As science continues to develop new ways of perfecting the human body, will these advancements ever turn against the human race as a whole? Together, the living will “play God” hailing the possibility of immortality whilst disregarding the consequences of a life without death.

An abstracted chest encapsulating a mechanical heart.

     Imagine being able to talk with the person who taught you everything you know; being able to speak with them one last time. Alas, after their death, It can only happen in a dream. Black, symbolic of loss and death, and white, symbolic of life and vitality, cover each piece.; scarring in some areas and healing in others. The harshness of each angle combined with the heavy contrast in color allow each person who sits in the chair to assume a new role. “The Wiser”, tall, strong and bold or “The Lesser”, assuming a shorter stance, yearning in imitation of their “master’s” persona.

 This first prototype of my chair has assured me that the design is both functional and of reasonable size.
The main structural integrity of the chair is fine, however the backing of the chair requires some reinforcement.

I will probably need to place a piece of wood perpendicular to the backing of the chair on either side running down to the floor.

The main aesthetic design is a bit different than what I had first envisioned however I really enjoy it and would like to continue to use this style.

For my next iteration of the chair I would like to keep the form of the chair almost the same but create complex etchings and designs to the chair in order to make it seem more ornate.

The painted prototype has also helped me envision what I would like my color scheme to be. The color also shows very nicely on camera which should make photographing the piece much easier.

The Burnt Sienna with white accents seems to allow the chair to be a part of two different realms; a classic, adult style  and a child’s room style. This can work very effectively with my upcoming altered concept.

     The conversation between the “Wiser” and the “Lesser” will be my attempt at humorous pedagogy between two volunteers. These participants can either know or not know their partner, however one will immediately be designated “the Wiser” by the size and stature of their chair in comparison to their counterpart’s. This conversation could last for hours, for minutes or possibly for seconds; however, the short term goal of the conversation will be for one of the participants to have learned or experienced something new. This “something” should not merely be interesting, but hopefully life changing. I aim for the scene to take place in the Hunt Library but not simply for it’s pedagogical nature. Rather than simply place my ‘guinea pigs’ on a regular floor, if this conversation were to take place in the rare art book room (fully stocked) I feel that the conversation will take very wild and unexpected turns. My prototype is based off of a strong, simple and traditional wooden chair. Rather than implement ornamental and decorative style for the forward and back ends, I chose to allow my early models to simply reflect the “strength” of the pose the chair will take. It should be tall, and wide in comparison to “the Lesser’s” chair. Further down the line I hope to add etching and stylizations to both chairs in order to better develop their subversive meanings.

     Hidden behind decades of desertion and unforeseen fallibility, lies the ruins of the once great, Behemoth. Unable to power it’s reign of tyranny any longer, the machine that claimed the minds and souls of generations, collapsed upon itself; choked by the weight of the iron from which it once gained its strength. The ominous power of the Behemoth is now consumed by the growth of the same earth from which its metals were once forged. From steel and stone, a habitat of prosperous green life now arises.

“Night Falls for the Great Behemoth” is meant to symbolize the powers at be engulfing the lower masses in a cloud of weak mindedness and despair. Primarily through the use of varying light levels and degrees of hot and cold, each image attempts to develop an increasingly overarching sense of power. This continues until we are only left with the system, autonomously progressing, without any input from the collective. Masonite and cardboard both create stable structures, however the Masonite, in addition to being cut much larger, creates a more dominant and powerful connection than the cardboard. Smooth swooping etching on the main structure and hard angled etching on the small structures are juxtaposed to develop emotion. In total my work used 225 pieces, representing the brainwashing message of Orwell’s 1984  2 + 2 = 5.

Nagutron has created an easily accessible and understandable guide to creating a 3-dimensional laptop stand. The strategies used in this tutorial can be utilized when creating a multitude of organic shapes by cutting curved edges with simple glue-less and hardware-less joints. Although this artist utilizes Illustrator in his/her design, the skills learned in this tutorial are more than transferable to other 2d and 3d applications. (More…)

The folks at Sector67, a Madison Wisconsin based prototyping and technology firm, wanted to spice up their holiday season by implementing laser cutter techniques into their annual Christmas tradition. This project shows some practical uses of non conventional laser cutter materials. This definitely opens up your material options! (More…)

This project details a very inventive way to not accidentally burn your material when attempting to etch in designs. By simply using some painter’s tape and high contrast paint, you can make laser etches really pop and stand out in your piece. This project was done on a slightly curved and soft material but I believe the process is highly transferable to harder materials on a flat surface. (More…)