A Journey with a Cube Conny YUEN YingChing
C
Simple works, but maeningful inspirations and enlightenments f or me .
INDEX
01. Pre-studio Life Vertical Studio
01
02. Exploring the Forms of Objects
08
03. A Cube of Complexity
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04. Extension of the Cube
24 05. Variation of the Cube
32
06. On the Tomb
46 07. The Owner
56 08. Overview
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01#
Pre-Studio Life Vertical Studio 1
My group is selected for the To Kwa Wan Site studies. At the beginning, we decided to use the TENT out of the three options (Wall, Tent and Signage ) to be our theme. We think tent is an important element that shows the traditional Hong Kong culture and a symbol of Hong Kong old district. So what we inspired is to take the shots under the canopies to feel the relationships between the spaces under the tents and the bonding of the Hong Kong people.
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Then, we have taken the shot of the tents f r o m d i ff e r e n t v i e w i n T o K w a W a n . B u t we only focus on the tent itself. Thus, we realized that we have to pay more attention to the interaction between the tents and the surroundings. The point is not the tent itself, but the spatial relationships created by the tents and the objects under the canopies. Therefore, there are 4 sessions in the photo series to show their connection.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Extension from the Wall Extension from the Ceiling Temporary Independence Close-ups
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Extension from Wall Close-ups
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Extension from Ceiling
Temporary Independence
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To Kwa Wan Spaces Under the Canopies - Location Map
Ma Tau Kok Road - 38, 39, 50 Ma Tau Kok Road - 12, 13, 29, 32, 33, 34 Ma Tau Kok Road - 24 Tam Kung Road - 43 Pau Chung Steet - 04, 05, 26, 27, 28 San Shan Road - 48 Pau Chung Street - 35, 36 Maidstone Lane - 22, 49 Ma Tau Wai Road - 41 Sheung Heung Road - 09, 30, 31 Wing Yiu Street - 11
Ma Tau Kok Road - 08 Luk Ming Street - 25 Ying Yeung Street - 07 Ma Tau Kok Road - 01, 02, 03, 23 Cattle Depot Artist Village - 06, 14, 44 Hung Kwong Street - 21 Sheung Heung Road - 10 Wai King Street - 18, 19, 45, 46 Kowloon City Road - 15, 40 Lok Shan Road - 47
This Photo series let me broaden our horizons, not to see the foreign elements but to feel the Hong Kong local style with different view and vision. We should know more about our traditions and the pre-generations' lifestyle although the present is also important. I also realized that I should learn more on the skills for using professional camera instead on the phone camera. To take a good shot, I must have a set of good equipment and skills. My only comment for this assignment is, recording a moment by eyes is always better than a camera.
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02#
Exploring the Forms of Objects 8
Blind Drawing
A funny start of the lesson. It makes me realize that abstract drawing can be also attractive as it record my drawings action but not what I saw only.
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Still Life Drawing The class went to Central and had a Drawing exercise w ith the time limit a t i o n . Th i s r e a ll y g i v e s m e a new experience that I should capture the scenes and turn it into drawing as fast as I can. As the real object changes from time to time, I must draw it down as soon as possible. It is very different from copying from a photo. Chasing the time and having interaction with the changes of objects make me enjoy drawing.
Sketching in the Statue Square Plaza
Sketching in the HSBC Main Buiding
10
Feeling a Virtual Space Visiting to the solo exhibition of Anish Kapoor suggested by Daniel, I am really shocked by the stunning spatial variation. There is a wise use of curve and convex on a plain. This gives me a lesson that there should be no limitation for any possible outcome that we should jump out of the box, maybe straight lines can form a perfect curve one day.
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03#
A Cube of Complexity
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1
m 47m
150
mm
Perfect Cube Making a perfect cube is not easy for as my handcraft skill is not good at all. I have to calculate the dimension of each side of the cube because of the thickness of thte materials. The linkage of each side is also an important factor. Using a connection between each side maybe good for larger scale of model, but it seems not very effective in this small size of model. Handcrafting is important, and choosing the way of handcraft also.
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How the forms shown in good spatial concepts?
I have tried to put various stuffs in our daily lives into the abstract spatial concepts. Penetraton,Rotation,Extension,Fregmentation & Interlocking, Dissolving, Layering, Shearing. But my imagination is too ordinary and common. Maybe I should have some "nonsense" combination of the daily objects that are beyond my basic knowledge. Having different media of sketches is also a good way.
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A Cube of Rotation & Dissolving
I put a staircase into this cube in order to have the effect of rotation and spatial extension. But I think this cube is too regular and neat in order. I would like to have some lively pattern for it.
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A Cube of Interlocking & Fregmenttion
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This cube is comblined of pile of rectangle freely. It create much spaces than the previous one. Spaces can be found bewtween the rectangles. There are also variation in the spaces density as the amount of rectangle pieces change in different part. I prefer this cube that shows much spaces. But it will be better if it can be well hand-crafted. The rectangle pieces' dimension should be variated with a better proportion to make the whole cube look nice. The skills of feeling and using the negative spaces need improvement.
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Axonometric Drawing.
Plan ver.01
Plan ver.02
Putting a 3d object into a 2d graphic needs a lot careful observation. I've found it difficult for my cube as its layers always overlap each other. But I am really glad that I have completed this drawing and observation with complicated structures . This also help me to learn the importantance of lineweights for showing the layers and extension of spaces although my skills need so many rooms for improvement. Elevation ver.01
Elevation ver.02
Section ver.01
Section ver.02
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Photo Credits to Manfred YUEN
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04#
Extension of the Cube 24
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Cube Platform Making the platform for the cube, I think the connection and interaction between the cube and platform should be considered. Therefore, I gave up using the platform with similar pattern with my cube. Instead, trying to use the another types of square pattern and putting their common elements into the platform, I do realize the importantance of having a transitional area between the cube and platform.
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Peer Evaluation We have comment on the work of each other after the progress. I find this so interesting that our works may have some parts accompany with each other although we work on a totally different theme and structure. I am assigned to have a critique for Clare's work. Our concepts are very different although our works look similar to each other. Clare's platform and cube are based on reduction method that her works are combined by the pieces with many negative spaces. I do appreciate her detailed handcrafting so much. This enables her to have different lineweights in order to show the spaces variation of both the cube and platform, and their connection also.
Photos Credit to Clare WU MingYue
Although our work are quite alike to each other, we are working on a toally different scheme. I tried to show the fregmentation and the layering of space by sticking up the pieces to each other. While Clare combined the negative space to support the positive spaces. I enjoyed this peer evaluation a lot that it helps me to see the strength and weakness of each of us. We learn, support and motivate each other. This is an important process for the whole class to grow up with each other.
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05#
Variation of the Cube 32
From a Cube to a Tomb
As 2cm x 2cm x 2cm is a quite tiny dimension, the selected area must have a good structure, or the outcome plaster in 20cm x 20cm x 20cm will not be complex enough. Comparing different parts of the Cube, I find that simply using thin surfaces to create spaces is not easy. There must be good composition and connection between them.
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I have set up a wooden mould with my classmate. And it is my first time of doing woodwork. Apart from the tedious general calculation, I realize that the cooperation between various materials is really important. Their own features help them work with each other. So, studying the feature and fuctions of different materials is what I should do then.
Making plaster is really a hard task for me. Poor handcrafting and wrong proportion of materials, I got the first one very WORSE that it cannot stand without any support. I broke it on my table a day before the presentation. So I decided to REDO IT VERY VERY CAREFULLY.
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A Tombstone for a Tomb
I am interested in a type of tomb that built for the rich people or nobles. It has a fencing around the whole tomb while the other do not. This type of structure comparatively has more layers and spatial sense. Therefore I want to try adding some fence-like structure for my "tomb".
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Thin Boards Combination
Thin Lines
Blocks in order Semi Interlock Strong Bonding
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Simplicity or Complexity? As my cubic tombstone is in the interlocking form by the 3 planes, I would like to have a similar structure of tomb. I also think that the interlocking of planes can create a fence for the tombstone. But maybe adding some plane variation will be better for the whole space.
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But I am confused whether I should have a simple design or not after taking a look of the classmates' sketches. Trying to imagine of some simplified structure, I still prefer my previous ideas that use the interlocking of lines and planes. I do know this complicated structure will result in a very tedious woodworking progress. However, I think it is much suitable for my cubic tomb and theme. I hope they can have a consistent language and be in the same series of thought.
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Simplified Complexity Doing a study model help me think more about the real product and the interactaion between the cubic tombstone and the tomb. It is vitally important for me to have enough simplification for the wooden tomb as the cubic tomb is the main character. Although the difference of the colors can obviously show their own roles, I think the wooden tomb will take the majority if it is over emphasized by its pattern.
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Making this wooden tomb is not an easy task for me. It costs so much time due to the complicated structure with layers. But it is absolutely worthy as the workload helps me to get familiar with the skills and process of woodworking. I know the features of each types of wood and how to use their strength for my design. But what I need to pay more attention on is the variation in the tomb design. There should be more variation between planes and lines. I just realized that the balance between the lines and faces is not in a good proportion. A good design is built on a good balance of elements.
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06#
On the Tomb
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Field Trip Feeling the Death The class went to visit the Hong Kong Cemetry in Happy Valley. This trip really change my mind on the cemetry and the ideas of death. The whole environment is not as scary in my imagination. Instead, I can feel the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded by a lovely forest and landscape. Death and the dead people may not so terrible as we think. The ending should be a brand new start. This is also my first time of cleaning the tomb for strangers. To touch the tomb so closely, I experience more about death and have some reflection on how the dead people think about the concept of death.
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Where's the Tomb? When it is talking about where the tomb is, what I think immediately is a cliff right next to the ocean. Originally, I think it is not difficult to create a landform. But the limitation of the planes is really a big challenge. It is hard to create a good-looking outerface and relief when using only 7-15 faces. But I think to limitation is also a good tip for us. It reminds me of creating a good spaces with the most simple way but not by too many methods.
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600mm
800mm
I used foamboard to make the temporary landform support originally. But then I changed to use the wooden support as it is much stronger and firm.At the beginning, I decided to cover all the faces of the landforms as the others do so. But I think it maybe not nesscessary for mine as AIRFLOW is a feature of my whole theme. Therefore I decided to leave some blank area, maybe it can be an underground tomb or a tunnel to the ground. But what I learnt is that filling all blank areas is not always the best solution of design.
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Way to the Ground
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07#
The Owner 56
A Tomb for Who? When the others decided to use different celebrities for their tomb owner, I still have no clue for it. But then an idea emerged in my mindďź?Why not do it for a fairy who revived and have a new life? There maybe no absolute boundarie between DEAD or ALIVE. This is what I learnt from the field trip in the Hong Kong Cemetry. So, I decided to do it for NINETALES, a fox with nine tails. It is said that it revive after the death and live silently for good.
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I take the tomb settled in a desert. In the first time of make collage, I tried to use cardboard and foamboard layers in different height to create a 3D effect. However it is not successful and has no difference with a photo. It is a kindergarden level of work when compared to the seniors' work.
Manfred gave those collages for us to take as example. They all have good layering and a good combination of elements. What I found is that the scenes created in the collage can be virtual or distorted. The chosen elements is not the most importance for creating a good collage, but the skills of combining those elements. Therefore, it is a must for me to have a good composition with suitable proportion for arranging the objects.
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I tried to various sketches of different layering and elements combination. And I found the inserting method is quite effective to create sapces for the whole scene. However, the arrangement and position of the objects may not be good enough to create a suitable composition.
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I have created a cave which is a inserted space. I hope to show the scene of the Ninetale getting rid of the tomb and death. In the other words, it gets a new life and start. It is quite effective to give a mysterious atmosphere for the Ninetale's space with it's tomb. However, I would like to show it in a virtual but not a realistic environment. Therefore, I used the combination of rectangular frames and surrealistic clouds. Therefore, I have to pay attention to the transition between the realistic cave and the virtual environment, or it will be too odd for the whole collage.
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After the presentation, I got some advices from Manfred and my friends. Although the layering work is good for showing the spaces, there should be improvement for the elements and handcrafting. Using laser cut for the rectangular frame and adding furry texture for the Ninetales, the whole collage looks more complex. I have created a transition between realistic andvirtual world in this collage. For the coming years, I should learn how to use the realistic elements for combining a collage as an EID student should know how to do a good collage to present his or her spatial design. Originally, I think collage is only a kind of art, but it is also a way presenting our spatial design.
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08#
Overview 67
The whole process for making this series of design is not only traning my technical skills, but also giving me inspirational ideas. We learn and gain non-stop.
I did it. An d I w i l l d o it a ga in tom orrow.
14th December 2016
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