week1- artist research- Olufur Eliasson

   


















The designer Olufur Eliasson creates various sculptures to do with light and large scale chandeliers. The colours he uses are very vibrant and vivid, which I find intriguing. In this particular chandelier there is a continuous geometric pattern which is reflected around the whole room; This is caused by a small bulb at the core of the sphere. The designer uses materials such as aluminium, hand blown yellow glass and colour effect filter glass. I would like to recreate this fascinating sculpture using similar colours but more simplistic materials such as coloured paper or cardboard.

When the sphere is viewed from close up, to me it looks concave, and resembles the inside of a shell. I might incorporate the spherical shape in my work, and also use other materials which capture the light.
The geodesic lines of the sphere naturally draw the eye upwards in a whirlwind of shapes. It creates an illusion of constant change because of all the spirals and triangles.
When you view the second image it feels as though you lose yourself in a constant pattern of lines and tints.


My Paper Light




By looking at Eliasson's recreation of the sphere, It reminded me of a shell, and I wanted to capture image in a tonal drawing. By doing this, I was able to focus on the details of how the shell is formed and also the pearly shine and subtle colours.
I tried to create a 3 dimensional form by shading in the darker areas, and highlighting the lighter parts. I think I executed this drawing quite well as I focused carefully on the detail and shading, and I was able to draw the shape of the shell quite precisely.









 I conducted research of various shell lights, and found interesting contemporary designs in the image on the right. The simplicity of the shells creates a captivating sense of movement. The lights create a tranquil atmosphere because of the subtle lighting and minimalist colours.
I drew the shell designs from the images of the lights. I coloured them in plain colours to create a soft look. I could have improved my designs by changing the shapes so that it doesn't look so similar to the lights.
I thought of an idea of how the lights could open and close to save space by controlling the size. This can be done by unfolding the  longer part of the shell.





























For this lamp shade, I used orange paper as a medium to recreate the shell designs. I enjoy working with paper as you can easily  fold it into any shape or form. I cut long thin strips and folded each one into the shapes above. I made some of the loops larger than the others giving it an asymmetrical look, similar  the shell light designs.
I think I executed the lighting quite well as there are strong shadows in each picture. I could have created more designs similar to the shape of a shell but in different colours to expand my experimentation. I think the image of the paper sculpture above the light is quite captivating because of the reflection on the wall and the bright orange creates a sunburst image on the wall when it is used as a table lamp. This could also create the same effect on the ceiling when used as a ceiling light. I think I could have improved both images by placing the paper shell in front of a plain background to make it look more refined and striking.

beyond the fundamental- final piece



This is my final outcome of the bird cage. The wire on the inside of the chicken mesh was easy to work with as I was able to bend it into the circular shape. I used cardboard for the birds to sit and eat. I enjoyed working with this material the most as it was easy to cut and glue together. The wire mesh was the most challenging as it was quite stiff, and there were safety hazards because of it's sharp edges. To overcome this I made sure I cut the mesh correctly and used it appropriately. The wire mesh wasn't able to fold all the way around into the shape of the cage, so I cut large strips and joined them together. But it was enjoyable working with a new material, and the outcome was successful.

The top two images were taken with a flash as I wanted to capture a dramatic atmosphere. The light casted a large shadow which created a more effective image. The bottom left image was taken from the side which shows the opening of the bird cage. I tied string to the cage and attached it to the cardboard; I think it would be quite difficult having to untie the string to open and close the cage. I could have thought of a more simple way to overcome this. If I had more time to accomplish this project I could have created a more refined opening.

For this project we were assessed by another student in our class. They said I could have used more materials to experiment with, which I agree to as I used 3 types of materials. I could have experimented with plastics or a foam board to test ideas. On the other hand they said my sketches were presented clearly, and that my presentation sheets looked professional. Overall the grade I was given was a Pass. Looking at the comments on what I cold have improved on will now help me on what to focus on in my final major project.

beyond the fundamental- initual ideas

I was inspired by the contemporary bird cage designs. I wanted to show the theme of nature by combining a tree bark which fits in the center of the cage with branches which will allow the birds to sit on them. I need to think about how I will attach the tree bark to the inside of the cage and what it will be made from. If I use a real tree bark it will be difficult to attach it together, so I may use cardboard as it's simple to cut and shape and stick together. 

The cage will be made from wire; I need to make sure i buy the correct wire which will be easy to bend into shape. 

I drew other various designs but I thought they would be quite challenging to make out of wire or any other possible materials. The second image above is an unusual idea as it's not an ordinary looking bird cage. 

beyond the fundemental

This bird cage seemed interesting because of it's simplicity, and the way it has been made to look like a lamp combined with a cage. The designer has used a limited amount of materials to create this; the cage looks like it has been made from wire. Its slightly confusing as you can't clearly see where the birds are sitting; There could have been an image captured inside the cage to get a clearer understanding of how it's been made.

                                                                                                                      

http://www.gregoiredelafforest.com/#item=cage-archibird

This unusual bird cage caught my eye because of how it has been combined with an ordinary table. The white tree bark inside the cage creates an intriguing feature, and if you view the table from above it seems like the tree is growing out of the table. The combination of the wood and the colour white gives the design a fresh and modern look. The only problem that may occur is the bottom half of the cage seems like no light hits that area as it is covered by the table. I will possibly use both ideas of the first and second image for my development work. From this I will try and create an exiting design that is contemporary and suitable for birds. 

'The bird is staged as in a theatre setting. By It's pure materials it gives  an ideal vision of nature'.