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PRIMITIVE STRUCTURES
In this project, I focused on two points. The first is the cycle of the material used in building process. The second is to represent ‘Primitive’ expressed by materials, based on my cultural and historical background
Primitive Structures is composed of two-words, The First is ‘Primitive’. And second is ‘Structures’. The First, 'Primitive' came from research of the material I used. Because its texture evoke primitive feeling. Those textures also represent pattern, what you can discover from nature (like veins of leaf or tiger camo). This is why I choose the title ‘Primitive’ The Second, ‘Structures‘ means PSL’s origin use. PSL is structural material what is used as the frame for architecture. So, mainly architectural motifs were used a lot.
To find an architectural motif, I focused on my cultural and historical background. In South Korea, There were many 'DOLMEN'. One research said "70% of dolmen is located in South Korea". So These dolmens are very common in South Korea. And These also represent pre-historic and primitive structural aesthetics. Then I chose these as motif. Especially I focused on stone's polygonal shape. Because I thought this polygonal shape was suitable for expressing the pattern of the material. Also in terms of color, I was inspired by the moss on the surface of the dolmen. The moss on the surface of the stone was formed over a long period of time and had pearl and parakeet green colors, and this part also showed primitive, And this motif was further developed through research to design primitive structures in the form of PAGODA and EAVES.
And as I explained earlier, I aimed to sustainable design in this project. PSL is a material that has the concept of down-cycle. PSL is an engineering wood and is used as a frame for wooden architecture, also used as a stair and wall in interior. PSL beam can make using waste materials from plywood and LVL production, with species commonly including Douglas-fir, pine and western hemlock, among others. So, I thought PSL beam already had a recycling agenda on its own. When I first encountered this material, I was aware of the garbage caused by frequent interior in Korea, so I aimed to propose a Re-Recycle by making a valuable object through PSL beam.
To achieve this goal. I also used the down-cycle idea. Basically, PSL has many holes in the making process. It's a manufacturing feature of PSL, which is made by waste materials from plywood. And this feature makes a lot of holes. On the surface, These holes are visually incomplete and have somewhat dangerous features to use as objects. To solve this problem. In the process, I repeat the process of picking up fallen chips and putting them back in numerous times. And through this process, the object has visual completeness and functional safety. In addition, as an act of further strengthening the agenda of materials, the concept can be expanded to the area of sustainable craft design. And finally, I will color the finished material with pearl and parakeet green pigments to complete it.
OVERWHELMING
Symmetry and Verticality, the traditional elements of Aesthetics that represent power. Based on that, I brought a motif from the overwhelming moment of nature. This object was made of FRP, and used for chair
I was particularly inspired by the descent of birds of prey, and I wanted to abstract this. The twisting and stretching wing-shaped formations form accurate symmetry, and symmetry is an intuitive element that symbolizes power in visual art. In addition, the wings cross space and face forward, reminiscent of the downhill process of birds of prey, and strongly give mobility that seems to attack prey at any moment.
LAYER
To make furniture, bending wood is often done. There are three main methods of bending wood in woodworking: laminated bending, steam bending, and kerf bending.
The two methods have something in common in that they change the physical properties of the wood, and there is no sign that the wood is bent so that people who do not know about the wood processing technique will not notice it. And it can be molded close to the desired shape.
However, 'kerf bending' differs from two techniques. 'kerf bending' leaves only a thin part of 1 mm to 1.5 mm on the wood, and the language that the wood is bent remains strong on the surface by making cuts and bending. The traces of the bending of the wood under physical force remain. In addition, when the wood is bent through this technique, unlike the two techniques described above, the force of the bent wood to return to its original state remains strong.
I was interested that the characteristics of the kerf bending. In addition, unlike the laminated and steam bending techniques that change the properties of wood and shape it into the desired shape, the characteristics created by the kerf bending technique that gives maximum freedom to the properties of wood will naturally appear throughout the work, which will make the work attractive. Therefore, I planned to effectively show these characteristics in the process of working.
By simply grasping the power of the bent tree to return to its original state through a joint technique, it was possible to create a structure and create a shape without using glue in the process. The force to return to its original state and the structure to be held appear in the form of an arch and engage with each other through joints to have strong support. As a result, work naturally has the structure and functionality to withstand the weight of people and objects. And the language of bending is layered in layers through repetition, and the traces of wood against external stimuli are clearly but naturally shown.
Gothic Virtual Throne
The throne-shaped chair consists of a 3 mm thick acrylic pipe. Due to that. You can't actually sit down. So it doesn't meet the function of the chair at all. Also, where there's a visual brightness, Due to the refraction phenomenon of acrylic, it does not seem to exist. However, when darkness falls, it reveals its shape.
So, people can see a ghostly throne chair that clearly exists in space but can't be maintained unless they look carefully, and evoke the theme consciousness that the producer is talking about.
The throne-shaped chair of the Dark Ages was a symbol of incitement and iconography. Due to the times of frequent war, ordinary people did not have furniture. On the other hand, those in power had luxurious furniture built in immovable sizes, and the throne-shaped chairs developed in larger and heavier forms were symbols that incited those in power to worship themselves as idols and products of irrationality filled with resistance to function and technology.
I want to critically imitate the throne chair and warn against the things that no longer exist in practical forms, but are still scattered around us in invisible forms and negatively affect our lives.
In order to express this theme consciousness, I borrowed the Assemblage expression to homage specific objects through the aggregation of industrial materials, and made a throne-shaped chair. Industrial materials are a symbol of function and technology, and at first glance, it seems to be the product of the beginning of the era of rationality. However, I believe that the products of the development of functions and technologies, such as the loss of humanity, environmental problems, and the emergence of big brothers, lead to a more invisible form than a throne chair, and contain a dark era.
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