that special space

a place of safe keeping
a nest of treasures a pot of memories
shoe boxes harboring secrets
the bottom draw
a dog eared note book
a locket
a hole in the wall a corner of the mind

wear

"wear is the erosion of material from a solid surface by the action of another surface. It is related to surface interactions and more specifically the removal of material from a surface as a result of mechanical action." - wikipedia

In association with touch wear can impart on an object. It shapes and individualises an object to it's specific function and the users own trademark as it is a direct change according to use. Blue stone steps appear to bow under the weight of the thousands of feet the pass over them, this is a slow ebbing process that shapes the tread where the majority walk.

A wooden citrus reamer is slowly worn down from countless fruit forces juice from, and wood is smoothed from a sharp point to dull nub. The corners of a mobile phone become chipped of their paint, the plastic areas gouged, stainless steel scratched, but this becomes known as wear and tear. What makes wear a humbling representation of a products life, the use it has borne and the experiences it has shared? What makes wear and undesirable feature of a product, a glaring trace of its age?

Technological products wear inside and out, the surface scratches are matched by the fading of batteries, keypads and LCD screens. In addition to this wearing out the product is also exhausting its life in in terms of trends and fashion, the signs of wear show it is an old item not up to date, its technologies lacking. Creating an exterior that adds value with wear on such technology devices is a fruitless endeavor if the objects functions will be obsolete in a few years time. For example, a mobile phone that has a brass casing that shines with constant touch and wear is pointless if the internal specifics, the interface and appearance cannot change to accommodate technological advances.

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

Keraflex form

#5

Keraflex cube

#4

circle knitted cotton thread

touch

The Florentine Boar's snout is rubbed for luck - Florence

Touch is something we often take for granted, it occurs everyday and yet there is little visible trace left of it in our lives. Touch can be tender, part of routine or for nuturing and consoling, how can touch be given a visualisation, remain seen and enhance the connection...

Some examples of the trace of touch that I've begun to notice is that of touch on a metal surface. Bronze sculptures dot our urban landscape and where accessible show bright blazing signs of connection between previous visitors and the sculpture. The continuously touched areas remain free of oxidisation leaving a shining polished surface highlighting where contact has been made and other metals may be dulled by the touch from the acids and oils in our skin.

When I was young I was facinated by the smoothness of protrutions on fallen trees and stumps where cattle had rubbed continuously to ease an itch. The thought of how many times the herd must hae used the scratching post to make the weathered wood so smooth assounded me and I cherished them as a connection between the herd, their environment and myself for discovering their small rituals.

As a meterials experimentation I would like to explore various metals and their properties concerning touch, oxidisation, patina and polishing. Metals that could be explored could include; bronze, silver, aluminium, copper and brass.

more looks

Studio Formafantasma - Autarchy collection
a range of vessels and brooms that speak of beauty in the everyday objects. The vessels are made of flour, agricultural waste, lime and vegetable dies and baked and sealed for use. The objects speak of a method that is unconventional, uses materials we have and produce objects that we are familiar with but shedding a new light on them. The vessels have imperfections from the various stages and would offer a warmth to touch that ceramics lack creating an intimate relationship with the object.



Roland Tiangco - poster
to me this poster offers a very intimate experience with user involving them and forcing them to become one of the "few willing to get our hands dirty". While it is essentially a poster than could be thrown out with the recycling (I hope!) I believe the act of participation and memory would make the user want to hold onto the item for as long as possible. This is a beautiful example of thought provocation by an object as it latches onto our emotions - guilt if you're not doing anything to help sustain the future - pride if you feel you are actively making a difference, emotions only you know the answer to as if you and the object are having a private conversation.

materials

Keraflex is a product I came across in an issue of Australian Ceramics magazine, about a year ago.

"Keraflex Porcelain is made from ceramic raw materials and an organic binding matrix which burns out when fired to cone ten, resulting in a strong and translucent pure porcelain.
Keraflex opens up a world of possibilities and applications previously unattainable in clay."

This is a product that I have been itching to explore. I love how it is super thin, delicate and translucent. I ordered the Deluxe Trial pack, at $45 for 2 A4 sheets and slurry it isn't the cheapest, and will begin to play around with it and incorporate it into my one-a-day series.

#3

pom pom - cotton fabric

#2

ring- 1 rubber band

#1

Belt; black leather

a sideline act

In terms of what area of object design I wish to create in it is adornment that constantly facinates me and gets my mind a thinking. That said objects for objects sake are always a pleasure as well.

As a sideline act I want to challenge myself to think and work quickly and routinely to stimulate idea production. The plan is to create a piece a day, sticking within the adornment area trying to limit my materials to those in my immediate surroundings - waste, existing items, materials in my possession and general detritus - to minimise the consumer desire. It may be worn for a day, it could last a lifetime or be gone is a few minutes time...

phase 2

the peeler test



Participants were given 4 different vegetable peelers and a pile of potatoes. The peelers all had different materials and forms; thick clay covered handle (1), leather wrapped (2), stylised (3) and one as it was from the packet (4). Participants were simply told to peel the potatoes using the four peelers as this was an observation of interaction with form and material.

Observations:
- (1) was first to picked up and explored, comments were made on how sturdy and heavy it was and of it's phallic appearance. This peeler only performed to those who peel away from themselves and was ultimately discarded in favour of the others as it became jammed with potato skins.
- (2) was favoured for it's leather casing and was ultimately the most tactile of all. However the leather became soft and stretched with the potato juice, allowing the plastic body to move aorund inside the casing, if leather was bound tighter this would be a more desirable object to use.
- noted that the 'eye digger' point on the end was lost with the material additions made to (1) and (2).
- (3) was a stylised shop bought peeler, and performed well but too quickly and the job was done with little experience and interaction with fellow peelers.
- (3) was too stylised and also lost its 'eye digger' in favour for sweeping curves.
- (4)'s blade bent on first use but it was argued that it was now performing better.
- all participants commented on the enjoyment of interacting together to help with the preparation of food (the potatoes then became gnocchi) and were disappointed when all the potatoes were skinned.

motivation and stimulation

The state of consumer culture, for me, is an integral part of why I want to look into the emotional value of objects. So much crap is produced every day, and that crap has packaging... and it's all made of plastic... and then it's shipped all around the world with the power of oil... where we use it for a short period of time, it breaks or it was just crap to begin with so then we buy more...

iPods killing people. We immerse ourselves in social networking sites, apps and our own audio world that we don't see what is around us, who we just passed on the street or what's coming from behind.

"There is little point designing physically durability into consumer goods if Consumers have no desire to keep them" - Emotionally Durable Design

"...a pathology of material culure that includes aberraions, transgressions and obsessions, the consequences of and motivations for the misuse of objects, and object malfunctions." - Notopia, Design Noir

"Modern products lack character; they are to smart and precise, removing all possible surprise, mystery and perhaps above all, charm from the process of engagement" -Emotionally Durable Design

"Landfills around the world swell with the fully functional appliances - freezers that still freeze and toasters tht still toast - their only crime is being a failure to sustain empathy with their users." Emotionally Durable Design

Mourning Jewellery

Heirloom jewellery - the passing on, sentimental attachment to a thing because of its past owners.

Wabi-Sabi:
"Wabi-sabi is exactly about the delicate balance between the pleasure we get from things and the pleasure we get from the freedom of things." (Koren, L.)
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy of not only what is beautiful but a way of living. It is particularly fascinating when associated with aesthetic as many objects and places labelled as wabi-sabi are not conventionally beautiful or pleasing to the eye. However, given understanding it is through what may be seen as ugliness, or crudeness, the individual and complex beauty shows. Wabi-sabi allows for degradation and attrition, and through involvement in the forms of corrosion and contamination the resulting experience can be richer. As a practice the originated in Japanese tea ceremonies, wabi-sabi was a counter reaction to the glamorous and pristine Chinese teas ceremonies dominant at the time. Rather, wabi-sabi focus on the obscure, hidden and ephemeral things allowing for a transient aesthetic that "beckon: get close, touch, relate." (Koren, L.) These feature relate particularly to the area of design and creation explored in Limited Life, as a focus on involvement and sustaining appreciation.
Artists such as Shinichi Maruyama represent the thought behind wabi-sabi through his photographs and moving images of water. The very nature of water summarises the wabi-sabi aesthetic well due to its transient form. Through stills Maruyama also captures the exposure involvement and instant form degradation.

Pascal Anson
Pascal Anson (1973-) is a British designer who studied at the Wimbledon School of Art and the Royal Collage of Art in London and whose work ranges across product, furniture and environment or spatial design. Of particular interest to this project is his Reunification Project series. This series focuses on lost and lonely objects who were once part of a set but have become separated over time. By tagging objects in groups Anson gives a pile of mismatched cutlery a unifying feature by being treated in the same way, dipped red handles, to enable the item to continue on as was intended. He applies this technique to a range of objects such as chairs, figurines and even a suit that acts as a wearable filofax of contact numbers for when technology does not function. The validating of objects that may have been deemed worthless because they were no longer a complete set is a thoughtful approach to addressing wasteful tendencies and dismissive perspectives.

Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson (1967-) is a Danish artists whose works incorporate light, sculpture, photography and even moss and water, are a stunning experience. Eliasson's works allow the view to experience a unique perspective because of the angle at which they view the work and the time at which it is viewed. His recent exhibition at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, December 2009 - April 2010, titled Take Your Time allowed viewers to experience the subtleties of light, water, darkness, texture and smell. Eliasson's works truly engage all the senses and created an atmosphere of wonder and discovery.

Naomi Filmer
Naomi Filmer's (1969-) works are highly sculptural are far from being solely viewed on a stationary plinth. The London and Milan jewellery designer's works take ergonomics to a whole new level. The pieces are not only formed with the body in mind but require it to be truly beautiful. Filmer's engaging works also manipulate the wearer into positions and poses that may or may not be natural breaching the line between function and comfort. Hand crafted the pieces, even though they are created from precious metals, glass and found objects, still manage to appear to be extensions of ones body.

phase 1

study of others collecting and object value habits

- Ask participant to select three objects of value.
- Discuss why there objects were chosen.
- photograph objects in situate.
- repeat.

Participant 1:

1. Fan. I picked out this object from a room full of fans. It was chipped baby blue with dodgy electrics so I stripped, polished and rewired it. I value it because of how I came to have this particular object out of a many similar ones, because of the weight and sturdiness of the design and quality and for its 50's aesthetic.

2. Snowboard. This isn't a particularly good board, but it was one of my first and even thought I have a nice pair of skies this board is still great to ride when I don't feel like skiing. It's old, has none of the new technology but it's fun, reliable and I can ride it like I don't care if I destroy it, although I would.

3. Bike. While living in Adelaide for 6 months I needed a cheaper mode of transport and a project to keep me entertained. I purchased this bike from Ebay, cleaned it up and rode it to work every day. I brought it back to Melbourne to replace my old mountain bike, gave it a bit more love and spruced it up with new paint, cranks, wheels...etc. I like the simple Repco frame, the stickers I picked up in the U.S and how well it serves me as I ride it almost every day.

Participant 2:

1. Handbag. This bag was given to my mother by me Great Aunt, Mum then gave it to me after my Great Aunt died. I value the workmanship that has gone into it, while it doesn't say where it was made, the hand beaded design and weight of the clasp have a quality that bags today don't have. It also has sentimental value as I imagine my Great Aunt having this hanging from her arm in the 1940's.

2. Art. I made these collages as part of my Year 12 IB Art class. I feel like they were a fluke in how well the turned out to my original idea and how I must have been very focused to complete them. I value them because i feel proud that I created them and because they remind me of that time in my life.

3. Wee Jock. I was 8 and traveling around Europe for 6 weeks with my family. Apparently I was getting very sad about being away from friends and missing out cat back home so while in Scotland my parents bought me something to hold onto. He was a faithful friend during the time travelling and has always had a place on my shelf, he's one of the few soft toys I've kept. And he sits next to a bottle of wine brought back from South Africa...

Participant 3:

1. Sewing Machine. Given to me for my 21st birthday this machine replaced a unreliable one that was my mothers, thought I have no memories of her sewing. It's pretty high tech but I love that it hold a world of possibilities within it and can be used to create. It always sits on my desk so I do most other work on the floor or bed.

2. Charm Necklace. This necklace was a present from my mother. I have a very strong memory of going to a local jeweller and choosing the charms for him to attach to the chain. Being obsessed with animals they all creatures I loved a bird, cat, horse, dolphin and mouse. My aunt then gave me a teddy with moving arms and legs to put on it. I still wear it, it's never broken and I can never seem to find charms like these anymore.

3. A letter. I keep this letter tucked inside an old leather purse in my lingerie draw. I is a hand written note from someone who is very important to me, and was given to me before leaving for India for 6 months. I kept it in the back pocket of my jeans for a while, hence the blue colouring, and then kept is safe while I traveled. this object is entirely sentimental and I value it for the storng memories it evokes and simple handwritten nature of it.

the hypothesis

Why do be value certain things about others of similar monetary value?

Can an object force the user to value it more highly?

Does participation in creation/manipulation of an object give the allow the object to be given a higher value by those directly involved in it's creation?

the hunch #2

Through exploration, observation and interaction I hope to support my hunch that it is an emotional connection to objects that forces and user/owner to place a value on them thus extending the said objects life or worth. Furthermore it is a connection that humans inately crave, whether it be connection to an object or the object projecting a notion of havng connection/contact, therefore giving life meaning.

looks and books

Tomas Saraceno

Elena Dorfman

Design Noir

Slow Textiles

Marije Vogelzang

Emotionally Durable Design

The Meaning of Things

skinterfaces - play the video. I particularly like the road kill coat.

the hunch

Limited Life can be about filling voids that have been created through a hyper-stimulated existence with all that is hi-technology. What has been lost or replaced by "Friends", "Like"-ing something, Second-Life existences? Are we craving the basics of human contact and connection by trying to branch out and feel something with anyone? Perhaps this is direct correlation with how we view objects and products in our lives, a band-aid fix, emotionally inert, a throw-away item.

project territory

Limited Life

Objects around us and even our own situations are limited. Technology can have inbuilt obsolescence, a predetermined timeframe in which the object will either no longer complete its function or will be superseded by a another. Trends and fashion can also affect the life we place on an object as their aesthetics become less appealing in time. Our own state of living is also limited, by social, economic and environmental factors and we can be restrained, confined or restricted in a multitude of ways.

Currently it seems that this limited life is having an impact on the environment and causing us to question the benefits and downfalls of this route we are heading down. One area being examined is that of waste, have to reduce it, during manufacture and transport and how to prevent this limited life restraining an objects worth. In this area I would like to focus on the extension of life and function through exploring emotion attachment, object-user rewards to improve life extension. The idea of stimulated function - that something can change or become useful according to how the user interacts with it and treats it.

Another area of the Limited Life theme that would be explored is that of how our personal lives can be emotionally limited. Looking into where there are voids of stimulation in modern living, namely the numbness that can creep into an overstimulated population when some basic experiences are removed from our routines. Namely this area of research will look into the void of contact in relation to both emotional and physical contact of an intimate relationship and our basic needs such as food/eating.