An exercise in the spontaneous application of material to the body.
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| Heads, Hair, Pinched extrusion |
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| Heads, Masking tape, Extrusion |
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| Heads, Masking tape, Pinched extrusion |
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| View 2 |
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| Bodies, Clingfilm, Multiple forms |
What have we established from these combined elements? These extruded forms create a reliance on the individuals within. Despite what connotations we have come to understand from the term 'bespoke', the nature of these objects is such that there is no element of comfort derived from them. This is due to the tape which rips and tears at the individuals on which it's placed.
This is reminiscent of hostile architecture, examples of which actively discourage loitering, the homeless, skateboards and other 'anti-social behaviours'. How do these objects function, and why are they tolerated? It seems bizarre to desire an object that does not desire us. An attempt to design such a thing may explain its insidious nature.
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| Initial Sketch |
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| Form studies in card |
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| Aluminium mock-up with foam insert |
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| For scale |
An extruded hollow aluminium square provides the basic form in which a memory foam cube is placed. Sitting is comfortable until the memory foam begins to deform and the armrests extend the arm above the shoulder. Simultaneously the metal housing digs into the lower thigh. This actively discourages the user from further use allowing the foam to 'loft' until the chair is ready to be used again.
Although there is a temptation to justify this design as a defensive measure against inactivity I hesitate to champion the socially divisive measures it was an attempt to understand. Instead i'd like to emphasise the importance of understanding ergonomics, materiality and its relation to the body. Without which there is a genuine risk of creating objects that unintentionally discourage their use or actively harm their user and the environment in which they're placed.
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