one website that I gained great inspiration from over this past week was www.akairways.com the website had some great inflatable designs that they have created for public spaces and music festivals. Here a couple images that I found most intriguing.
Another inspiration for my new design was an artist that I had been meaning to research previously. I really loved Yayoi Kusama's installation work. Here is one image that really caught my eye.
After my research I created several sketches for my new inflatable idea. The drawing is a representation of both ice and mountains. As I said, my professors made me consider more abstract representations of my dreams so they are less literal. I like this idea more because it would allow the viewer to create their own ideas about what the inflatable represents/means to them.
Image 1:This new design would hand from the ceiling and a motor/fan would be attached in the middle. The design is a lot like a ceiling fan or chandelier in how it would work. I also picked up a yacht air motor from Shaun Jackson that is only about 6" in diameter and would be very easy to attach to the ceiling. However, I have several questions regarding how to attach it to the ceiling and that is why I requested Shaun to be the guest for my critique next Tuesday.
Image 2 (left):I also needed to figure out how large each "ice/mountain" shape would be. Sizes would vary from 4ft -2ft. I took into consideration how tall a typical ceiling is since I still do not know my exact installation site. It was important to me that the viewers would feel the scale of the inflatable while also being able to walk around it and under certain parts. When making these calculations, I started to become increasingly concerned that I still do not know my site of installation and it is starting to become a HUGE issue. The entire layout and design of the installation could change depending on its location. I realized I needed to take into consideration the length of each wall, height of ceiling, where lighting and outlets are located. As my stress grew, I went back and emailed Mark Neilson once more to explain the severity in knowing the site. Hopefully he gets back to me asap.
Image 3 (right):
Last week I did a demo on the laser cutter above the wood shop. However, this week I discovered that the laser cutter did not do what I wanted so I discovered the Zund Knife Cutter across the hall. It is an amazing machine! The Zund Cutter takes illustrator files and cuts everything from paper, polyester, carpet and even plastic. The machine will be perfect for cutting larger shapes for sewing. It is very difficult to create such large inflatable structure by cutting each shape by hand. Also, because the machine can cut such intricate designs, I have so many more ideas as far as ways to add to my final installation. At the beginning of the year I discussed with our professors that not everything needs to be an inflatable. Now I am planning to include other laser cut fabric designs along with prints and weaving projects. This sketchbook page includes my notes from the Zund tutorial.
Image 4:Since I already bought 10 yards of the nylon rip stop, I wanted to incorporate that fabric into my new design. From my tutorial I learned that the Zund cutter dimensions can cut 4ft x 8ft at a time. This means I will need to layout my illustrator file into 5 segments and make sure each piece matches up to another half. I am also considering purchasing other fabric so the inflatable isnt just one color. I am thinking that I will need 2 yards, 4 total, of the two different fabrics I am also planning on including.
Logged Hours:
Tuesday January 31st: Revamp design and research new ideas: 4pm - 9pm (5 hours)
Wednesday February 1st: Continue research and start sketching: 1pm - 5pm (4 hours)
Thursday February 2nd: Finalize new idea, research materials, consider scale and installation site, and learn about Zund Cutter (how does it work, how do I sign up): 10am - 1:30pm and 2:30pm - 4:30pm (5.5 hours)
Sunday February 5th: Zund tutorial and figuring out new budget and dimensions of materials for Knife Cutter: 12pm - 3pm and 6-8 pm (5 hours)
Total Hours: 19.5
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