Room with a View (MIAD)
Exhibition TextThe goal for this piece was to create some sort of structure which would enhance the experience of the lake without taking away from the original experience. This model is to a 1/8" scale and demonstrates a structure that can be experienced from two different spots. The first is an open ramp that leads to a raised platform above the lake and the second begins with a relatively enclosed tight path that leads to an open platform at water level for a closer experience. In both cases experiencing the lake is more spectacular with less distractions and more of a focus on the lake.
PlanningMy main focus for planning was deciding on inclusion versus exclusion. I want to focus on the idea of being inside the room versus being outside the room and the way the curves in the wall evoke these feelings in the people that enter. I used walls that curve inwards and outwards in order to both convey the feeling of being included by the lake and being excluded/blocking off the rest of the world.
click image to enlarge
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Pier
51cm x 20.5cm x 6cm Wood, Cardboard, Paper April 2016 |
Inspiration
Inspiration for this structure came from Richard Serra. Many of his sculptures involve creating paths and portals by bending and warping walls in a distinct and unique way. Some of his sculptures create a place within the wall/walls, and others take one place and divide it into two with purposeful intentions of blocking a view or disrupting the natural flow by blocking certain objects or locations. Serra's works were meant to be experienced out in the world rather than in a museum. They were meant to be experience visually but they were also meant to be experienced by walking through the structures and interacting with the paths that Serra's walls create. The orientation of the walls sets up for provoking certain feelings as you observe the artwork.
Richard Serra’s sculpture, Snake, is a part of his collection called the Matter of Time. Snake was created and placed permanently in a museum. It consists of three towering steel walls that slightly lean giving an uneasy feeling as you walk through them. They also curve which forces the observer to not know what is on the other side. Some other sculptures in the collection include cylindrical places created by a spiraling wall. This spiral is somewhat disorienting and misleading as the path created by the wall slowly becomes tighter and tighter. I incorporated Richard Serra’s minimalistic style into my design by not over complicating the structure. I also borrowed the idea of having slanted walls in my piece. I slanted them more for aesthetic appeal and provoke the feeling of being closed in so that the platform would seem more open and freeing. |
Process
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To start this project I set up the setting display. The black represents the lake or body of water and the sand or shore is represented by the cardboard. I then began to "play" with different designs using card stock for the walls. By doing this I was able to introduce myself to the materials and figure out the design I would continue with. I decided to create two levels in my structure both with a platform at the end that creates a place to enjoy the scenery. The first step in producing the dock was to create the higher level support. I used card stock to create the supporting wall and posts by sketching the design and cutting it out with an xacto knife precisely. I then created a stencil out of paper in order to trace out what I needed to cut off of the wood for the higher level floor. I then cut out the floor and attached the two pieces together and placed them down in the setting. After doing this I bent the end of the higher level floor in order for it to reach the beach but also stay level on the opposite end. The bottom level includes only three pieces; the path under the catwalk, the viewing place and the short middle wall. For all three pieces I created a stencil out of paper first then cut out what I needed from the wood. This was to ensure that the pieces would fit together and so that I would not waste any expensive materials. As a final touch but also for safety I assembled a railing along the backside of the second level using toothpicks and yarn. I placed the railing at about waist level of an adult which can be seen in the images. The red figure represents a 6 foot tall being and every part of this model is to a 1/8" scale.
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ReflectionProcess: The process of producing this model was very straight forward and I ran into very few problems along the way. I found it easier and more efficient to make the parts of the model first out of paper and then recreate them out of the wood. This decision kept me from wasting materials.
Meaning: The purpose of this piece was to both draw attention towards the lake and enhance the experience through isolation. I believe that the piece does this very well. The two places created by the platforms provides some privacy and a great view of the lake while the paths to the platforms really makes the experience feel different from just going to the beach. Mid Process: Each piece and design takes an area of land on the shore and closes it off from the rest of the shore and rest of the world. They then open up very wide in order to experience and enhance the feelings that come from being on the small shore relative to the massive lake/body of water.
All of my designs begin with a relatively small opening which connects to walls that spread outward to create an open area that is still enclosed. As someone walks through the structure it appears to be like a hallway or some sort of path to a great destination, and then there is a point in the pieces that everything opens up into a larger place. This place is both a great experience as it is an open area, but it is also relaxing due to the fact that it closes off all the distractions from the lake. These designs both take a good size of the beach and the shore in order to give the intended effect of inclusion and seclusion. They remove some of the distractions that surround the lake and bring the attention towards the beauty and the feelings the lake may induce. My designs really focus on keeping as much of the lake visible and experience as possible while also removing as many distractions as possible. The designs really embrace the lake by providing a complete view of the lake and not losing any aspect of the lake while also giving a comforting place to enjoy from. My designs incorporate all three fundamental aspects of architecture. They all begin with some sort of portal which I consider to be the area between the walls that is the smallest and a path slowly introduces the audience to the room by gradually spreading out and creating a place at the end where the lake creates a third wall and a room holistically. These structures embody the feelings of just standing at the edge of the lake or near the edge by leading people to the optimal position and putting all the focus on the lake rather than the beach and land. One decision that I made while experimenting was to make the walls convex in relation to the people inside the structure. This decision both enhances the view of the lake, but it also makes the audience feel as if the rest of the world is stuck inside while they are really outside and enjoying the experience. Another decision I made was to somehow close of the entrance so that the place feels more like a room and more secluded. Two ways of doing this included putting a small inclined roof at the portal and placing a small wall behind the portal which also created two separate portals that come together. Finally, I decided to use multiple walls in order to create the path in order to both close off the place more from the rest of the world, but also to produce a more complex structure that would intrigue more people to enter and continue. |
CritiqueMany of Richard Serra's sculptural pieces are massive simplistic structures which I implemented into my piece. In my piece there is really only one large solid wall blocking out part of the beach while creating an enclosed path at the same time. Serra's pieces are far more simple in design, but their placement and manipulation is always purposeful. I too had reason for my placement, manipulation, and simplicity whether it be usefulness, safety, aesthetics, or multiple.
ACT Connection1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between you inspiration and its effect upon your work.
My inspiration, Richard Serra, used the simplicity of walls to create emotion provoking sculptures which I too attempted to do by drawing attention towards the lake. 2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration? Richard Serra used steel, a very industrial material to create his structures and warps and places them in specific areas to provoke certain feelings such as annoyance or uneasiness. 3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, ect. while you researched your inspiration? What makes an activity inefficient can cause people to be annoyed or even angered as seen by Serra's piece, tilted arc, which blocked the front of a busy building. 4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research? My main theme of inspirational research was architecture and how to provoke emotion through sculpture. 5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research? I had inferred that the majority of people like aesthetic objects, and even more people like objects that are pleasing and useful without getting in the way. |