CONCEPTUAL DESIGN & FORM:
The original focus for my design was to create a sculpture which once inside, the human being experienced a complete lack of stimulation. However, from personal experience, the ideals changed because a dark, quiet room cannot entirely help chase away life’s stresses. In my opinion, a far off place with stars can. In fact, many senses are stimulated in a calming way. The function of being cut off from society is one component to the design. The material is to be cold, which combined with the night air, is intended to shock the nervous system once felt; over time the skin will relax, but the cold will continue to keep the body present in its surroundings. As for sound, the night will be silent, with the exception of the pleasant sound of crickets and other night critters. Lastly, as for sight, the lucky human(s) will see darkness, with stars lighting up the sky above.
VISUAL & PHYSICAL DESIGN:
In essence, the physical structure is not meant to be seen, but felt. In life’s complexity there is so much to see, but many don’t stop to feel. My design is all about feeling, meant to make the individual feel the sculpture so they can truly see the night above. The material is of stone which is cold to the touch, especially in the night air; it is a grounding sensation that pulls the viewer back to the present with each movement and shiver. The bars above are an attempt to travel the eye across the stars—each spot reveals the lines in a different perspective and therefore each time one uses the sculpture the experience will be new. The triangle also symbolizes a multitude of threes, including the spirit, mind and body, as well as the past, present and future. Most importantly, the triangle symbolizes thought, feeling and emotion, which signifies the purpose of the sculpture itself.
What is YOUR relationship to Form follows Function?
The coined term “Form follows Function” is quite the abstract concept. The complexity can be downgraded into the simple ways we see and perceive an object, the difference in view versus the eye and the mind. I see form as the interior and exterior of the object, the manifestation and way it appears to the eye. This component is quite straightforward in nature, it’s the shape and volume and mass, the object itself. However, function is more complicated because function is purpose, why the thing exists, the way it appears to the mind. The function can be the same for all, or some, or none; perhaps a design’s function depends on the individual and their perspective. For my design, I chose to rely heavily on function, and they ways I could push ideas enough to have a rock solid foundation (pun intended) while letting the individual choose what the function is to them. Whether to think, feel, or rummage through emotions, the form is there for the function to be explored in the mind.
