geyser

After months of sitting in my draft posts, it's finally time to share photos of GEYSER! Woo! The project was such a huge investment in terms of time, emotion and energy that I became a little fixated on the perfect way to represent it. After giving the project a bit of breathing room (and realising it's been just about one year since it's first inception), I've finally let go of some of my anal retentiveness on the matter and decided that it's time to release this baby into the blogosphere.

If you're a new reader, GEYSER was an installation I created in collaboration with fellow designer, Caitlin Perry and sound artist, Rob Bravington. It was exhibited at manysquaremetres in October last year.

For me, the installation was an opportunity to explore the physical environment as a purely experiential space. Once stripped of functionality and pragmatics, the installation allowed me to actively explore the emotional response space can evoke.

Thinking about space as a sensory experience, we were drawn to the idea of thermal bathing and how the experience of shifting from one bathing temperature to another, can heighten the way our bodies experience their surrounds. Using similar principles, we created three distinct sensory experiences and exploited the contrast between the three to deepen the experience. 

Where possible, I won't speak too explicitly about how the spaces were "meant" to feel, as I'd prefer users to find their own understanding of the space. 

The main space, which we approached as the entry threshold. Open, airy and white, visitors entered into a corridor of hanging white wool. Visitors had had to physically pass through the wool to access the other spaces. 

From the entry, there was a choice of two pods. Both pods were clad in materials to serenade and entice visitors to enter.

The pod to the right was a small hexagonal enclosure, clad in fringed, mirrored metallic sheets. The compact interior was lined with carpet, deadening the sound. More wool was suspended inside, sitting lower and packed more densely together. The wool hung low enough to surround the visitors' head and shoulders.

 

The other pod, draped in layers of white petals (referencing my memories of the floral pool at Vals Therme) had a small entry point in the back corner. Once at the opening, it revealed an intensely bright and reflective internal space. The walls were lined with a waterfall of metallic ribbon, the ceiling suspended with hundreds of light reflecting crystals. It was entered via a small set of stairs and users climbed onto a springy elastacised bed and experienced it lying back. Upon entry, the high pitched sound of bells was activated.

You can hear the full soundscape here.

 In other, very exciting news, GEYSER is making a mini comeback! We have been invited to re exhibit a smaller version of it as part of Makette - an exhibition curated by Kart Projects - which explores designers' side projects. Makette will be exhibited in mid July at the Design Institute in Melbourne. I can't wait to share the other designers' we'll be exhibiting with. They are truly amazing and we're so honored to be exhibiting alonside such talent. Stay tuned!

Before I wrap up this post, I must give a huge thanks to our key sponsors, Chamberlain Javens Architects and manysquaremetres. Thank you for your trust and support. Thanks also to Mance Design who generously designed, provided and installed the lighting. What champs. To our many Pozible supporters- we appreciated every penny you so generously gave. Last but not least, giant thanks to our team of helpers who worked patiently and tirelessly and inevitable found new meaning in the word "tedious." I will be paying you back. For life.

We feel so fortunate to have had so much support to help make this project happen!

Day photos by Caitlin Muscat. Dusk and night photos by Timothy Casten.

freeing the line

I'm over on yellowtrace today talking about Monika Gryzmala's three dimensional drawings. Whilst researching, I stumbled across the "Freeing the Line Exhibition," which Gryzmala contributed to in 2006. 

Curated by Catherine de Zegher, the collection brings together the work artists who "free the line" from the two dimensional plane. Using fine, linear materials such as wire and thread, these artists allow drawings to expand into a three dimensional space. 

As someone who spends all day looking at two dimensional drawings and imagining them as three dimensional spaces, these works offer a warm place of familiarity for me. It's fascinating that as soon as the line shifts into the third dimension, the line or "drawing" is much less a representation but becomes the work itself. Well, that's if you consider a drawing as simply a representation in the first place. 

Oh dear, this conversation could keep going on for a while...

Images via Marion Goodman Gallery

re-love challenge: the finished piece

Hoorah! The piece for Feast Watson's Re-Love challenge is now complete! I'm pretty happy with the result. Read more about this challenge and my design intent here.

Keep your eye on the Re-Love website from May 9th for details of the auction. All nine pieces including this one will be sold off to raise money for the Salvos Stores.

If you're curious, I've listed the steps below. I used a mix of Feast Watson's Black Japan Stain & Varnish, Liming White Stain, Liming White Stain with varnish and Dulux's Quit Rust in Black for the metal frame.

1. The piece was lightly sanded, including the metal frame.
2. The area around the frame was masked off before applying three coats of the Quick Rust in Matt Black.
3. The lower board was given four coats of the Black Japan Stain & Varnish.
4. One coat of the Liming White Stain (without varnish) was applied with a cloth and then a second coat applied with a brush. This coat was allowed to dry completely over a few days.
5. A tessellated pattern was designed on CAD to suit the dimensions of the table. I started by dividing the table size into equal rectangular blocks and then manipulated the shape from there (using this method).
6. The pattern was transferred onto contact paper, which formed the stencil. The stencil pieces were cut out then laid over the areas to be blocked out. The contact pieces were stuck onto a piece of fabric before sticking it onto the table. This knocked out some of the stickiness, protecting the limewash on the table and making it easier to remove later on.
7. Using a cloth (and yes, that is an old sock), the liming wash without varnish was dabbed onto the exposed areas. This coat was layered on quite thick and intentionally patchy. The contact was removed while still wet. This layer was allowed to fully dry over a few days.
8. To drop the level of contrast out and also seal the finish, the entire top was given another two coats of the Liming Wash with varnish.

Photography and styling by me. Assistance with heavy lifting/props manoeuvring by my sister. Thanks also to my parents who generously allowed me to turn their terrace into my temporary workshop. Thanks a bunch team Leoncio :)

daylight confetti

My post on yellowtrace today is seriously feeding my fascination with torched timber. It's total material porn. Check it. 

snowed under

Dang. Well look at that. That old thing called "life" has gotten in the way of the ol' blog. It may continue this way for a little while. I haven't forgotten about this place and will be back as in a week or so. There's a small collection of half written posts waiting in the wings (aka Sydney debrief, the final Re-Love table refurb and the pics from my installation last year). Stay tuned.

In the meantime, do you read this is paper? It's new to me and man, it is GOOD.

Image via