This project was extremely hard for me for a number of reasons. I was going through really bad money issues when this project started and as such was not able to purchase materials for the project. A classmate generously donated extra wood to me and I was able to begin late.
My goal was to create a carrying or drinking vessel, using wood notching and shaping to create the “skeleton” and heat shrunk plastic to create the “skin.” In this sense, I wanted to create something practical but also symbolic of the body and the duress it goes under on a daily basis. When using the cup, I wanted the viewer to be shockingly aware of the innards of this piece, as we are seem to forget the bones that make up all humans.
The biggest challenged was how thin my wood was, as it kept snapping under stress and I had to remake multiple pieces. I attempted to melt plastic bags together and then heat shrink them to the wooden structure, but they would not adhere in the way I had hoped. I enjoyed the process of working in the N2 Shop and would like to try a project using wood again in the future.
