The brief was to design and make two items: one to be held comfortably in the hand and consisting of two hard materials, and the other to hold a stone weighing approximately 250g using a hard material and a soft material (separate page under 'Symbionts').
Starting with the hand-held sculpture, I decided that I wanted it to be something that could be held multiple ways and still feel comfortable in the hand - perhaps even encouraging the holder to continuously move it around feeling all these positions and gain a sense of 'play' or 'calmness'. |
I found that a round bulbous form was the most pleasant to hold in several positions; gradual tapering and continuation in a spiralling path towards the top promotes movement; almost as if the holder allows the object to explore their hand until it fits perfectly. Think in terms of a sense of autonomy of the object and sub-conscious play of the mind. As another element of 'play' and 'connectedness' with the sculpture I introduced sharp edges half way up the sculpture for fingers to run along absent-mindedly. Furthermore, I inlaid a small concave piece of steel rod into the very tip of the spiral, which fits most fingertips quite well. It acts as a sort of pointless button, which depending on what kind of person you are is either soothing or rather frustrating!
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