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Wood-Bending Project
Once I was given the right tools and guiance, I felt much more confident to let my imagination take over...
This project was the first time that I had ever done wood bending. Before making the object, we were taught how to bend wood. With this new skill, we were asked to create a lamp, incorporating wood-bending however we wanted to. Overall for the lamp, I was inspired by the ocean and the fishes swimming around. That is why I chose a dark blue plexiglass to give off the color of the ocean. As for my bent ply, I wanted it to give off the sense that the ply is moving around the lamp, similar to how sometimes a school of fish swims in circles. What was most interesting about this connection, is that similar to my lamp, the light shines brightest in the middle of that circle of school of fish.
Process:
Process
This project started off with a lot of research, starting off with the lighting journal. In this lighting journal I wrote down all the interactions I had with any type of light, and how each interaction made me feel, both physically and emotionally. This allowed me to pay closer
attention to the effect that light can have on me.
Once this initial research was done, I moved on towards the ideation phase. This phase started off with a lot of sketches, from which I chose my favorites and created paper modes, which allowed me to visualize what I wanted to create as they gave me a sense of the real thickness of my luminaire, further showing how it would fit in the real environment.
From there I chose my best model and began prototyping. In the prototype, which I made out of MDF, I tested the use of the acrylic, the way the light would be emitted, the way I’ll construct the final product, as well as the use of magnets, which was of interest to me.
The prototype helped me fix certain problems, such as figuring out how to distribute the light more evenly, and limit the excessive use of magnets. I also decided to use a different type of plexiglass which would diffuse the light even more, giving it a much more softer feel.
I still decided to use magnets, but only for specific parts. I added magnets in the two pieces making up the center frame, that way it would allow for easy disassembly so changing the bulb wouldn’t be an issue. I also added magnets at the legs of the luminaire, which allowed for more stability, while allowing the legs to be separated from the luminaire itself, making it easier to store away.
The level of playfulness, almost a pet-like connection, from the luminaire adds to the calmness that people living in busy, crowded cities need in their everyday lives after coming home. My luminaire also emits a soft, warm, diffused light, which restrains from straining the user's eyes, which may happen when they’re exposed to bright lights constantly.
With all that being said, my artifact will exist as a floor lamp, mainly in a living room.
Although it is not the usual size for a floor lamp, its small size adds a subconscious feeling of comfort, sort of the same one one might have with a pet. This comfort further emphasizes the feeling of calmness that the luminaire is meant to achieve. The warmth emitted from this luminaire, as well as the way that it is diffused by the acrylic, adds to its calmness, as the light spreads out evenly and smoothly, rather than being sharp and direct, similar to how a spotlight might be, which emphasizes the feeling of focus and staying alert. On the contrary, when my luminaire is turned on, it is meant to calm the person and slow down all the feelings that a person might have.