jiyeonch@andrew.cmu.edu – 99-361 A: Inflatables

Push/Pull Part 2 – Yiyang & Jiyeon

Our object is a cow with decorations. It initially was a teddy bear shape as planned. However, we decided if we were trying to create a childhood-like vibe, we might want something that looks more childish. Then Yiyang drew an abstract and child-like picture which combines Jiyeon’s pear shape with animal shape.

Much of our inflatable, from the sketch, to the cutting of the pieces, to the assembly, was improvised. We intentionally allowed our process to be very organic, responsive, and “un-planned” as we wanted the inflatable to feel as if it were a child’s drawing come to life. Our piece evokes feelings of childlike joy, wonderment, silliness, but also perhaps a bittersweet nostalgia over the way things once were. We wanted to juxtapose this childlike structure in the context of a college library, where students are often stressfully working toward their futures and crossing the threshold between childhood and adulthood.

We free-drew pieces for this object with a rhino file as reference. This step added some unexpected and child-like carelessness into the object. We did not encounter too much difficulty when combining pieces together since we kept it simple. However, when decorating the whole object, we realized that it was nearly impossible to sew decoration pieces onto its surface after we close it. We asked Olivia for help and then glued pieces onto the surface. We then trimmed some outlines to mimic the feeling that they grew from the cow.

If we were to do something different, maybe we would try to sew some pieces before we actually close the shape. And we would also try to figure out how to have the cow standing by itself instead of leaning on sandbags. Because initially we wanted to hang the object and did not think too much about organizing its feet to have it standing.

One good lesson we learned from this project is that having basic or primary form ready earlier. We finished most parts of our object during the spring break and thus we had much more time to develop it further. It was helpful to rehearsal it again and again and build more onto it.

Collaborative Spaces Proposal – Asad, Georgia, Jiyeon

We will be using a Google Drive Folder to keep track of all of our notes and work.

Our current idea revolves around creating a tunnel of sorts that the user can walk through towards the wall of mirrors. At first, we wanted to create a tunnel that led into a larger room that people could walk through and then be surprised with the larger room when they can see more and the mirrors. As we thought about the exact details and possible construction of the inflatable, we noticed that our inflatable idea was similar to a human ribcage and began to explore what that would look like instead of a tunnel/room object. We hope to use animation to create a hallucinogenic experience that makes the viewer feel as if they are walking through the body itself and into a person’s rib cage.

For this project, we will likely only use black and white nylon. The rough dimensions we measured while we were in the space were 14’ x 8’, so to make a tunnel we would roughly need about 300 square feet of fabric.

The most challenging parts of this idea are engineering the tunnel so that it is able to hold its shape – being mindful of how we will need to create a double wall throughout the tunnel with baffling as well as how to create a meaningful animation that is able to project well within our given restrictions of the internal size of the inflatable. Will the animation be able to project and fully cover the inside of the inflatable to create an experience for the audience as they are walking inside? We can try to create a similar environment for the projectors by having them display static images inside a closed space similar to our tunnel to see how we can anticipate them behaving.

Some Reference Pictures:

Jiyeon – In the World

As I was thinking of some examples of soft sculpture, I was actually reminded of these inflatable origami-inspired solar lanterns called the SolarPuff by Solight Design! Although I deeply appreciate the fine art soft sculpture pieces I’ve encountered and learned about (I actually wrote about Do Ho Suh’s sculptures in some of my college application essays!), these SolarPuffs stood out to me for their valuable design, distributability, simple beauty, and direct impact on the environment and built world. Inspired by an origami ball, the SolarPuff is a solar-charged lamp that can flat-pack, and easily be blown up by a few breaths, without the need for a tube or nozzle which can increase the chance of spreading germs and disease. After being charged in the sun, it can provide clean, carbon-free light for up to eight hours. Although simply a small, 5 inch cube at its largest, the SolarPuff exemplifies exactly how much difference good design can make in people’s lives.

For example, Syrian refugees often depend on kerosene lamps to travel to their camps. However, these lamps are heavy and expensive, not to mention outright dangerous– toxic kerosene fumes are the cause of death for an estimated 1.5 million people per year. The weightless and collapsable SolarPuff is a much more efficient and safe alternative, even reducing crimes such as child kidnapping or sexual assault in the camps as it provides safer travel. The light is also used in Haiti, where many families and children don’t have access to electricity or sustainable lighting. With the SolarPuff, people can work into the night, increasing economic productivity, and children can do their homework after nightfall without the need for toxic lamps.

Although very utilitarian, I chose to write about this “soft sculpture,” because that’s exactly what each of these lamps are! Beautiful, simple, and inflatable, this product intrigued me because it also relates to my interests in Product Design, sustainability, and different materials! Although I’m learning wood-working skills in the Products studio, I hope to develop more of a sensitivity to other materials and soft textiles and develop more humane, sustainable, and beautiful designs!

Jiyeon – Push/Pull Part 1

For my first object, my goal was really just to play with a simple cube form as I got a hang of using the sewing machine for the first time. I cut and pieced a classic cube template using six 1 ft. x 1 ft. squares. I had planned to just sew a regular cube form, and then alter it using baffles and other constricting methods, but I actually sewed it up wrong, and I ended up with this trapezoidal form:

I began using Rhino with my second object. I used the CageEdit feature on a sphere to stretch it into a cone-like shape, and extracted surfaces using interpcrvonsrf, split, and extractisocurve. I chose different shades of pink and green for the circle to make it almost look like it has a face of sorts!

Although this second object was a fairly simple exploration of 3D modeling and laser cutting, I really really enjoyed how it turned out! So, I wanted to make another object of a similar “family” or “language,” so this time I used the pipe feature on a curve wherein the diameter of one side was larger than another to create this pear-like shape. I also wanted to create some interesting surface patterning, so I projected a wavy curve onto the form to extract the surfaces. I also made it significantly larger to play with scale and create a bit of contrast and an interesting dynamic between the two. With these two objects, I simply really enjoyed the forms and found them really delightful, they are fairly simple in form and construction but I’m really happy with them, I think I successfully made objects that are cute, lovely, and huggable!

Push/Pull Part 2 Proposals: Jiyeon, Yiyang

1. Clouds

We both like the idea of ‘hanging’ something and the idea of having natural light interact with our objects. So, we are thinking of making a cloud shape inflatable and having it floating by the window on the first floor of Hunt library. Since a tube has to be attached to blow air into the inflatable, we are also thinking of making that tube into a chimney. So the whole object would look like a chimney blowing clouds into the air and, ideally, the natural sunlight would shine through the cloud.

2. Doorway

This ‘doorway’ evolves from an actual door. We are thinking of how to encourage people to communicate and interact with each other more. A door represents the unfamiliarity between people and when you open the door and walk across the door, we get to know each other better. When designing this shape, we consider that a more abstract shape of a door might be more interesting and artistic. So we simplify the shape into a dome with wires or strings attached to it to create some tension.

3. Teddy Bear

This object is a combination of our push/pull 1. We combine the pear shape and the bear shape together to build a large, teardrop-like bear. This is actually our favorite idea! Imagine having a large, soft teddy bear appear in the library and students get to hug it while tired. And teddy bears used to be our childhood toy. As we grow older, the bear changes its shape. However, it is still there and serves its purpose of comforting us. We now have two thoughts. One is to make it into a tear-drop shape and the other is a square shape. Both shapes are variants from the original teddy bear.

There is also the option of making a “generic”, very recognizable teddy bear shape. We want to play with the idea of bringing this extremely nostalgic, reminiscent object into the library space. We thought it would be interesting to play with the idea of the line between childhood and adulthood. A childhood toy in a space where students are just crossing those boundaries from childhood into adulthood; perhaps the teddy bear would invoke feelings of relief, comfort, nostalgia, but also perhaps discomfort, melancholy, yearning.

Rough 3D Models of Possible Forms:

Jiyeon Chun – Improvisation Inflatables

For my first inflatable, I was aiming mostly just to get a sense of the material, what works, what doesn’t, what techniques are best, etc. I started out by choosing a few colors, cutting out some shapes, and taping sides/pieces that fit together. I learned quickly that curves are significantly harder to put together than straight edges, they require the “stitching” method and multiple pieces of tape. This one took quite a while, as I was really figuring it out as I went, and the inflatable ended up being just a bit bigger than the size of my head. For the second the third inflatables, I began to play more with scale, and color. I switched to clear tape I had lying around, as I had begun to run out of the pink cloth tape provided. Also, for the second inflatable, I flipped it inside out so that most of the tape was on the inside, creating a more seamless look– almost like a quilt, whereas the first one exhibited more prominent edges and borders. I learned that how you close up the pieces together especially impacts the shape of the inflatable, for example, taping a long piece into a sort of cone shape makes for a pointy cone extrusion out of the inflatable.