NICOLA LISTON S3377561 ‘Foul Play’
My initial concepts were very centred on user interactivity. This is because I think often its very important for the user to engage with the product. When a user can enjoy the seemingly mundane process of turning on a light - see it as more of an experience; than there is aspects of sentimentality attributed to the light, which is an invaluable outcome for the designer.
INITIAL CONCEPTS
INITIAL CONCEPTS
To begin with I struggled with the broad scope of lighting and couldn’t seem to develop something that was original or unique. It was as if everything I kept drawing was being spewed out subliminally from something I’d seen elsewhere.
%RSXLIV ½REP JSVQ [EW Q] ³IPPI´ lights the ‘L’ shape was intended to be modular and adaptable XLI ½RMWL LEH WYFXPI VEHMYW´ ERH sheer surfaces with LED lighting. These features aren’t really what I was wanting to achieve and aren’t representative of the styles I tend to lean towards. Therefore I deemed it dangerous territory for me to go into.
DEVELOPED CONCEPTS
3RI SJ Q] ½REP XLVII GSRGITXW [EW FEWIH off the concepts of Bakugan the magnets and springs adjusted and moved to morph from spherical shape into some kind of death dragon worth 6000points! The overall visual impact is exciting as transformation happens in a split second.
DEVELOPED CONCEPTS
My chosen concept was born out of Buckminster Fullers Geodesic dome structures. I was fascinated by the angles and hinge points.
DEVELOPED CONCEPTS
The tessellation of alternating hexagons and pentagons is intriguing but I sensed there were already boundaries and limitations to exploration before I had even started
It was a folding process that involved heavy calculations of tolerances and some knowledge of parametric behaviour. I could have used a simple cad model in sheet material form but this seemed like this would be to very minimal and didn't require much thought or development from concept. I really wanted something more challenging and interesting
BACK TO BASICS These restrictions led me back to concept stage. I looked as organic shapes and just continued drawing and started looking at an inside out type of form that really resonated with me.
BACK TO BASICS The form was kind of grotesque in that it seemed to feed off itself. However, it was really interesting to look at as beginning and end were hard to separate and seemed to have some kind of cyclical/ MR½RMX] EREPSKMIW XS MX
Whilst the form on its own different it didn’t lend itself easily to being a light.
I didn’t want to simply ½RH E JSVQ ERH WLSZI E light bulb in it, nor did I want the bulb to totally dictate the eventual outcome. Negotiating a balance between my concept and the reality [EW HMJ½GYPX - PSSOIH EX current forms of warm PMKLXW ERH XVMIH XS ½RH colours that were different.
MATERIAL EXPLORATION
MATERIAL EXPLORATION
My initial renders were really further exploration of materials as I wanted to really accurately represent my form through my eventual medium.
INSPIRATION It became more and more obvious that I was going to struggle to create something of the scale that I had initially intended. To add to this I still had no viable method of suspending my light yet. I searched for more inspiration in materials and form as well as a method to hang the light.
At this stage I visited David Corstophan in Warrandyte to seek advice on what exactly [EW TSWWMFPI [MXL KPEWW 9TSR VIžIGXMSR I was very naïve in what I thought was possible with glass needless to say it was a massive learning curve.
NEW DIRECTION
My concept started to take shape and FIGSQI QSVI VI½RIH EW - I\EQMRIH XLI processes involved in Glass blowing and what exactly was possible.
-The size was around 500mm in diameter and 500mm in height - The glass also had another spherical glass inside where the bulb would screw in -At the neck there was a 20mm hole through which a steele rod would thread
MANUFACTURING (warrandyte)
From further correspondence and pestering David I learnt that the form I wanted to achieve with a off centre bottom was not going to be possible. This was because in the glass blowing process, glass constantly needs to be spinning on the blow rod so as the molten glass doesn’t just fall off. When the glass blower would spin the glass there was no guarantee of the direction of the desired warp making each piece high risk, non-uniform but also introducing a sense of individuality to each piece.
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MANUFACTURING
Through investigation and correspondence with BWS industries I found that getting 10 steel rods cut to size (at 400mm) with a radius (thereby put on their lathe) with a tapped hole was allegedly going to cost $170 (excluding powder coating)
With Davids information I revised my concept and made some adjustments. I sent him a copy of new version but the line had gone cold. This was an interesting experience of rejection in manufacturing and was another big learning curve.
MANUFACTURING 2ND ATTEMPT (red hill) *VSQ XLMW VINIGXMSR - ½KYVIH Q] MHIE RIIHIH JYVXLIV VI½RMRK WS - GLEWIH down Eileen Gordon from Gordon studios in Red Hill and arranged a meeting. Some of her work slumping and playing with colours was what I wanted to achieve in my own work. Again I faced another dead end as Eileen wasn’t able to help me but offered me Miles Johnsons number
After having been rejected twice I went to meet Miles Johnson with different options.
MANUFACTURING 3RD ATTEMPT (mordialloc)
- WXVIWWIH XLI ½VWX SVMKMREP GSRGITX STXMSR as being the most desirable and but also presented Miles with the wider top at QQ WS EW XS ½X XLI PMKLX FYPF XLIR encasing with a cork top and threading with the steel rod
‘FOUL PLAY’ This concept as seen above was christened ‘Foul Play' the idea was to create a kind of perch where the light could wrap around but then ievolved into warping the glass so as to make it seem as if it had been pierced or stabbed with the dowel. Whilst the piece itself doesn’t really involve an interaction with the user it alludes to human interference or ‘foul play’
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I took the scale down to around 300mm high and wide hoping this would make the process more manageable and also changed the shape to have a bigger curves.
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MANUFACTURING 3RD ATTEMPT success..
&MK FVIEOXLVSYKL [MXL ½REPP] getting Miles to agree to do my light and have an attempt at my original concept.
GLASS BLOWING
The process involved two people as the size and weight of the TMIGI [EW HMJ½GYPX XS QEREKI The molten glass is kept at 1200 degrees in whats called a crucible. To retrieve the glass a rod was dipped in and rotated to build a layer. It was then rolled on the table where it was shaped and put into another kiln called a 'Glory hole' where it was heated again so it could be worked again at around 800degrees.
GLASS BLOWING
GLASS BLOWING This process was repeated over and over so as to maintain a malleable piece and as glass grew bigger the process became higher stress and more fast paced, gaining momentum and eventually capitulating when it was placed in the annealer where it could gradually cool so as not to shatter over the course of 24 hrs
DOWEL Initially my stab light concept had a dowel with a diameter of around 45mm so as to really set off a contrast and provide a steep taper. However, structurally putting a hole that big in the narrow neck of glass could affect the structural integrity of the glass. The scale was taken down to 25mm on one side and 20mm on the other.
I stained the dowel to see what sort of colour I could achieve and whether or not this would look effective with my glass colours of Amber and black
unfortunately the colours gave an un natural look that didn't really suit the over all aesthetic
DOWEL (stain) eventually through trial and error over the the lathe and sanding, I managed to get a more complimentary form. There is a simple taper to the length and a chamfer at the end. I think that this is a simple and organic outcome. The dowels EVI ½RMWLIH MR WIZIVEP GSEXW SJ linseed oil
DOWEL (size)
8LIVI [EW WSQI HMJ½GYPX] MR working out the most visually powerful length and shape of dowel
SHAPE & FORM (outcomes)
the kind of dip dye look that occurs from manual glass blowing is due to higher concentrations of pigment from its initial placement. As it fades out it gives an interesting graduation in colour and contrast.
The bottom lip worked to give a variance in the expected shape and works to offset the straight lines of the timber
INITIAL CONCEPT
Trialling my concept look and would could be a potential outcome once more developed
I really engaged with this concept as I found the interaction and interdependence between the QEXIVMEPW E REXYVEP VI他IGXMSR SJ mty organic initial concepts
REFLECTION & REFRACTION
The dispersion and refraction of light on curved surfaces is highlighted in this image. This type of manipulation of form was something that I really strove to get out of my shape and uniformity is low risk and low reward as the sequence is predictable and fails to excite the customer.
REFLECTION & REFRACTION
The decision of a tungsten ½PEQIRX KPSFI [EW QEHI SR XLI understanding that the vertical lines could have a unique warping effect SR XLI VI¾IGXMZI GYVZIH WYVJEGI
COLOUR (Amber & Black)
The amber colour really EQTPM½IW E ZIV] [EVQ KPS[ JVSQ the Edison light globe and really ties together a softer kind of look.
DOWEL HOLE
The process involved Miles isolating the selected spot with a blow torch. The heat was applied to this spot whilst every few seconds Pat would roll the rod 180 degrees to prevent the glass from slumping and then Miles could access the heat spot underneath.
The area would then be placed in and out of the glory hole whilst more isolated heat was applied. Once it had reached adequate temperature miles used a pigment rod that was luckily the right size and could be used without heating up and pressed inwards on the form
To create a bubble on the other side the again isolated heat with a blow torch was applied. In conjunction with this Pat spun and blew into the other end of the rod. The air that is blown in is naturally attracted to the hot spot and weakens the area creating a thinner wall thickness and a kind of pocketed bubble.
INSIDE CURVATURE
The distorted shape was created by pulling at the inside with PEVKI JSVGITW ERH JYVXLIV TYWLIH MR [MXL E [SSHIR ¾EX FEX This part of the process took around 2-3 minutes which is very fast overall considering the building up, layering, and shaping of the overall form takes up to 20-30 minutes. Cool air is then blown over the surface to maintain shape and the partition for the split in the neck is made. 8LI ½RMWLIH TMIGI [EW XLIR TPEGIH MR XLI ERRIEPIV EX EVSYRH 700 degrees
distortion
balance
At the commencement of the project I started with concepts that didn’t really resonate or steal my attention. I was developing ideas that I didn’t really like which became a problem as I was uncertain as to where to go next past the development stage. Through continuing to draw new concepts I eventually came across a form that was really interesting to me. The initial stages of this kind of ‘inside out’ shape had some really rich connotations; which allowed me to explore the form WYGGIWWJYPP] - JSYRH [LIR - [EW EFPI XS EWWMKR QIERMRKW SJ MR½RMX] wholeness, and a cyclical feel I was able to better understand my own ideas. From this experience I learnt that for myself, I really need to be passionate about an idea in order for it to grow. It may sound like a simple concept but it wasn’t something I had a full understanding of until I saw the limitations it put on my creativity when I really didn’t like my initial concepts. Overall if given the time there are some things I would have done differently. For the purpose of larger scale production it would be important to create a method to ensure that each dowel placement would be the same and could be re created. However, the individuality of each dowel I think also adds value and underlines the uniqueness and need for appreciation of hand blown glass. 1] ½REP PMKLX SYXGSQI WYVTVMWIH Q]WIPJ EW - RIKSXMEXIH [MXL compromise but would not let go of the original essence of my GSRGITX WXEKIW WS EW XS QEMRXEMR XLEX PMRIEKI JVSQ WXEVX XS ½RMWL -´Q WEXMW½IH XLEX - [EW EFPI XS KIX TMIGIW SYX XLEX [IVI ZIV] GPSWI XS Q] ideas. However, I would like to further explore the form and see what kind of manipulation of glass is possible. To Vik and Ed, Thanks for putting up with some serious rookie errors and providing a great environment in which we all had the fredom and tools necessary to really develop our skills. It was challenging at times and had some steep learning curves, but overall it was exciting and an invaluable experience. Thanks again.