1. Final artwork from the Painting with Bacteria Lab
The upper one is not mine. I took the photo just because it was kinda cute.
Strangely enough, I didn’t get two petri dishes. In those two petri dishes I made patterns in pink and orange, and I don’t know why I didn’t get them. The result was worse than I expected. I thought it was going to be white (high saturated), but it’s actually a slightly see-through milky yellow. The pattern is not very clear, the color is very light, not very nice. I want to use high-saturated color for my next experiment, and I don’t know if I can do that.
Repair Project:
2) I think it’s similar to the Chinese approach. Similar material was used, but probably not gold but white, making the crack invisible. I think “kintsugi” conforms to “Repair”, “Function”, “Safety” and “Design”. First of all, the use of kintsugi definitely conforms to the rule of “repair”. When items are broken, you can use kintsugi to repair them. Moreover, the use of kintsugi makes shattered objects functional again, and repairing cracks means making the might-have-been-sharp cracks safe and usable. In my opinion, the use of kintsugi turns the originally ordinary functional tableware into a kind of art work, which makes the articles have a different aesthetic feeling, so it also conforms to the principle of “Design”. In the process of using kintsugi to repair items, people also become more attached to the items. When you look carefully at the cracks in the object and think about how to fill it with kintsugi, it deepens your feelings for the object. I think at this point, people see the object as a real “object,” not just one of the many things they own. So it will make the object much more meaningful. I really like this kind of repairing. Because the original ordinary object will become more like a work of art after being restored with kintsugi, and the process of repairing the object with kintsugi is a very meaningful process, so the restored object will indeed be more interesting than the original one, as if it has a soul.
3) Maybe I will go if I have the chance. One reason why people like this kind of activity is that it is cheaper to repair things than to buy new things. In the repair cafe, there is a professional guide to repair things, which provides a certain guarantee and help, making it easier for people to repair things. These activities also promote people’s communication, not only about repairing things, but also about people’s relationship in the community.
4) I’m not sure this will work in China. Maybe it’s because China’s tax is calculated differently from Sweden’s. However, in my impression, when something is broken in our home, we always think about how to repair it in the first place instead of replacing it directly. I think many Chinese people do this, which may also be related to the fact that the labor cost in China is very cheap. I think this policy would be popular in the United States, but it’s hard to say what business people think.
5) I do think the author has a point, but there are some new problems in the current era. The most important thing is that the quality of expensive things is not necessarily good. To be sure, hand-made haute couture is sure to have a high quality, but a lot of expensive things are expensive just because of the brand, or the design, does not mean that the materials and quality must be very good. And sometimes, a good quality thing doesn’t have to be expensive. In China, many small tailors sell handmade products of good quality (though not very good looking). Sometimes people want to value something because they like it, or because it represents something else, or because it’s the only thing they can afford.
6) I think this design is really meaningful. I think one of the most innovative aspects of it is the ability to extend the garment in both directions at the same time, so that the garment can be used for a long time. I think people would love an item that can be transferred or changed in other ways. If my clothes can change size freely, I will have a fresh feeling for it all the time.
1. Object
This is a little inspiration notebook that I carry around with me. I broke a hole in the cover of it by accident when I was doing handwork. I like it so much that I want to fix it. I actually tried to fill the holes with clear nail polish, but it still didn’t look good. I think it’s important to repair things in a variety of ways.
2. Research
One way is to cover it with another piece of leather. Or it could be covered with glitter to cover the hole. But I want to repair it with a DIY button I recently bought. I recently bought a box of metal buttons and button tools. I watched the teaching video and read the instruction manual, and I thought I could fix it by myself. This way I don’t need to use glue or plastic or other harmful materials ( if I use glitter I will probably use a lot of glue which is not eco-friendly) , and the texture of the metal will look good. I will first select a suitable metal button and then use a professional tool and hammer to place the button in this hole. I hope this metal button can be a good decoration , which will bring different texture to the cover of my leather notebook. This repair process won’t take too long.
3. Attempt Repair
I first chose the buttons I preferred.
Then used the tool and the hammer to make the hole bigger.
A bigger hole.
Then I placed the two parts of a button on and under the hole.
Then I used the hammer and the tool again to connect the two parts.
It became even more beautiful!
4. Does it work?
The restoration was undoubtedly successful, and the button made a good ornament. I’m very pleased with the result. I think this repair is better looking and more interesting than the original one, and it also keeps the original hole from expanding and damaging other intact areas.
5. Conclusions
From this process, I learned how to repair or cover up something that was damaged in a clever way. The repair process was as short as I expected. I was a little worried about whether the leather would fit the button successfully and my technical problems, but I was pleasantly surprised that my skills were good and the leather was easy to handle. Next time I might buy a nice patch or leather patch. I think it’s valuable to know how to fix things in a clever way, so that I can cherish something more.
