The Senses: Design Beyond Vision
Dialect For a New Era 2017/18
This was by far one of my favorite pieces in the Cooper Hewitt Museum. On the top of the white column, a complex feeling is etched into the surface. On the side of the box, there is a button that releases the scent that creators felt fitting to describe said emotion. The association between emotion and scent is something that could very well expand language, by allowing emotions, words, etc. to be recognized by smell. The slick, white, low pillars were constructed to be minimalistic and clean. Having the backlight illuminate the words, allows the viewer to clearly read said emotion. If the viewer does not have the ability to see, they can read the words from the brail that has been embossed in the back. I found the brail to be especially intriguing since it highlights that it is not necessary to be able to see, taste, or hear in order to be actively engaged with this piece. Going beyond this piece, the association between smell and language could heavily influence the future. It is an interesting concept that I do believe has a lot of potential. The work itself engages the viewer to think outside of the box using a sense that is usually overlooked while observing “art”.
The Senses: Design Beyond Vision
Feather Fountain, 2008
The low bowl shape metal base has air that travels from all sides in order to initiate the feathers flight up, allowing them to float back down, and then continuing with this trend. This constant motion offers visual and sonic queues to the viewer that studies the pieces or just walks by. The sturdy, clean-lined, dark, metal base is a stark contrast to the light, organic, soft, flexible nature of a feather. The juxtaposition of these two objects is palpable and makes this piece all the more interesting. Since fountains serve as sensory landmarks in urban design, I found it an interesting to approach designing a fountain without the use of water. Since we are studying space and materiality in this class, I believe that this piece really plays into our studies. It makes me think about all the objects humans have already created and their potential if we were to change the materials that make said object up. Would we lose or enhance the integrity of the piece? Would we make new discoveries that would be unintentional? What could we create from a concept if we had no knowledge of the original product or design?
Scholten & Baijings: Lessons from the Studio
Color Story
I was especially excited when I walked into the room and saw this workshop because of my love for Pantone. The workshop had said to choose three colors that best corresponded with the photo, but I couldn’t help myself and I ended up choosing ten. I thought it was very interesting to study the dynamic of color and also how we perceive them. Sometimes the color chip I would choose would be spot on, while other times it would be way off. The combination and proximity of color can fool the eye. It reminded me of the quintessential shading blocks that drawing teachers usually share with the class to highlight how a color can look to be different when it is put next to a lighter or darker hue. The color chips do not all match up perfectly, and in vain, I must admit that I gave up on finding the perfect match and settled for a close second.
Scholten & Baijings: Lessons from the Studio
Exploring color, texture, and pattern
I really enjoyed this workshop because I felt as if I was choosing the materials I was going to use to design something. The up-most turquoise paper is a sturdy cardstock, it is accented to the with a steel blue tissue paper to the right. The topmost navy layer is lined with ridges, making it interesting to the touch. The royal blue underneath is plastic, it has a translucent quality to it that I found to be quite beautiful. The final piece is your everyday graph paper. I chose to include the graph paper because the blues are so rich and fruitful. I believe that the graph paper brings it all together since the majority of it is white, but it is accented with blue gridded lines that tie into the overall blue theme. I found that the overall layering and proximity of the colors made this workshop successful.