before venturing into the interior space that it shields.