MATERIAL RESEARCH
Project Description: Using standard everyday materials in your environment invent a series of material “swatches” that are new, inventive, or experimental in some way. Think of ,ass produced materials.
1.SENSE: TOUCH
Touch General
SOURCE MATERIAL 1:
Product Name: Q-tips
Conventional Use: Applying Ointment/Draw Water
Description: 1.Source of Material: CVS
2.Color: White(Cotton)/ Purple(Stick)/Black(Stick)
3.Size: Small
4.Texture: Soft
5.Light
6.Can be recycled
SOURCE MATERIAL 2:
Product Name: Gypsum
Conventional Use: Making (Architecture) Models/Food additive/Producing Paper, Sulphuric acid
Description: 1.Color: White
2.Size: Not fixed
3.Texture: Hard/ Smooth/ Extra Powder on the Surface
4. Small holes within and on the surface
5.Soundproof
6.Fireproof
7.Can be recycled
Touch Detail 1
SWATCH FABRICATION PROCESS:
This kind of new material is combined with cotton on Q-tips and gypsum. The whole piece is made of cotton from 200 Q-tips and just a little bit gypsum. Removing cotton from each Q-tips individually. Preparing a container to pouring the gypsum powder. After adding the gypsum power into water, soaking cotton into the turbid liquid putting the cotton on a flat surface and change the shape into a square(surface that required). Absorbing water by napkins and press the cotton square by another flat surface. Drying for six to eight hours and the new material getting hard.
Touch Detail 2
Touch Detail 3
2.SENSE: TASTE
Taste General
SOURCE MATERIAL 1:
Product Name: White Sugar
Conventional Use (Moss): Cooking
Description: 1.Color: Transparent
2.Texture: Hard/Particulate Matter
3.Cheap
4.Soluble
5.Fusible
6.Taste Sweet
7.Can be recast
Taste Detail 1
SWATCH FABRICATION PROCESS:
Placing a large amount of white sugar into a big spoon. Adding a small amount of water just for ten percent of sugar to dissolve. Heating the spoon on the fire and melt the sugar. Until the white sugar in the spoon turns yellow. Pour it out on a flat surface. Waiting for about one and half minutes until the liquid half drys using a knife carefully cut the sugar out of the flat surface and get the final shape.
Taste Detail 2
Taste Detail 3
3.SENSE: SIGHT
Sight General
SOURCE MATERIAL 1:
Product Name: Moss (Dyed)
Conventional Use (Moss): Horticulture Decoration/ Medicine
Description: 1.Color: Purple
2.Texture: Soft/Wet
3.Light
4.Cheap
5.Comes from Nature
6.Can be recycled
SOURCE MATERIAL 2:
Product Name: Crystal Resin
Conventional Use: Making Crystal Model(Displaying Objects by Sealing Off Air)
Description: 1.Color: Transparent
2.Size: Liquid(Size depending on the product)
3.Texture: Smooth/Hard(Model)
4. Chemical Compound
5.Light
6.Toxic(Liquid)
7.Pungent Odor(Liquid)
8.Hard to be recast and recycled
Sight Detail 1
SWATCH FABRICATION PROCESS:
By keeping the nature shape of moss and dyed with special color, the combination of dyed moss and crystal resin creates this product a special visual beauty. Each moss was special picked and cut in a tree shape. Using Smooth-On Rebound 25 Silicone Rubber to make mould for the crystal resin. While the rubber mould is shaping, drying the moss in the air for hours so that it can successfully stay inside of the crystal resin. After the mould is shaped, pouring the chemical compound of crystal resin inside the mould for half, then placing the moss on the surface of the liquid and then pour the other half of liquid. Waiting for around 24 hours until the crystal resin to dry and take it out. Cutting the extra rubber on the sides and bottom of the crystal resin to get a clean new material.
Sight Detail 2
4.SENSE: SOUND
Sound General
SOURCE MATERIAL 1:
Product Name: Plastic Bag
Conventional Use: Packing different things/Protecting objects from dirt and water
Description: 1. Source of Material: Chinatown/Westside Market/M2M store
2.Color: Red/White/Mixture of White and Black
3.Texture:Smooth/Soft/Transparent
4.Hard to be recycled
5.Flammable material
6.Waterproof
7.Insulation
8.Hard to be corroded
9.Cheap
SOURCE MATERIAL 2:
Product Name: Aluminum Foil
Conventional Use: Packing
Description: 1.Color: Silver-white
2.Texture: Smooth/ Light Reflected
3.Can be recycled
4.Flammable Material
5. Waterproof
6.Conductor
Sound Detail 1
SWATCH FABRICATION PROCESS:
This new kind of material completely changes from the two original material. The upper flower liked shapes are made by plastic bags and the lower bases comes from the aluminum foil. To make the upper flower shapes, plastic bags need to be cut into small squares, using a funnel to fold the plastic squares into cone shapes. Using clip to melt the upper edge of the plastic cones to get the final shape. The process of making the aluminum bases is almost similar to the plastic cones, by the characteristic of aluminum foil which is easy to be shaped, folding the aluminum squares in to cone shapes. Finally, adhering two part together by inserting the upper one to the base. Adding pressure to the aluminum cones and make sure two parts are attached tightly.
Sound Detail 2
5.SENSE: SMELL
Smell General
SOURCE MATERIAL 1:
Product Name: Rice Paper
Conventional Use: Writing/Painting/Packing Food
Description: 1.Color: White
2.Texture: Soft/Translucent/Smooth
3.Light
4.Cheap
5.Can be recycled
SOURCE MATERIAL 2:
Product Name: Fabric Softener
Conventional Use: Causing the Fabric to Feel Softer
Description: 1.Color: White
2.Size:7.1 x 5 x 4.2 Inches
3.Texture: Smooth
4. Structure like a Net
5.Light
6.Fresh Smelling
7.Cheap
8.Can be recycled
Smell Detail 1
SWATCH FABRICATION PROCESS:
Combining rice paper and the fabric softener together would result a new type of paper. To make the new type of paper, firstly cutting the rice paper to fit the fabric softener. In the mean time, soaking the fabric softener into water. Placing one piece of rice paper on the working table and adding one wet fabric softener on top of it. Placing another pice of rice paper on the fabric softener and try to get rid of of air bubbles between three sheets. Preparing a wood or stone block that is slightly larger than the paper. Adding pressure to the paper in order for them to stick together. Let the wet paper dry and then check if three sheets stick with each other nicely. If not, dissolving a little bit white glue in the water and using a brush to paint on the rice paper. Placing the paper aside and let it dry, this will result a nice new type of fresh smelling paper.
Smell Detail 2
