Hand in for DSDN141 "Activate"

The last hand-in for first year. What a delight!

Here are the final image and video for the DSDN141 project "Activate", for which I was the output. My model has a speaker that outputs a specific frequency square wave that vibrates a bed of sawdust to look like a snow globe.

My main material was wood, and I wanted to investigate the property of "fluffiness" if you will - that when wood particles get really small they are really light and fluffy and when thrown in the air they have similar properties to snow. All the wood particles that I used inside the glass dome were carved from the block of wood used for the base

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liamgilbertsondesign/8138108314/

Project 3 Photograph & Render

Here is my photograph and final render for the DSDN104 Project 3 "Grow"

As my model was based off the golden ratio which is fundamentally based on patterns in nature I chose to photograph my model in a natural environment as if it were a naturally occurring object. This is also the reason why the model has been dyed green, as I feel it is the colour that best reflects nature. The model ended up having minor imperfections which I celebrated, as the Golden Rule is a rule for perfection to which most naturally occurring examples of the rule aspire to be but can never perfectly attain.

In my render I wanted to achieve the same objectives as my photograph, and replicate the photo but with my three models instead of just one. I chose a wood texture on stone pedestals as to suggest that the models are gifts from nature, with the internals being copper or gold, which are also naturally occurring gifts of nature. I also chose to light the insides of the models to give them depth, celebrate the internal spaces of the models, and also to enforce the idea that their metal insides were precious gifts. The pedestal for my final model as also been illuminated with a different colour light to show that it is different from the others.

DSDN144 Project 3 "Light" Final Images

Here is my final set of images for the DSDN144 Project "Light", titled "Edible Abstractions"

For “Edible Abstractions” my aim was to use light and shadow to abstract four different items of food such that their images no longer reflected their original functions.

The choice to use food objects came from the reactions I had when walking through a supermarket past the fresh produce and bakery sections. I found that when looking at the produce my first and only reaction was one of hunger and how I could transform the ingredients before me into a tasty meal, and thought that anyone who viewed images of food would think the same. Consequently I decided to attempt to transform or abstract these ingredients so that not only their images were changed but a viewers reaction to them.

These images are all abstracted using different lighting situations, presenting each object with a select combination of coloured lighting, low exposure, shadowing and long exposures to achieve abstractions of transformations to varying ends. This series also used principals and concepts  from Sian Bonnell’s series “Scenic Cookery” which attempted to capture a similar aesthetic. 

I feel the series is relatively successful in regards to abstracting the objects, though in attempting to transform the objects into something different I found that simply modifying the lighting was alone not enough for an effective transformation, but putting a transformed object into a related situation (for example,  if it were a piece of fruit transformed into a building – placing it with a city as a backdrop) would have strengthened the transformation and thus the image much better.

Final Re-render and Photograph

Here is the final Re-render for my 3DS Max Model for DSDN104 Project 2:

And here is the photograph of my final acrylic model:

DSDN144 "Time" Final Images

Here are my final images for the DSDN144 Project "Time"

For “En Process” my motivation was to capture the creative processes of an artist while making a composition such that we can identify particular techniques and processes used in the making of a final product, and the change in time over it’s creation – in this case, the graffiti-ing of the walls of my home.

For this concept I chose the art of graffiti because in the making of a graffiti piece there are often many layers in the building up of a finished piece, and often many mistakes that you would not usually see that are shown using this method.  Firstly a time-lapse is set up in front of a bare wall before any painting has been done, and is set to take photos as the piece is progressively finished. Then the photos are superimposed into one composition to effectively capture the artwork “en process”.

These images are an attempt to identify the techniques and the process of the artwork; the darker and fuller colours show where the piece was started, and both the final layers and the mistakes will appear as ghostly transparencies. They are such that the final images are not a snapshot of a final product, but more a hybridised reflection of the initial and final points, and the time and techniques used in between.

Hero Shot

Here is the Hero Shot for my DSDN104 Project 1:

Here I maintained the idea of a fire in the desert quite literally, and used a blizzard particle render effect to give the model the appearance of being on fire which also turned out to be an effective and beautiful way of lighting my model, in combination with the fiery edgings on the model they captivated my vision of "incendiary".

Along with the aforementioned effect of the fire in the desert I used purple texturing, luminance, glossy and glow effects to further give my model that sense of enticement. Whether a traveler would be attracted to the warm glow, the standoffish jagged edges surrounding a curious interior (much like a rose in thorns), the promise of psychedelia or the unnatural glow, I feel that these elements relate well to both my precedent and my word "entice"

For "fungus", I feel like my model looks quite like a mushroom, which ties in with both the words, the idea of enticement for the purposes of psychedelia, and in turn relates to the precedent image.

The 81

Here are my final 81 images for DSDN104 Project 1:

 I really like the idea I mentioned before about a campfire in the desert, and I wanted to arrange my 81 such that they resembled a campfire in a dark desert. The models are arranged such that the families are in lines outward from the original model in red in the middle, and get progressively lighter in colour the more they change and the hero model is in it's place in the family lit with a purple spotlight. I wanted to keep the background really dark so it appeared to be night-time to further give that sense on enticement and attraction, and the idea of a fire also worked with my word "incendiary". I also decided to make my own desert in 3DS Max using textures and mapping so that I could arrange the models so that I could use lighting and position the models to give the the image a sense of depth

DSDN101 Project 3 - The Clip

This is my final cut for DSDN101 Project 3 - The Clip. I hope you like it :)

The Clip - Storyboard

This is my storyboard for DSDN101 Project 3 "The Clip". I decided against adding annotations to the frames as I felt the image was powerful enough to speak for itself.

Design Standpoint

Network, B. A. (Producer). (2009). E-Waste Dumping in Ghana. Retrieved from http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/

For my subject of Industrial Design, I decided to focus on the ethics and responsibilities an Industrial Designer has in relation to the environmental impact of the products they design.

As the focus of Industrial Design is effectively geared toward mass production, attention must be paid to what happens to the product once it has lived out it's useful lifespan - "If one’s really honest with oneself, most of what you design ends up in a landfill somewhere." (Tim Brown, 2009)

The question is then, how can we reduce the waste that mass produced products cause? It is a problem that both the consumer and designer often bury and forget - for example in Australia, a country of culture similar to New Zealand, the E-Waste for computers alone is projected to be 11.1 million per annum in comparison to the 500,000 recycled per annum, with similar trends on all other electronic equipment. (Waste, 2009-10-13) These trends are also accelerating at an rate in the current years. (Callie W. Babbitt*†, 2009)  There are many elements that affect a products longevity; aesthetics, time between technological improvements, durability, and consumer trends to name a few. 

Many of these aspects have been addressed by both designer and consumer, for which we have recycling programs, technological improvements into biodegradability, and many campaigns to "enjoy what you have" , but all run on the assumption that what is designed will inevitably be thrown away. The standpoint I choose to take is that this assumption need not be true. The question I ask is, how can we design products so that we can continue designing them? For example, could we design a cellphone that could be upgraded instead of thrown away and replaced by a newer model? 

Could we redesign design itself? (McDonald)

A new way of thinking.

(Network, 2009)

Callie W. Babbitt*†, R. K., Eric Williams‡§ and Gregory A. Babbitt. (2009). Evolution of Product Lifespan and Implications for Environmental Assessment and Management: A Case Study of Personal Computers in Higher Education, from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es803568p

McDonald, W. Think Exist, from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/william_mcdonald/

Network, B. A. (Producer). (2009). E-Waste Dumping in Ghana. Retrieved from http://www.electronicstakeback.com/global-e-waste-dumping/

Tim Brown, C. P. I. (Writer) & G. Hustwit (Director). (2009). Objectified.

Waste, E. (2009-10-13). Australia's E-Waste Statistics  Retrieved 2012-6-6, from http://www.ewaste.com.au/ewaste-articles/australia-ewaste-statistics/

Spot Cleaning Company Advertisement

This is our group's advertisement for "Spot Cleaning Company" for the second DSDN101 Group Project.

Spot Cleaning Company is a house cleaning service targeting families with young children, particularly busy or overworked parents who are often not able to allow time to maintain a clean household in their busy schedules.

Spot Cleaning Company understands these needs, and aims to provide a fun and friendly cleaning service to help ease the stress of your busy lifestyle by providing a professional cleaning service that maintains our high standard of cleanliness and hygiene whilst being family-friendly and entertaining the children.

Our advertisement reflects this with the use of our clean and friendly mascot, Spots the Dog; a mischievous and helpful labrador who both cleans to a high standard and serves as a role model for children, showing them that keeping the house clean can be a fun and exciting chore. This is also reflected with our use of the soundtrack "Yakkity Sax" from the Benny Hill Show. 

Summarily, the mantra of Spot Cleaning Company is "Making Families Happy", a reflection on the company's dedication to helping busy families maintain a joyful and harmonious lifestyle whilst living in a clean environment, and no matter how dirty the mess we keep your house feeling like home.

Curatorial

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

In this piece by Liam Gilbertson, the designer takes the rigidity and strength of the straight form and the sinuous and sensual curvilinear form and effectively juxtaposes them in a visually literal fashion.

The straight form, displayed here in a Constructivist nature can be identified by the interplay of straight and diagonal elements (Zurakhinsky, May 2012) interestingly holds its roots in mathematical modeling for geometries found in nature, and the stainless steel material used suggests the notion of sterility in relation to its interaction with its fluid counterpart.

The curvilinear form, with its soft, undulating folds is a distinct descendant of the Rococo movement, with its "emblematic S-curve" and "whiplash curl" (Coffin, 2008) it achieves a natural fluidity not unlike the nautical ornaments by Meissonier. The origins of this piece stem from a driftwood sculpture in London and uses a layered, subtractive method to achieve an organically infused structure displaying a depth within fluidity, opening the eye the another perspective of fluid form. When put under a light source, this particular method and the vellum paper used in its construction give rise to a layered light and shadow composition furthering the image and understanding of fluidity within the form.

Ultimately the aesthetic achieved in this piece is a mirror imaging of the elements of linear and curvilinear form synthesized from individual origins and composed in an juxtaposing interaction whereby reducing both forms to their basic elements in structure.

Coffin, S. D. (2008). Rococo : the continuing curve, 1730-2008 (1st ed ed.). New York, NY: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Zurakhinsky, M. (May 2012). Constructivism, from http://www.theartstory.org/movement-constructivism.htm#

Oberfell, W. (May 2012). Wertell Oberfell, from http://www.platform-net.com/

 

Turner, B. (July 2009). Driftwood pavillion by AA Unit 2 opens, from http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/03/driftwood-pavilion-by-aa-unit-2-opens/

http://quotesondesign.com/ (May 2012).

DSDN101 Group Work - Poster

This is our poster for "Spot Cleaning Company"

In our group were Jack Hawke, Jessy Bell, Zak Gatara, and Liam Gilbertson (me). All images are copyright free or based on fictional characters.

One Word Film

Here is the final cut of my One Word Film for the word 'intoxicate'

I have changed the music from "Jump Around" by House of Pain to "23 Flavours" by Gramatik from his new EP "#digitalfreedom" due to copyright issues. The track can be found here on SoundCloud. I also quite like his spiel on copyright issues on the same page. All other sounds on this video have been recorded by me.

Storyboards for "One Word Film"

Here are completed storyboards for my three chosen words, Create, Sketch, and Intoxicate.

Create

Sketch

Intoxicate

Antiques Hunter

This silver serving dish is an English rococo style piece made by Folgate Silver Company in the late 1900s designed for use in an estate.

It features elegant rococo style motifs, though unlike many rococo pieces it has been designed for functional use on formal occasions such as dinner parties.

The use of organic and nautical themes  such as the shell and leaf design on the corners and top of the tray, the rope design along the rim of the tray, and the use of silver and it's hand-making identify this piece as belonging to the rococo movement  (Brittanica, 27/4/2012). Yet the lack of asymmetry, a motif inherent in most traditional rococo pieces, points to the designers intention of more than simply ornamental use. 

In addition to the tray's style, the added functionality of the design presents another anomaly in relation to rococo motifs; the handle of the tray's lid is removable to allow both sides of the tray to be used as a dish (TradeMe, 2012). This would indicate that this tray was designed for aristocracies who wanted the charm of rococo design and the connotation of wealth characteristically attached but with the functionality required of entertaining guests in one's own home as opposed to having the item serve as an ornament of personal luxury. (Coffin, 2008)

Whilst this tray has many attributes fundamentally rooted in the rococo design movement, it is hard to justify nominating it as a purely rococo piece. However, considering the intent of the tray, the quality of craft and execution of the rococo style, and the period in which it was made makes this as much a valuable collectible as any rococo piece.

Brittanica, E. (27/4/2012). Rococo Style, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506448/Rococo-style

Coffin, S. D. (2008). Rococo : the continuing curve, 1730-2008 (1st ed ed.). New York, NY: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

TradeMe. (2012). Antique Rococo Silver Plate serving Disk C1890, from http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=468837151

Research Statement and Annotated Biblioghraphy

The following are resources for my research into the fundaments and principals of neo-classical design.

Book:  Neo-classicism A&I (Art and Ideas)

This book is a broad study of Neoclassicism covering every aspect and manifestation of the Neoclassical style ranging between the artisan to the utilitarian, from the style's first appearance to the style's decline and appearances in modern society. This publication will assist in my definition and understanding of Neoclassicism as a whole. [1]

Journal Article: Neo-Classical Aesthetics of Art and Science: Herman Helmholtzand the Frog-Drawing Machine

This article covers specifically the mathematical and scientific interpretation of Neoclassical Design, and speculates on the method for which the style can be manipulated and recreated in modern society. This will become useful for my research on the contemporary understanding and application of the style. [2]

Edited Book: Neoclassical and 19th Century Architecture

A publication that examines the cultural trends of the neoclassical period, and the architectural as a result, this book will assist my research by helping my understanding of the society that influenced and developed neoclassicism as an architectural and artistic style. [3]

Website: http://www.metmuseum.org

This website provides a timeline of artistic and design movements including Neoclassicism. This website will help my research by placing the style into a chronological context with many references to images and articles that will also assist in understanding the fundaments of Neoclassicism. [4]

Image: Baltimore Basilica

This image provides an insight into the architecture and design of the first basilica in the United States to be built in this style, and is an inspiration for my research into the style as a whole. [5]

Bibliography

1:  Irwin, J. (1997). Neo-classicism A&I (Art and Ideas), Pg 1-447, Los Angeles, USA: Phaidon Press

2:  Wise, M.N. (2007), The Hans Rausing Lecture, Neo-Classical Aesthetics of Art and Science: Herman Hlmholtzand the Frog-Drawing Machine (No. 10),1-52.

 3: Middleton, R. (Ed.) (1980), Neeoclassical and 19th Century Architecture, New York: Abrams

4:  Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Neoclassicism, Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/neoc_1/hd_neoc_1.htm

5: Greim, J. (2011), Baltimore Basilica, Retrieved from http://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?ID=1092361

Identity

Hatch

Draw