TECTONIC STRUCTURES

The purpose of this project was to learn the basics of tectonics and how it could be used to read and understand in diagrams and construction. had some experience with wood and building but not at this scale with tools such as exacto knives and sandpaper. We first started with diagrams and then made physical models of wood, wire, paper and a hybrid of our choosing.

Diagrams

I learned how to manipulate and assemble wood sticks that are solid, thin and two dimensional in a way to create depth and a sense of movement. I was mostly interested in using sticks of the same length to create models that played with one’s vision. I was able to create curves on both the inside and outside of the model, and ambiguity with the size of the sticks, as they look like they are all different sizes.

Wire

Paper was something I had already had experience in manipulating from a previous semester so it was a joy to come back to it to create lightweight forms that represented movement and formed mass and void. leaned towards origami type folds to create textures that were flexible and depth while still allowing for light to shine through.

Hybrid

During this semester I also learned basic photoshop skills. We used our modular models and created artwork and renderings that emphasized their repetitiveness and ability to be layered.

The hybrid models were my favorite to do. Trying to make these modular forms out of two different materials was a bit daunting at first but in the end was able to create an elegant form from these triangular shapes. It was flexible and light, wrapped around itself and hung down while still holding its form.

We started this project by drawing out diagrams that related to a given picture. was able to play with different techniques that helped me understand the essence of the picture I was given that relates to tectonics. I was able to use this for the rest of the project to help me create forms and understanding when using different materials.

Wire was the most challenging for me. To create modular objects with something so difficult to manipulate was difficult but was able to create some forms that could be repeated to create mass and voids. Learning to attach wire to itself was exciting as I had to find creative ways to wrap pieces together.

Tectonic

I made it from glue, notches in the wood, and folds in the paper. It was interactive so you could position it in multiple ways without any damage to the parts. The notches and fold helped it be stronger than the materials by themselves.

We also imagined these pieces as real life sculptures that could be occupied within their voids. We learned to add shadow and scale figures so that as one looked at it, they could imagine this object being in a real place. At the same time, we were having fun with graphics and non-realistic touches in our art.