Goal: Create a three dimensional form that represents a given style (Art Deco) out of foam.
Second Round Development
After narrowing down my form based on feedback received in critique, I developed my top three ideas as plasticine models. A second round of critique had me pick one idea, then modify it to be better suited for creating out of foam. I then made scale drawings to reference during the building process.
Making
Creating this form tested my making abilities greatly. The order in which I cut parts was incredibly important, as every angle needed to be perfectly symmetrical over two axis, yet I could only guarantee perfect cuts on the band saw with a flat 90 degree surface to align with. Because of this, I had to redo the entire piece multiple times, and eventually developed a series of angled blocks to align my piece with on the band saw.
The assignment required a second, removable piece, which was introduced halfway to the deadline. To fulfill this requirement, I hollowed out the wing-like pieces and created extremely thin inserts which I carefully cut on a jigsaw, then sanded round. These inserts were meant to mimic the lotus leaf pattern common in art deco design.
I finished the whole piece by sanding up to 1200 grit, and then gently sliding in the wing inserts.
Conclusion
Overall, I'm fairly happy with the result of this assignment. It was a good learning experience for working with foam as a material, and taught me to plan my steps out before jumping in. However, I do wish I had more time to dive even deeper into the nature of art deco as I think my final result is a bit too under-decorated and minimalist.
