Mandi Beckett Midterm

spring 2012

Professor: Jerry Lum

Artifact

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Iteration 3,4

iteration 6

Iteration 7

Iteration 8

Iteration 9

Iteration 10

Iteration 11

I choose a tiki book end as my artifact , growing up I always loved stone and

wooden figurines whether they were tiki’s, inukshuks or other art. They have given me a sense of comfort and before entering this

class I had never real thought to much deeper into it. I realize now a lot of my

appreciation for this type of art comes from the craft , how it is not perfect and has character. Also that they are to almost

telling a story with just there shape if you speak the right language then you might be

able to tell the story. Tiki’s where traditionally representations of Polynesian gods before they became fads else where.

Having a little experience with wood and wanting to try something new I ask my boyfriend to teach me how to solder. my first iteration was incomplete and had to be put back together at the end of the day.

Pro’s: I started to developed new skills and knowledge of the wire.

Con’s: I noticed using insulated wire was hard to add pieces with out burning the plastic wrapping or making the joints stand out. Another obstacle I found was the long wires I used were hard to keep shaped the way I wanted them and made the model distorted .

Time taken to build and learn to solder 5 hours total.

Our task was to create the bare bones of an artifact we are attracted to in our room

The next iteration I had more time and striped the wire I was

previously using and decided to use smaller pieces due to the long

pieces of wire were harder to achieve the bends I wanted.

Although it looked nicer when the wire was striped also made it

hard to touch the wire while working on it.

This iteration took me about 12 hours to build

Issues : the smaller pieces of wire were harder to keep together

because both sides heated up and loosened the solder needed to

used more holders while heating .

Strengths

•More / Smaller pieces

•Literal

Weaknesses

•Messy solders

•Contrast between wire and solder

Iteration 2

when abstract became a goal I started

having a hard time. The ideas behind

number 3 was the balance between

good and bad in our life and perhaps

someone turning into ones self and

reflecting the emotions . The forth and

fifth iteration were still going toward

the literal concepts with little

inspiration . I needed to abandon my

“comfort zone” to expand my creative

side.

When starting to use charcoal I found

it easier to express my ideas although I

was still holding on to literal and

symmetry values.

Iterations 3 , 4

Fails •Lack of meaning •Not a clear story •Barbeque skewer frame •Specifics Successes •Better building skills with wire •Line weights started to vary

Idesa

•Defensive

•Face more vulnerable and harder to hide

•The small wire was to represent our fears and wants and how they create

the armor we create.

• ridged body / defensive soul

Development time 5 hours

Strengths

•The class could be read defensive

•Started away from literal

weaknesses

•The wooden frame draws the eye is because it is thinker

•There was not a clear connection between the parts

Iteration 6

Personally this was my favorite although I'm

still trying to put words to why. my intentions

were to shows the natural body of wood, and

that we can’t change it’s imperfection even as it

grows it is still the first thing you see. This is the

shell that contains all the thoughts and

emotions that influence ones mind. Then you

see the central spine or the “mind” in a sense

that continues to learn and grow as different

events shape us to how we truly are inside this

spine consists of a braid and a spiral. Last the

thin wires going through the spine were

intended to be the “soul” the wants and

emotions from each event that drive us to be

what we want to be and maybe even hold us

back from it as well.

Weaknesses

•Lacks growth

•Hard to read

symmetrical

Iteration 7

with this iteration I was trying to lose

the over all shape. I continued to feel

the desire to keep it to show how the

unseen forces with in us are

contained by an almost symmetrical

fragile frame, but I also felt it was

holding my design back from

expansion

Ideas

Defensive ( little wires fraying off the

central body).

Growth starts as two braids then

wrapped for protection and meeting

at the top with 5 braids three of

which are then braided together.

Iteration 8

Using trace paper I created a part list of one of

the iterations I liked and started playing with the

pieces and intentions /ideas to create the new

model and and then started a new part kit!

Strengths weaknesses

Shows growth line weights

change in layers Lack of complexity

Using trace more often

Iteration 9

Successes

Change in shape ( not the

rectangular bodies as

before.)

Development in the braid

representing the

development of the brain’s

knowledge and values.

weaknesses

Lacks noticeable order

Almost two dimensional

Symmetric / boring

Iteration 10

The silver wires are still the mind but start out individually almost as if were need to realize how to use what is already there once we get past the first stage we start making connections as a braid starts to form and maybe leave a bad habit behind but keeping the knowledge from using it for example like using a bottle even though it’ can be bad for the Childs teeth, it teaches them to hold a drink to their face and not make a mess before they get the hang out it, as it continues to grow more and clearer connections are made.

Before introducing the skin it had a whole

new feeling almost one of motion as the

rectangle got smaller inside the axis of each

layer changes a fraction and creating the feel

of it coming toward you or forward in life was

the intent. Unfortunately the skin was too

tight and pulled the wire to look straight

Strength

The inside is breaking out

Weaknesses

Lacking beauty

Hard to read

Iteration 11

When having a hard time finding inspiration I went to the Oakland art murmur which even just talking about others work helped yield my ideas by increasing my inspiration.