Taking Models From History

The Alchemists Dressing Table: Lauren Davis

I was most interested by 'The Alchemists Dressing Table' by RCA graduate Lauren Davis- tools to produce natural cosmetics at home.

This product looks at taking examples from history. In ancient egypt castor oil, sesame oil and moringa oil were applied to the skin as an anti wrinkle solution. Facial makeup included red ochre to stain the lips and cheeks; this product was derived from a rouge clay that was dried or burned. The plant henna was used for nail painting and hair dye, a cosmetic still widely seen today. Alongside these were probably the most well known, eye liners, made from black galena, a lead based substance which was applied to the eyes in an almond shape with sticks. This was to resemble the eye of the God Horus to protect them from evil spirits and prevent eye diseases. 

In a similar way Lauren Davis has taken this image of alchemy in cosmetics and shown this through the materials used; copper and woods, alluding to the past.  

Copper & Maple Wood- traditional and folkloric symbolism 

Cork- used for insulation

Borosilicate Glass- Heat resistance 

Stainless Steel- Strength 

In my own work I also wish to look at materials from history and use those in my project to symbolise a certain time. 

My project looks at the 18th-19th Century naval ships, as my site is the old Greenwich hospital for naval pensioners. In this time brass was used often on ships due to its malleability and availability during the industrial revolution. As the site I am using is made up of mainly concrete and stone I hope to juxtapose those materials with brass, in a similar way that lauren did with copper. 

References 

Bell, T. (Unkown). The History of Brass. Available: http://metals.about.com/od/properties/a/The-History-Of-Brass.htm. Last accessed 10th Jan 2014.

Davis, L. (Unknown). The Alchemist's Dressing Table. Available: http://www.heka-lab.com/THE-ALCHEMIST-S-DRESSING-TABLE. Last accessed: 9th Jan 2014.

Wikipedia. (2013). Beauty and cosmetics in ancient Egypt. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_cosmetics_in_ancient_Egypt. Last accessed 10th Jan 2014.

Is My Project Sustainable?

The main TED 10 that fitted with my project was 6. Design that takes models from history and nature. 

This was because my project is based around history and an existing site; looking at the materials for my installation that were used on board 19th Century ships as well as the existing materials on site. Understanding their durability and how they made things then would be helpful in thinking about my production.

Form Follows Function

"Working out problems first, and then thinking about how we can change them for the better"

I wish to design to change the world for the better. 

For meaning. For purpose. For people. 

The lecture given this week spoke about design thinking, designing management and systems. I liked that, it meant problems were being found and solved. When we are taught about good design, form follows function, otherwise you would have a beautiful bedroom that doesn't have room for a bed. 

The quote at the top of the page was given by the lecturer, someone who wasn't a designer, talking about how she designs. I agreed with her comment, why build something that doesn't serve a purpose or solve a problem or help people. Surely that is much more ethical design?

We were introduced to a company called IDEO. Their role as designers are to change companies containing staff who aren't designers, for the better though teaching them creative strategies. Working through the problems with designers who have other ideas and ways of thinking. 

In Architecture there is quite a famous example of what happens when form doesn't follow function; when an architect is so obsessed with the aesthetic of the building they forget about the purpose. Zaha Hadid's first build in 1993 was the Vitra Fire Station in Germany, a beautiful linear design with concrete. When it came to opening the build and the engines to pull out, a design floor came into appearance when the engines struggled to get out of the building at a proper speed. With this failure another fire station was built and now the building is used as a museum. 

Posing the point, it may be beautiful, but if it doesn't work, well what a waste. 

In my current project I am creating a large fish eye lens, that when looked through is positioned so that you can view the site from the eyes of a pensioner that once sat there. It is supposed to create a painting like effect to allude back to the history of the site. In keeping with the theme of this post, when designing the size and shape of my lens I research the dimensions so that it will work, not even thinking about its aesthetic, as it's aesthetic can be thought about through choice materials. Its position is not where the installation will look best but to show the view that is appropriate. 

A Model of my fish eye lens and a picture to show what is seen when looked through

References

Ideo. (2014). About IDEO. Available: http://www.ideo.com/about/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Unknown. (Unkown ). Failure, Change, Adaption. Available: http://stendhalsyndrome.tumblr.com/post/128378612/failure-change-adaptation. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Emotionally Durable?

Emotionally durable design.
How can my interior design project be emotionally durable?
A bag that has been passed down, or you would like to keep your whole life and then pass down, due to the quality of the material or designer is emotionally durable. But I'm not designing a product.

I understand how it could be an emotional experience, as my project is based in Greenwich around the royal naval college focusing on the role of the sailors whilst they were away- taking into focus past experiences, war, loss and gaining power.

The materials could be durable. Possibly looking at materials around the site itself that have survived until now. Stone, concrete, metal. Or research the types of metal, concrete and timber used on the boats. Then people could make a connection between the materiality and the meaning.

Would this then make it emotionally durable?
Would when the time comes to take my installation down, someone want to take it home with them?

--------------------

Sugru

Repair it yourself. Instead of throwing something away and buying another, this invention provides you with a means of simply fixing it yourself with little effort. Sugru also has a website in which you can post photos to show how you have used the product.
So, how is this emotionally durable?
By stopping you from throwing things away and providing a simple solution to your breakage you have more ownership over the product, you feel more of an attachment to it as you have put your mark upon it.

So in relation to my project, when people have more ownership over something they wish to treasure it more than something mass produced. My project is already very interactive, looking into large lenses to understand the history of the site, and the people that used to live around it. Every person that looks through the lenses will look through the lenses in different ways. They take ownership over my project when it is displayed. Maybe like Sugru, my project needs a way for the viewers to comment, to give them a voice.


Bibliography 

Atto Partners. (2014). The Future Needs Fixing. Available: http://sugru.com/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Exploring New Technologies

Ark Nova: Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki 

To bring the arts and enjoyment after a tsunami hit Japan, Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki designed an inflatable concert hall. The hall can be deflated and folded up to bring entertainment to a wider audience.

In TED 10: Design to explore cleaner and better technologies, Design and materialise and develop systems and services.

This project is an inspiration for my own as the second image shows how the light shines through the material. My project is based on filters through a camera that resemble the photo above.

The photo (left) is one of the photographs in my project using lens filters

I wish to make these photos into a three-dimentional installation, and the Ark Nova's use of material could be useful for achieving this.







Bibliography

Frearson, A. (2013). Ark Nova by Arata Isozki and Anish Kapoor.Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/26/ark-nova-by-arata-isozaki-and-anish-kapoor-completes/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.