In this 3 week course of Exploring Materials Structure and Surfaces, we explored various texture and form development methods with the selected material. My choice of material was Jute. It was to be explored in terms of its surface and structure. I selected Jute because it is a textile material yet considered a very rough and strong one. It is being used for various purposes in many different fields. The course involves understanding the properties of the material and using those properties to come up with innovative ideas. 

Initial explorations in jute were mostly based on its properties as a textile material. Drawing out yarns, stitching, creating folds etc. In a discussion with the faculty, I changed my direction to bring strength in jute by different means and explore its properties other than that of fabric. Jute as a material is very sturdy and when it is fused with some other materials, it tends to show stiffness and rigidity in its structure. So further I went on to explore ways to strengthen jute in various ways. 

Explorations were done for all three themes. I decided to go further with stepwells as inspiration for further explorations after a discussion with the faculty. We discussed the further possibilities within this domain. All the explorations done within this theme were observed in terms of the properties they exploited.  The geometric yet intricate work in stepwells While it was interesting to explore the texture  of mountain goat’s horns and bird nest but both of them were more natural and raw. The explorations were mainly around the surface and texture. The bird nest had visual similarities with jute yarns and it seemed exact replication of the nest. 

This course of Exploring Material Structure and Surfaces was a great learning experience as we worked very closely with our material and got to know different sides of it. Right from understanding its physical attributes to its social perception, every point was considered and discussed. It began with understanding the current possibilities with Jute and getting to know various artists and craftsmen working with the material.  As the course progressed, my explorations gained a dimension from texture to 3D forms. It is crucial to understand how differently the material can be handled apart from the conventional uses which are currently in practice..
It is interesting to see how every material is being explored in many ways where some shows similarity while other are completely different. I could also visualize combining two materials based on their explored properties to achieve something new. This course gave a clear understanding of the material, its strengths, limitations and suitability in various contexts.