Curatorial

"fat free design"- Ross Lovegrove (TEDtalksDirector, 2007)

Figure 1. Thomas Gowing's DSDN 111 Model

The inspiration for this model was taken from Ross Lovegrove's DNA staircase and Karim Rashid's Vertex Chair.

Figure 2. Ross Lovegrove's DNA Staircase. (Moinat, n.d.)

The DNA staircase has a sinuous, almost French Art Nouveau curvy structure, and minimal form. This is shown in this model, through the semi-circular structure in the middle, which is made up of strips of curved, white vellum paper which are then juxtaposed with the section of straight wire which they are skewed into. This is similar with the curved rail of the staircase, juxtaposed with the central pole.

Figure 3. Closeup of my models Semi-Circular Structure.

Figure 4. Vertex Chair by Karim Rashid (2011)

Ross Lovegrove, the designer of the DNA Staircase looks to nature for design inspiration, as he believes nature creates “beautiful forms”(TEDtalksDirector, 2007). This idea is present in this model, except instead of using DNA as Lovegrove did for his staircase, this model resembles the human ribcage, a “fat free”(TEDtalksDirector, 2007) skeleton structure. However it is an abstracted triangular version of a ribcage made out of black wire and thread which encloses the semi-circular paper structure, to represent the heart in a ribcage. In terms of colour, black and white materials have been used which creates contrast, in this case white for curvature and fluidity, while black for straightness and rigidity.

The idea of a triangular shaped cage structure came from Karim Rashid's 'Vertex Chair', which used triangular planes to form a chair structure, hinting at a Bauhaus design influence, through the use of a simple geometry.

Figure 5.  Closeup of my model.

References:

TEDtalksDirector. (2007, January 16). Ross Lovegrove: The power and beauty of organic design [YouTube]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWqkKYwvTNw&feature=player_embedded#!

Moinat, C. (n.d.). christopher moinat design. Retrieved from http://www.christophemoinat.com/adn.html 

Vertex Chair by Karim Rashid. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.artemika.com/design/vertex-chair/