transcendence
ARNOLD WONG RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
HELLO
Arnold Wong Rhode Island School of Design BFA Apparel + Industrial Design Home: Hong Kong
http://about.me/arnoldwong
I’m pumped for the future of Chinese design and how contemporary artists may contribute towards that. The emergence of cross-cultural aesthetics whether in clothing, furniture design, or architecture fascinates me. Music means a lot to me. I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play the violin and piano since I was a kid. There’s no doubt music has subtly influenced my perception and thinking. Currently, I’m pursuing a double major in Apparel and Industrial Design at RISD.
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MUSIC
Music’s profound influence upon the human brain is unquestionable. We may not be able to scientifically identify the specific way music affects and interacts with our psyche, but something magical is at play. Throughout human civilization music has accompanied rites of passage and ceremonies. Music’s ability to uplift one into another realm, another paradigm, is an amazing idea to me. For the individual, the emotions music evokes allow us to transcend reality into altered states of consciousness. Stress and grief may be washed away by one of Bach’s calming preludes, or the vigor of Taiko drummers may induce a vitalizing meditative trance.
How do we capture these fleeting moments of ethereal experiences? Can this essence be distilled further? How can we immortalize this moment of transcendence in an object?
“ in music the passions enjoy themselves ” Friedrich Nietzsche 3
INSPIRATION
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CONCEPT
I wanted to explore the relationship between the speaker and space, as well as the emotional value it contributes to its environment.
As I played around with different textures that resembled the organic randomness of Chinese marble screens, I visualized the speaker almost as a portal into another realm - a window into another dimension of music and emotions.
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FABRIC COVER IDEATION
The natural and unintended patterns found on Chinese marble screens reminded me of the spontaneity of soundwave frequencies. These organic patterns also introduced the concept of wabi-sabi, and I started abstracting photographs of marble and clouds. By compositing layers, I pixelated and blurred the images to achieve an abstracted essence of what these patterns represent.
Printing my designs to scale was crucial in determining what changes needed to be made. As I experienced the designs physically, I realized the distance between the viewer and the image changed what was perceived. This dynamicism provides an opportunity for play in the orientation and positioning of the speaker.
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STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS The A9 speaker’s minimal yet elegant design led me to restrain myself from altering the form too drastically. Drawing inspiration from classical Chinese furniture, I opted for a red cherry hardwood which would age and patina beautifully. After multiple experimentations, I juxtaposed the wood with brushed anodized aluminum for a classic and timeless effect.
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OVERVIEW
ALUMINUM RING Finish: Brushed anodized aluminum RAL # : a7aaaf BACK PLASTIC PANEL Finish: Matte RAL # : ffffff 8
TOP SECTION OF LEG
BOTTOM SECTION OF LEG
Material: Solid Walnut Wood Finish: Oiled (Maloof Oil finish)
Material: Anodized Aluminum Finish: Brushed RAL # : a7aaaf
Leg A
Leg B
Leg B
Leg A
3mm 3mm 3mm
NOTE: The lower aluminum part of the leg measures 140mm for all three legs. The distance between the 3 grooves and the width of the grooves are shown on the left - these measurements apply to the grooves of all three legs. This aluminum part may be permanently fixed to the wooden upper part via a screw fixture. The meeting joint of the aluminum and wood features a chamfered groove.
7mm 7mm 7mm
140mm
* The overall length and dimensions of the legs remain unchanged from the original design.
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FABRIC COVER DESIGN + RENDERINGS
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