I. Practice

I drew and cut a parabolic curve on foam chord based on the principles of the previous project. I formed a slant beacon shape with it. Then, I made a small crown-shaped figure with casting plaster. From this practice, I realized I wanted a bigger curvy plane for my shape, and thicker connections in order to reduce the chance of the piece breaking.

II. Casting

I drew and cut a new shape with foam chord—a closable tube shape that meets at a thinner edge. I attached the edges together to make a more fun shape, heart.

The inside of the piece, which is the main part of the piece, makes a round emoji heart shape, while the outer surface has flat, angular, geometric presentations.

I made another piece with another parabolic curve shape. I simply rolled it around and made an asymmetrical third dimensional shape. I was mindful of the cone’s thickness, so that it’d be not too thin nor too bulky.

It turned out to be satisfying. I was happy with the slant shapes of the two edges on the top and bottom. I especially liked the long, curvy line that connects the cone shape and the flat plane.

III. Refining

I shaved the surface of the pieces with two different tools. I got rid of the bumpy parts first and then smoothened the surfaces. I also shaved down the marks of the foam chord, and smoothened the surface visually. For my first piece, I aimed to make the heart shape inside clearer, since the inside was the focus of the piece.

For my second piece, smoothening the inside was harder because of the narrow space on the inner surface. However, the pointy top part of the inner surface turned out very smooth.

I shaved off the outer surface more, in order to clear up the stripy marks from the foam chord. It was pleasant to touch the surface after the smoothening process.

The outer surface turned out very clean, and I decided to use this arching, curvy plane to be the primary presentation of my second piece.

I planned to set up my second piece lying flat and diagonally as the following image:

IV. Sculpture

I cut a small wood panel on which my pieces will be placed. I drilled holes on my pieces and the panel. I then put short wooden hinges inside the holes in order to attach the pieces to the panel. I wanted the size of the panel to be as small as possible, in order for my pieces to go beyond the space given by the panel and interact with the open air. I envisioned the balance between the mass and the space.

My first piece—the hollow heart— is at the back, interacting with the empty space on the right. It is standing slant, putting its weight slightly off balance to the right. My second piece—the penta-cone(pentagon+cone)— is also lying slant, diagonally interacting with the wooden panel. It takes up the space on the left side of the panel, with its sharp upward motion into the open air. Such interactions create an overall balance in the piece by distributing the visual weight of the masses.

I wanted my first piece, hollow heart, to represent a metaphorical heart, in which emotions and experiences dwell. It’s sturdy and big, for its roles, and stays firm at the back as an environment or a context. But the heart shape itself is made of a lack of materials—as anti-space. The heart’s hollowness is explained through the presence of the second piece, penta-cone, which represents emotions and experiences from the heart. Its sharp shape and dense form symbolize the differentiating nature of the heart’s products. To further emphasize the emotions that the second piece represents, I’d like to find a way to set it more upward in the future.

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