Studio A Portfolio _ Alex Savory

Exploratory Works

Studio A Portfolio Semester 1 2022 Alex Savory

Contents You Stayed In These Rooms, Once Artist in Residence Meal_Dirge

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You Stayed In These Rooms, Once Iterative design of a space, using 13 different student-designed houses as a programmatic basis for a larger themed project.

Four-week four-person group project. All work presented here was part of my own individual contribution.

“You Stayed in These Rooms, Once” was a conceptual hotel project, representing a diorama of life. Each area of the hotel was designed to mimick or convey key memories that people experience on their journey through life.

There are distinct memories that affect you, and change you forever. Some of these experiences wrap you in irreversible maturity, others chisel away at cemented personas. The complicated pathways to move between these spaces are another metaphor - conveying how the movement through life is often difficult to nagivate.

Key skills demonstrated: _Group negotiation _Appreciation of iterative design process _Technical capabilities in Adobe After Effects, Photoshop

Collage render of interior space, the children’s play area

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Design process video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRTThk7aUiM

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Collage render of the hotel

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Artist In Residence Design based on restrictions - the merging of two precedents to create an art gallery, residence and later, a mausoleum for a particular artist.

A reimagining of Wall House 2, by American architect John Hejduk, integrating the themes and works of Australian artist, Patricia Piccinini.

Key skills demonstrated: _Synthesis of different ideals _Critical analysis of another artist’s work, themes and purpose

Isometric of the Wall House 2 adaptation

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Axometric of the original Wall House 2. The house has distinct, separated areas - each with a particular programme

Collage of Patricia Piccinini’s work. She explores themes of merging, joining, and overcoming of prejudices.

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Collage render showing Patricia Piccinini’s sculpture situated as a guardian over the site

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Axometric showing programme and circulation through the adapted house

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Elevation of the Wall House 2 adaptation

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Meal_Dirge Creation of a dining table for a highly-specific meal; to be used once, and only once.

The project explores concepts of grief, pain, and death through a repetitive forced program. Housemates need to eat all the items in my fridge. Why? I don’t know.

But this is the ritual. They reflect on each item as the crumbs and leftovers are washed away, like memories of a former housemate. They begrudge this task as it goes on - why is there moldy yogurt here still? - but it must be done. This is the ritual.

Meal_Dirge

Key skills demonstrated: _Creation of a narrative _Thematic consistency within a project

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Pre_eat.

I am cooking a meal. This is a task, an assignment. I am documenting everything; how I’m feeling, my mood, my thoughts. I have just returned with ingredients. My section of the fridge is bursting.

Then I die.

The house is still full of my things though. Temporary objects occupy the fridge, and their continued presence weighs with permanence on my housemates.

They are overwhelmed with -myobjects. .............................................................................. .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ...........................................................So many things. What do we do?...........................

We can’t throw this all out..................... ............................................................................. ............................ That would be a waste ........Wouldn’t it?........................................... .............................................................................. ..............................................................................

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Table_Dirge.

A table appears, set away from the kitchen. Four sides, heavy. A dark, almost black stone. Tall, too tall to lean on. The edges slope up, uncomfortably - you need to lean forward to put anything on its surface.

They gather around three of the four sides of the table. One side is left empty.

The table is large, and they are too far away from each other to touch hands, to seek physical connection.

At the centre of the table, a circular depression has been gouged out. A constant flow of water pours from hidden cracks, spiraling clockwise down towards the centre. There must be another hidden part of the table here in the middle - there is something drawing the water down and away, like cold bathwater around an open drain.

........................................................ ........................................................ ............What is this?............... ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................

Instructions appear.

Instructions

1. This is a meal. The fridge must be cleared. The leftovers. The leavebehinds. Eat silently. Digest.

2. Go to the fridge. Take a single item.

Return here.

3. Eat the item. Let the morsels fall onto the table. Watch them be washed away. Wash the container in the water. Wash your hands. Watch the crumbs disappear.

4. Take anything left to the bin, if required.

5. Return to the table.

6. Go to the fridge. Take a single item.

Return here.

7. All items must be consumed in this manner. One at a time. In full. Every item is a meal. And then it is gone.

................................................................ ............................................................... ...Is this punishment? Why do we need to do this?........................ ................................................................ ................................................................

Eat everything? ............................. ................................................................ ................................................................

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Dirge Plan Dirge Plan @ A3 1:10 1:10 @ A3

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Dirge Dirge Section Section 1:10 1:10 @@ A3A3 0

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All of you must participate

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......................................... ........................................ ........................The bin stinks! ........................ ........................................ ........................................

....................................................... ....................................................... ........................That eggplant was so old ............................... ...................................................... ........................................help..... ......................................................

....................................................... ....................................................... ..................I refuse to do this stupid task any more!.......... ......................................................... ......................................................... ......................................................... .........................................................

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Meal_end

The table cracks, splits, crumbles into dust.

Useless stone and useless material. Muck and mess. Mess and muck.

More cleaning. More tasks to do.

They are exhausted, and tired, and angry.

......................................................... ......................................................... .........................................................

I need to sleep .......................... ..............................................That was too much............................

There is pain in the back... ...........of my head....................