CONCEPTUAL DESIGN & FORM: The original focus for my design was to create a sculpture which once inside, the human being experienced a complete lack of stimulation. However, from personal experience, the ideals changed because a dark, quiet room cannot entirely help chase away life’s stresses. In my opinion, a far off place with stars can, and many other people in the world agree, it is a universal human attraction. Except, when life hits, there can be many obstacles to going outside, physical or mental. One of the main functions I wanted to imply was the ability to create a landscape in your own setting by using materials which are already lying around. Some of the best materials may even be found by accident. For example, I found the metal rectangle as my basis of tactile coldness while moving around my mattress. The function of this material is to be cold, which combined with the night air (by opening a window), is intended to shock the nervous system once felt—over time the skin will relax, but the coldness will continue to keep the body present in its surroundings. I also wanted to include aspects of sight which are created with dynamic lines and the reflection of light, in which I found a long strip of ribbon and a roll of masking tape.
VISUAL & PHYSICAL DESIGN: In essence, the physical structure is meant to be seen and felt. In life’s complexity there is so much to see and feel, so I wanted to explore a grounding technique of focusing on one thing at a time, which led to feeling the coldness of the metal and looking at the dynamic reflections of light. The cold metal can be used as a grounding sensation that pulls the individual back to the present with each movement and shiver. Next, I used ribbon and masking tape, in which I created a geometric form of lines that has a function of traveling the eye across the scene; I also created more closed lines in the tape to create more dynamic ways in which the light was reflected across the composition, as created in a dark room with a flashlight. I connected all the strings to my ceiling fan, which symbolizes light and ultimately the stars. In addition, by moving within the rectangle, each spot reveals the lines in a different perspective; therefore, each time one creates movement the sculptural experience will be new. The triangles also symbolize a multitude of threes, including the spirit, mind and body, as well as thought, feeling and emotion, which signifies the purpose of the sculpture itself.
MY RELATIONSHIP TO FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: The coined term “Form follows Function” is quite the abstract concept. The complexity can be downgraded into the simple ways we see and perceive an object, the difference in view versus the eye and the mind. I see form as the interior and exterior of the object, the manifestation and way it appears to the eye. This component is quite straightforward in nature, it’s the shape and volume and mass, the object itself. However, function is more complicated because function is purpose, why the thing exists, the way it appears to the mind. The function can be the same for all, or some, or none; perhaps a design’s function depends on the individual and their perspective. For my design, I chose to rely heavily on function, and the ways I was able to push ideas enough to have a solid foundation, while letting the individual choose what the function is to them. Whether to think, feel, look, or meditate, the form is there for the function to be explored in the mind.
