Rustic Stairs:
The 3D Model
Materials: top half is glass, bottom half is stone (eg. marble)
Wait Stairs:
The 3D Model
And another one because 1 is never enough! (just realised that i forgot to paint one triangle on the outside of the underneath stair grrr)
Close-up of the Stairs:
Stair above Ground: 'Lonely'
Stair below ground: 'Guardian'
(entrance, inside the Gallery)
(middle section)
(last section, connected to the underground Studio)
Now the stairs for my already-constructed 3D buildings:
This stair has treads which are elongated, stretching in front of the figure. I believe this enhances the 'narrow' sensation so that it emphasises the need for people to walk separately, thus alone. Meanwhile thin steel wires hold up the baluster and wrap underneath the stairs, with alternating lengths. This creates the impression of being incomplete and that the stairs are reaching out, but unable to seek company due to its detached manner.
To create the sensation of strength and sturday weight, i plan to use the material of stone and have steps appear to 'locl' together. It is overall a simple yet majestic design, as i believe anything too decorative will distract from the sheer size of the treads and the 'journey' sensation, as people venture deeper into the underground.
I believe 'rustic' bears connotations of antiquity and deterioration. This is conveyed in the stair through the transformation in size and materials, as one progresses up the stairs. It begins with heavy stone, but half way through, glass becomes integrated with the stone balusters until it is entirely glass and transparent. The treads also change from entirely stone to glass, thus creating a sense of fragility and fading presence as it deteriorates.
I believe the concept of 'waiting' is extremely difficult to convey with stairs, as they obviously imply movement. However i have finally come up with this 'waiting room' scenario, where treads are wall-length and resemble seats, wrapping around the walls. Then light stairs hung by steel cords (to create the sensation of being frozen in the air) take the figure down to the next floor, where they are again presented with a static, waiting room scenario.
Building above ground, "Lonely":
Materials: concrete structure reinforced by steel, tiled surface, large glass windows
Front View
Back View
Building below ground, "Guardian":
Materials: stone surrounding concrete structure and steel reinforcements
Bottom View?
Patricia Piccinini: Harmony, Embrace, Intimate
Ricky Swallow: Guardian, Unsettle , Rustic
Sidney Nolan: Portraiture, Waits, Lonely
Despite resisting the mainstream trend of 'blogs' for years, i have finally succumbed...and for apparently educational reasons, not procrastination! :O hehe anyways, onto the task!Well i'm stunned!
Ok, i guess i slightly cheated by adding 2 photos hehe. This features my yr 12 Body of Work (actually on display at the moment, at the ArtExpress Exhibition at Sydney Olympic Park) which consists of a picture book, 3 plushies and 2 sculptural houses. I decided to include the 2nd photo to give a little bit of insight into the material practise and process of the book (the highlight of my work), as you can only see the hand-sewn cover in the first photo. My work explores our shared experience as children; how our perception of the world is shaped by the values of our family sphere, and how children can create their own worlds, through their innocence and imagination.
2) Image of the building that inspired me to become an architect
Truthfully, this is actually the 'second most inspiring' building that encouraged me to consider architecture as a future career. In 2005 (yr 10) there was some family-friendly documentary on the Most Amazing Australian Homes. My favourite design featured a home which integrated water throughout the walls, ceiling, furniture etc, as the architect owner loved the soothing and free-flowing nature of water. It was an ingenious design that i previously thought would have been too fantastical to construct. So that home really broadened my thinking in regards to the possibilities of architecture and construction :) It was like the endless, original possibilities in art, except that it also required mathematical and engineering expertise.
Anyways...i searched and searched for an image of that home but i couldn't find it!!! So this is the other home that also left an inspiring imprint on me :) It's the Cocoon House at Wye River, Australia, constructed in 2002 by architects Bellemo and Cat. While the organic design is supposed to integrate the home harmoniously with the natural environment, to me, it has always been reminiscent of blimps. This again proved to me how architecture can be both sophisticated and formal, or childish and fantastically imaginative. The rounded shape also completely defies the angular or geometric shapes usually customary of architectural structures, and therefore reinforces the limitless possibilities of creation for architects who dare to explore.
3) An original photograph of something beautiful
Post-HSC i travelled with my dad around South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and for an irrelevant shopping bonus, Hong Kong) and as expected from a young girl with her own, new camera, i took HEAPS of photos. A lot of them were very beautiful but this moment always comes first to mind - the World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. We took an overnight ship cruise that allowed us to explore some caves, beaches and witness the full glory of a sun setting on the horizon :) Never before had i ever felt so calm...as cliche as it sounds, time really did stop and i shared a silent, uninterrupted moment with nature and my own thoughts.
