Space and Materiality

WEEK 1: 1st Aug, 2019 : Sonia Ma’am

How can we define space? Probably by saying that it is the area around a particular object. Now, what is materiality? Materials being used to make bigger things and materiality being composed of materials or matter.

Now these materials alone can’t be used until we combine them with the help of tools. So, the question is what are tools and how can they help?

Tools are the basic devices used to create a multidimensional model. Clearly, making it is not just the work of one single tool but the combination of work done by tools of different shapes, sizes, lengths and uses. We were introduced to all these types of tools in the workshop. Some of these tools are the ones that we already are quite aware of, such as: Hammers, Pliers, Screw drivers, Nut & Bolt, Wood and metal cutters, measuring scales and so on.

Apart from these manual tools and equipments, there are machines in the workshop that serve different purposes. These machines include a wood cutting machine, a belt and disc sandpaper machine (used to give shape to wood), thermocol cutting machine (which heats up to cut it in any desired shape) and a metal cutting machine. We were also shown a demonstration on how to use them and all the precautions that need to be taken while handling them.

When we have different kinds of materials with us, it is vital that we understand the use and properties of all these materials and then put them to use accordingly, so that we can get the best out of them.

WEEK 2 : 8th Aug, 2019: Sonia Ma’am

Understanding the different materials around us and exploring their qualities is essential before we start working with them. The project we were assigned to do was based on this. We had to collect twenty different types of materials, out of which, ten would be ‘natural’ and ten would be ‘engineered’. This process made us aware about the various types of materials that had unique qualities and could be used in several ways.

MDF( medium density fibreboard) is the material we explored in this particular class. MDF was used to make coasters of different shapes and sizes but, unique in their own way.

This was the first time we worked with all the tools in the workshop and the machines to cut and shape the MDF board. The process led to the transformation of a drawing into a 3-D structure.

Coaster representing a Dialogue Box

WEEK 4: 22nd Aug, 2019: Sonia Ma’am

With the help of MDF, we made two coasters by using the different tools from the workshop.

One of my coasters is in the shape of a maple leaf which has its veins carved out. And the second coaster is in the shape of a ‘dialogue box’, which has a 3-D shape to it. The dialogue box has carvings in it which may represent thoughts. I chose to make a dialogue box in order to represent the conversations that people have over coffee or tea.

In this lecture we also studied the different hand gestures. We had to list down the different kinds of gestures that we see every day, either while picking up an object or while pushing or pulling something.

We had to make sketches of 5 different objects and one grip for each object in 6 different views. Two of the objects that I chose to sketch included a ‘book’ and a ‘phone case’.