Poets’ Lair

A mix material piece that presents the temperature and texture shift when people caress it.

Prompt: 2’x2’ haptic wall installation

Fall 2019

5 weeks

Material: concrete, concrete dye, slate, copper, palm wood, plywood, screw, wire, adhesive

the beauty of making

Before diving into the concepts, I went to some local hardware stores and traditional manufacture shops to experience the haptic in making.

hands-on testing

Before coming up with a composition, I had my hands on to play with metal patina (right bar on the left image) and marbles.

sourcing materials

I want to create a piece that is natural, primitive, but satisfying and calming. Thus, I went to find materials that have interesting colors and textures. I realized that different materials conduct heat differently. If I could make a seamless composition of different materials, people could feel the temperature changes when caress the surface.

Layout exploration

Looking at those materials, I decided to make a composition out of those slates and pour concrete on them. Then I would sand the concrete until I got a smooth surface. I wouldn’t be able to know exactly what shape I’m going to get after sanding, but that’s the beauty of this revealing process.

To be more inviting in the 3d space, I placed a dowel (I turned this dowel using lathe) into the composition as a hint to invite people put their hands on.

Making

Bond materials to the backboard.

I don’t want the backboard to be seen when presented, so I left gap between the backboard and the mold to have the concrete wrap around the backboard.