This kinetic sculpture is the final project for the summer 2011 term of IAT 337: Representation and Fabrication taught by Halil Erhan and T.A.'d by Naghmi Shireen.
For this project we are required to develop a product platform for a line of kinetic sculptures that inform users of their energy consumption and therefore allow for more sustainable living in the home environment. The sculpture is to be a ‘peripheral interface’ that acts as an aesthetically pleasing art object while also subtly informing the user. This is opposed to the complex data charts, tables, and diagrams that can be difficult to understand by the layman. The project concerns itself with how art and technology interplay in influencing our daily resource use, knowledge, and culture.
When designing our kinetic sculpture we decided to inform the user of their energy consumption through the imagery of harmony versus chaos.As a group, we agreed that an overall consistency in low (and therefore ideal) consumption, rather than striving for individual days of low consumption, is a major part of living sustainably. Within this context, harmony represents a balance of the user's overall energy use, while chaos represents an overall unbalanced use of energy.
In terms of the physical form of the sculpture, we attributed an organic, almost bacterial aesthetic to the arms that comprise the majority of the piece. This imparts a mildly parasitic tone to the sculpture as it hangs, arm dangling, from the ceiling of the user's home. Though the rounded pattern is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the organic form coupled with its autonomous and intelligent (ie. responsive) movement creates an almost grotesque sculpture. When the user has 'ideal' - in our terms, consistently low - consumption levels, the sculpture peacefully swings its arms. The 'tentacles,' or arms, seem to wiggle happily. When the user deviates from these ideal levels of consumption, the sculpture reacts accordingly by displaying dramatic and obvious movement in an effort to catch the user's attention. The piece therefore relates to harmony and chaos within an organic context.
In terms of the physical form of the sculpture, we attributed an organic, almost bacterial aesthetic to the arms that comprise the majority of the piece. This imparts a mildly parasitic tone to the sculpture as it hangs, arm dangling, from the ceiling of the user's home. Though the rounded pattern is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the organic form coupled with its autonomous and intelligent (ie. responsive) movement creates an almost grotesque sculpture. When the user has 'ideal' - in our terms, consistently low - consumption levels, the sculpture peacefully swings its arms. The 'tentacles,' or arms, seem to wiggle happily. When the user deviates from these ideal levels of consumption, the sculpture reacts accordingly by displaying dramatic and obvious movement in an effort to catch the user's attention. The piece therefore relates to harmony and chaos within an organic context.
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