http://www.moma.org/collection//browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A34218%7CA%3AAR%3AE%3A1&page_number=2&template_id=1&sort_order=1

it appears there is a fine line between something being complicated and something being impossible. at the moment i flitter between this juxtaposition on an almost hourly basis. every time i feel i’ve resolved an issue, when i then test it out it either leads to another problem or fails altogether.  the main problem is not the scale, or the choice of material necessarily, but the method of getting each aspect to perform easily, safely and sensibly whilst working alongside all the other elements. i can easily lay out a net of a cube on the floor, with all the component parts in their correct positions and with all the added extras i intend to include. equally, i can make a solid cube, even with opening sides and a lid that is hinged, still including all the added extras. but to design a cube that does both seems unintelligible at times. 

after going through various hinges (approx 980 to be precise) i have narrowed it down to one, which i think is the only variant which may work. how neat a job it does and how strong and safe it is are all factors within the design. 

i think it is constructible without having to do mitred edges, or dovetail joints, and whilst i would prefer to add another material, to have it all made out of wood, is beyond my talent. well no actually, it’s not, but it’s not a skill i could refine enough to a quality i would be happy to display for this module. however, whilst it may be lovely to dream of doing a carpentry course, or having the disposable income to pay someone to make the wooden hinges, it’s still not an option, and also i’m not interested in someone else doing the work for me. in theory my skill level should be enough for the MA as it stands, it’s the level of idea that makes it masters level. 

this cube needs to be functional, with all the design integrity it is trying to encompass, but equally it needs to be inviting, enticing and curiosity inducing.

i struggle with this as i feel myself getting wrapped up in the details and forgetting to ensure my design encapsulates the message i am trying to portray. at the end of the day i want people to use the space the cube creates to connect with the cube itself by making cubes within it and feeling a direct correlation to the shape. 

i will feel better once the process of making has begun; once the parts come together in either peace or animosity, either way, i need to see this in person as the judgements i make now are only speculation. 

copyright http://www.themilanese.com/?p=1298

i’ve had to make a decision which i wasn’t really ready to make so i stayed up rather late looking through everything and trying to finalise my ideas. I was pleasantly surprised by the tiny cubes made with the book pages and so they had become a further element. during my last tutorial i had been steered towards ‘social art practice’ which excited me as i feel it is something i would like to consider too. i’ve always enjoyed going into galleries and interacting with the space, making noise when others won’t; expressing my opinion quite loudly, wearing heals that clomp etc. and i suppose as i have a 6 year old i want the spaces i visit to be inclusive of her needs too; art should be for everyone and be meaningful for all. i don’t agree with the elitism of art. for me galleries are wonderful spaces that reaffirm what it feels like to be human and so i want everyone to share in that feeling. 

however, i digress. so now my practice has numerous elements; the cube as a form, the life lies (which have been extended), the paper format, graph paper, ceramics, the view from the significant places and the view through the glass cube which went on a journey (and a little bit of poetry and gardening mixed in there too). 

it’s hard to imagine how they could all be connected and brought together and that where i was struggling. but after rather an exhaustive research into what exactly ‘social art practice’ means and how i would personally interpret it i have decided to make rather self indulgent entity. 

a 3ft wooden cube that contains – 

seat

desk

drawer for materials

paper

typewriter

life lies

gardening book

poetry book

shelves

nets made from graph paper

plain paper

pencil

ruler

(instructions necessary??)

made using OSB board it will simply sit in the middle of the shared room. there will be polaroids pinned to the inside just above the desk and the desk top itself will be made from perspex and contain my examples inside.

ideally, it will draw people in by its solid sides with no top making people curious to look in; with the familiar form of the cube being reassuring. then on closer inspection they will see the examples on display in the desk top, with all the equipment needed to make them just waiting next to them, ready for anyone to dip in. on the front will be shelves expectantly waiting for people to make their own and place them neatly into the slots. 

i dearly hope it will make people realise they will be expected to contribute their own versions, either matching the format in the display case or simply manipulating such a recognisable form. 

maybe they will have their own mottos or sayings that they will want to include, but in the main i would love that they just join in. that they interact with the exhibit.

i do feel restricted in that it is a shared space and everyone else’s work will be so varied and unknown to me prior to exhibition. i would rather that the cubes were allowed to multiply unfettered by their surroundings and that people would not feel restrained by the fact that there are other artworks to consider. but i cannot do anything about that. equally, the room they are in is not exactly inspiring, so i do wonder how long people would be willing to remain in the space altogether. 

anyway, the task is on to realise this 3ft cube, and that needs a serious amount of technical drawing so adieu for now. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/art-installations-you-want-to-live-in

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/09/archibet-federico-babina-illustrated-alphabet-of-architects/