Rebar photos

Heres some of the photos from Friday...

http://www.sloanspringer.com/images/mobileart/index.html

Theres more on the N drive at Langford under AiR Photos I believe...

Rebargroup: Mike Droske

If only we had a little more time...

I just wanted to thank JB, Blaine, everybody on my team, and the whole workshop for the great experience...

Here's a link I found that looks a lot like what ours might have looked like, if we had only a little more time (and expanded polypropylene).

http://www.movisi.com/pages/product_ljubljana_chairAlso, on a somewhat unrelated note, here's a link, via MAKE, to an "open source" furniture design service. Designers post CAD files, instructions, photos, etc., and industrious makers out there craft 'em up. Pretty cool and open-ended, so it's somewhat related to this workshop after all...
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/04/open_source_furniture.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890

pics

some workshop pics.
thanks all,
carol

Pictures?

If someone makes an "AiR" folder on the Shared Drive on Monday, will everyone drop their pictures in to share? I'd love to have shots of everyone having fun :)

The big day!

Wow...what an amazing day! Thank you all for making it happen. Everyone's project turned out so well and we made so many people question, laugh, and smile! I cant imagine a better group of folks to work with or a better outcome for the workshop!

I'm off to the GSD for the ecological urbanism conference.

Look forward to seeing the documentary of our time together. In the meantime, here's some pics.

Big Love,

JB

Rebargroup: Ricardo Solar

Bushwaffle at the GSD!
good luck tomorrow!

Rebargroup: Michael Wilson

Fire Hose Installation:

Anyone who is not active in a group or just wants to help, we will be installing Ricardo's fire hose concept at 5:00 today near the grassy knoll in front of Langford A. Call me if you have any questions (979-204-1110) and thanks ahead of time for your help!

Michael Wilson

Rebargroup: Chris Gassaway

so here are some things that might help the bench intervention group...

these next two designs deal with the sheathing effect that you guys talked about

but i think there is also the possibility of treating your intervention as a sort of growth on the benches...

this growth may add an extended function to the bench or maybe it just draws peoples attention to the fact that the bench actually exists...

adios,

chris

Rebargroup: fire hose group (ricardo, michael, barbara, marie gabriel, chris, )

This is the concept for the fire hose group. Anyone not active in a group is welcome to help Michael, Chris and Barbara set this up! There is also a can of yellow paint if anyone wants to experiment with painting one of the hoses, painting all of them may not be feasible. Contact Barbara or Michael if you have any questions.

ricardo

Rebargroup: Katie Smither

Art and Design

This is helpful when looking at the bench project.  But in general....Yes.  There are so many things right about this.

What I find really interesting is that there seems to be so much STUFF like this out there.  It's saying something, it's almost useful, it's almost sculpture, it's almost kitsch, and if it were at a dollar store you would look down on it.  

I won't disclose yet whether I think this is art or design, (I will after ya'll have given your opinions.) But this a good conversation to bring up, art and design.  What are the differences.

Does design have to mean usability and must that usability be a physical solution?  If it doesn't have to be physical, then its use is emotional or psychological.....which is where art often operates. 

Is it art?  It's saying big things about existence in a certain condition.  About peril, potential, risk, fear, anticipation, desire, destruction......there is narrative and it is open for your interpretation.  But shouldn't good design have these big conceptual questions in mind?

This is why I think this mug is great though, because (based on my still secret definitions of art and design), I'm not positive what category this falls into.......which (I think) makes it good. 

Sorry for the rambling, I'm bringing this up because this is where we are operating.....art/design/architecture/landscaping.......what are they?

Do you have to know to do good work?  Can you blend the lines and how do you do it well. 

I think it's an important conversation, maybe one I should have considered earlier in this project. What do ya'll think about this?  What is art, what is design, and what makes them such?   Why?   I want to hear, all of you please comment!  Thanks kiddos! Later,

Katie (here's the link) Smither

Rebargroup: Katie Smither

Desperation!

I feel like that's a song title or something.....

Ok so I need to get to the surplus warehouse for more chairs......desperately.

If you have time Wed. (today) morning or early afternoon, or you have a car I can borrow, please let me know....for this project to function there has to be more chairs.  Let me know guys and thanks a million,

Katie

Rebargroup: Chris Gassaway

so here is the research that goes along with the "dome" inflatable

i initially started by thinking of objects and installations that i had seen for myself that in some way exemplified the characteristics of being interactive and an intervention of some sort...

so thus...

the installation outside the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX

i always see people  weaving/tying knots/swinging/hanging in the strands when i go by it...

also 

this chair by Jonny Detiger is equipped with dials to modulate a pre-recored looped sound... so the soundscape was then changed due to the interaction of the person sitting in it...

in both instances an object that was interacted with through touch created a completely new and different experience for the surroundings

with the idea of building an inflatable object of some sort i polled some students in my studio about objects that "wanted" to be touched... the answers i received reminded me of a scene
from "Hable con ella" (Talk to Her) by Pedro Almodovar...

the idea then became about creating a large scale portion of the human body as a sort of inflatable addition to the a sites existing topography...

by people climbing on top of the form they would be changing and shaping it in a way specific to their weight ,body shape, and interaction position. Also the people on top of the structure would then be changing the experience for the people possibly within the structure.

typically human forms are interacting with the objects around them... by creating an object that is based on a human form a role reversal starts to take place..

.

eventually, even with the added support of fans or blowers the form would start to concave creating a new effect/affect

here are a couple of proposed ways for constructing such a form as suggested by Ant Farm...

the desired method for bonding/joining each piece would be the iron/aluminum heat sink method that is described by Ant Farm

hand drawings and sketches will follow once i scan them...

adios,

Chris

Rebargroup: Mike Droske

Bench Intervention

Ok, here's a quick post describing the dimensions of the concrete benches at Diversity Plaza:

Length: 96"
Width: 24 1/4"
Height: Varies between 15 1/2- 16"


And some quick sketches of some possible designs for the overlay/sheath/thingy:

Rebargroup: Katie Smither

Materials:  I sent you an email, but here it is again. 

In addition to the cardboard bench, I'm working on the non site-specific chairs.   I still need to get the chairs unfortunately.  And I'll be needing to buy spray paint, a lot of it, and some good paper to make stencils out of, maybe masking tape.  I am hoping to be at Home Depot when you're there, Carol  I'm thinking that it would probably be much cheaper to buy spray paint at Walmart, but maybe that's wrong....if worst comes to worst though, I'll just bring the receipts to be reimbursed.  Thanks so much!

Katie Smither

Rebargroup: Barrett Davis

Our group is planning on having a cardboard installation. There is not a specific site other than the various concrete benches around the campus. It is going to be designed to fit in with any of the benches of said dimensions.

One of us will be with the object(s) at all times and it will most likely not stay in one spot through the entire time of the "happenings."

As far as materials are concerned, we only have one expense which should be glue. This fee should not go over $30 - given a liberal estimate. Otherwise, we are using all recycled cardboard. A good portion of it was received from the furniture store in town.

In summary
- Not site specific (fits into/out of benches around campus)
- Expense: <$30 of glue/glue guns.

Rebargroup: Group 1 (Briana, Cory, and Sloan)

Group 1 tested out some paint on plastic material today! Looks like some cheap, washable kids' paint is going to work for this first run of the Mobile Gallery :) We developed a game plan for assembling everything, as well. Thursday will be our work day.

Like with Michele Brody, I've added a new Rebargroup set on my Flickr account. Clicking the picture will take you there!

Rebargroup: Katie Smither

To the group doing the painting intervention:

I guess this is probably sprayed before it is hung, otherwise it would have dripped and run.  

streetsy.com for more -  Katie

Rebargroup: Katie Smither

Haha, 'they don't belong here'.   No matter where you are.....that's a compliment.  Maybe, I mean, unless it's like at your mom's house.  Sad day.

If you've been following the inflatables this will relate, I'm not sure if ya'll look at Yatzer,  but check it out, a recent post semi ties into some things you guys are investigating.  Happy blogging.

Katie (is sorry, Chris)  Smither

Rebargroup - Barrett Davis

Standing around and waiting for my group this evening, I overheard some students looking at the inflatables that JB and Blaine have been setting up.

"This stuff is strange..."

"You can tell they don't belong here...."

The remarks were in good humor. They were interested in what fashion the inflatables were going to be used. Furthermore, I must say that this is exactly why I am so excited for Friday to come sooner rather than later. :-) It will be fun to witness other people's reactions, indeed.

---------

On a side note, we are no longer planning to create Tetris pieces. Instead we are planning on fitting elements into existing benches and/or other objects around campus to either change or enhance their functionality. The objects will most likely still be created from cardboard. And they should surely still be as fun.

Marie-Gabrielle Alétru

Location:
On campus, outside of the MSC and in front of Rudder Fountain, on the Stark Galleries entrance.

César's car compression

Baldaccini, César - "Compression" -
(1960) - Image Copyright © web.tiscali.it/
- Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
(cf. Nouveau Réalisme - "Compression"
- César Baldaccini)

(for the process: recycled material compressed; for the shape --cube or box--; for the colors; for the art reference)

+ Buren's columns of Palais Royal, Paris, France

colonnes de Buren #2

(for the rigorous spatial occupation, repartition, and alignment; for the sober but powerful use of contrast and black and white; for the concrete contemporary material; for a visually coherent but individually different height and wideness --diversity of human size and shape--; for the playful atmosphere; for the artistic reference to the greek antique architecture and contemporary art)

+ low tech weather proof recycling inexpensive materials

+ print on what is going on inside the galleries

= invitational sitting for any art galleries

(à suivre)