Research Project part 2 (experimentation)

So this week I have decided to go onto the route of prioritising material over functionality and make that the inspiration just like Heejoo Kim and at the same time look at her Source material as well.

Heejoo Kim’s inspiration has been weird natural forms like fungal mushroom shapes. I also find this strange to look at so I decided to give it a bash and take pictures of this. Moreover upon research I will also be sculpting from clay asm not a good carver like Heejoo Kim so I’m just going   to sculpt!

When taking pictures of these fugal shapes I was thinking all about what material to use and what material Heejoo Kim used. She tends to use more leather and enamel so I tried to incorporate that somehow into the design. These shapes are very organic and playful and I loved going or shall I say trekking to botanic gardens to take pictures of fungus (hopping the gardeners thought I didn’t look shifty when I asked him were his mushrooms were!?)

When making these objects I liked the smoothness and the feel of these I found them to be very playful and also thought these objects that I made could be used as functional objects since im exposing the material here I believe they used as form of stress. An example of this is I used the leather an stuffed it with cotton wool, this created a cushion effect which could be used as a stress ball. the paper lichen could be seen as a form of therapy perhaps on a bigger scale a massage object of some sorts.

Upon further research I did decide to print off a 3d printed ball inspired by a lichen cell this has many functioned and it has surprised me as there can be so many playful options with this ball as it can teach people to grip it can bouncy it can also out a solid object inside but most importantly bring people together and play.

If I was given more time I would develop these further especially this 3d printed ball as  I find it fascinating to make products or be it jewellery or objects catered for people that need to be helped be it physically or mentally. I guess I just want to change the world one design at a time.

Kimmy  🙂

xxx