This week we did a quick workshop to get our hands moving – the brief was to use cardboard and gaffa tape to make a 3D sketch of an object or tool that is related to our area of interest. I decided initially to make some bacteria, and when that proved rather easy I moved on to modelling a microscope.
The next step was to manipulate the model by adding extra parts that would change the function of the object somehow, possibly rendering it into a new tool or changing its meaning. On a whim I added an extractor fan and a nasal application, altering my microscope to a smell-o-scope (later realising it was a subconscious homage to Futurama).
Having done an immense amount of reading, writing and hypothesising on my chosen topic, I really appreciated the practical nature of this workshop. It wasn't too serious and ended up a bit silly, but I highly enjoyed actually making something tangible and expressing some ideas in a physical form. Next time I'm stuck in a bubble of theory, I'll try to keep this approach in mind.
The next step was to manipulate the model by adding extra parts that would change the function of the object somehow, possibly rendering it into a new tool or changing its meaning. On a whim I added an extractor fan and a nasal application, altering my microscope to a smell-o-scope (later realising it was a subconscious homage to Futurama).
Having done an immense amount of reading, writing and hypothesising on my chosen topic, I really appreciated the practical nature of this workshop. It wasn't too serious and ended up a bit silly, but I highly enjoyed actually making something tangible and expressing some ideas in a physical form. Next time I'm stuck in a bubble of theory, I'll try to keep this approach in mind.
