DISTORT
Wood being such an incredibly versatile material with a wide range of properties and qualities, we wanted to explore the physical limits of the wood through experimenting with various bending techniques to bend wood. In particular, we wanted to explore the usage of kerf bending and its capabilities for allowing the wood to bend in ways in wood not typically. In addition to this, the cuts made through our experimentations for kerf bending found immense potential in it’s ability to allow for a level of transparency through the solid wood product, intriguing us to develop our final product which was to be a fully wooden lamp, outside of the electrical components used.
Kerf bending or making live hinges, is a very intriguing technique, as it allows for relatively solid products such as wood in particular, to bend in ways that wood normally not be possible unless through other techniques such as steam bending. However, unlike steam bending, kerf bending allows the wood to retain this newfound flexibility rather than steam bending which allows the wood to be bent and contorted into a permanently bent form.
In addition to this, there are varying types of kerf cuts that one can make to allow for the wood to bend and as a result, we also researched, experimented with, and explored the varying types of kerf cuts that one could use to aid in our overall lamps design and form. This involved looking at varying youtube tutorials along with observing existing examples of wooden lamp shades or wooden lamp forms to inform us of the limitations of kerf bending as a whole.
Kerf bending allowed us to formulate an aesthetic lamp shade design which tested the limitations of the wood we used which was bass wood, and allowed us to create a filtration of light which not only exemplified the natural beauty of the wood itself, but also made the feeling of the lamp design and form be something that felt architectural and sculptural due to the wood being the highlight of this lamp entirely.
THE SUN
Through a multilayering of various kerf cut and bent pieces of wood, the transparency of the cut is relayed and reflected upon turning the lamp on, unveiling a variation in the cut pieces, exposing more or less light with a cut-out sun-like form at the top of the towering lamp.
THE LOTUS
Each piece is layered and folded amongst each other, filtering light at varying levels. The layering produces a flower-esque form, allowing for moments of greater lighting or lesser lighting to allow for an atmospheric shading affect.
