Tuesday, August 31, 2010

New tube, new work

Found Nylex 5mm vinyl tube which I then knitted with 20mm needles - worked out perfectly.

Videos of 5 metre knit

 





Now we'll try this on a larger scale...

Possibilities:

Rectngular
Spiral

Monday, August 30, 2010

Current proposal

Our proposal seeks an atmosphere of unpredictability and spontaneity.

We are working with the idea of Re-Casting an everyday material, which in our case is clear tubing. This material is a household object which tends to be hidden, but through exposing this material and turning it into a complex structure both the function and aesthetics of the material are emphasised. The knitted tubing forms a flexible yet strong structure – the material is able to be pulled and compressed but it will still retain its form. This process transforms the rigidity of the material into a flexible structure. The application of the simple process of knitting and layering on a large scale creates a complex system which is amplified by water being pumped through it.

We are retaining the intended function of the tubing by using it as a means for the transportation of a fluid. But it is made more complex by the water travelling through the knitted pattern. The bubbles trace the path of the tubes. Throughout the entire structure the tubes are connected to the difference sides of the structure so that for one side there is only one path for the water to take and when viewing this installation the water will make its way to the base from the top over the course of the night. The rate of flow of water is dependent on the movement and concentration of people around and inside the structure, and the pump will be triggered by movement of people, controlled via motion detecting sensors placed around the structure.

Initially, the audience is oblivious to their individual effects on the skyrise, as familiarity grows they become aware of the influence they exert and this process reveals to them the control they have over the appearance of the structure and an interactive connection is established. As the water moves through, the light from inside will be refracted creating an impulsive and ever-changing image. The reflective qualities of the tubing and the water will work with the lights to give the structure a weightless and serene aesthetic. This will mask the internal support elements of the knitted walls. Four steel poles are holding the entire structure together and the knitted tubing will provide further strength giving a self supporting appearance to our proposal.

From inside there will be a sensory experience for the audience. As the water moves through ad around the person standing inside the structure, they are fully enveloped by the movement and a rain like atmosphere spontaneously awakened by their unaware interactions with the design is made apparent. They will be able to hear the movement of water whilst viewing the map like image the bubbles and water create by their presence. The vibrations due to the flow of water, combined with the plastic and textured surface of the knitted arrangement will provide a highly interactive experience.

Working process
Plan, section, detail & perspective

We are still looking for the right tubing - the tubing we have been using currently becomes creased/crushed and blocks any water from travelling through. We need something flexible enough to knit with but strong enough to keep it's shape.

More drawings and images

Work for our first presentation to jury

Perspective - Holly
Section - Holly
Plan & Axonometric - Holly
Axonometric - Holly
Pump attatched to knitted tube
Knitted tubes at 1:1 and knitted electrical cable at 1:20
1:20 representational model made from electrical cable
Perspective - Steven
Perspective - Steven

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Site visit

The site for the competition was open to be visited.

Site: Shed 1 & Shed 2, 135 Halsey Street, Auckland


View Larger Map


Panorama of site
Panorama of site
Panorama of site

Monday, August 23, 2010

Water pumping through clear tubing

Videos here show how the water moves through the clear tubing. Bubbles and water can be seen clearly tracing the knitted pattern.


Video showing water being pumped through a knitted tube with varying pressures.



Video showing what happens when colour (red watercolour) is added

Through research we have found examples of others doing similar projects:


Fluid Sculpture by Casual Profanity


Bit.Flow by Julius Popp

Friday, August 20, 2010

Knitting with clear PVC tubing

Clear tubes are flexible and hold no shape but through knitting, like the electrical cable, it becomes strong and can provide structural strength.

Here is some of the knitting we have done with the PVC tubing:

All knitted using the "knit stitch" method
Made using crochet


Knitting method based on finger knitting

From this experimentation, it has become apparent that the "knit stitch" rather than the method based on "finger knitting" is better and easier to do.

Next we will try pumping water through the knitted tubes to see what kind of effect that gives to the project. We hope it will amplify the pattern of the tubes, showing traces and mapping out paths.

Concept drawings

Drawings based on the work done with the knitted electrical cable.


Structural systems - Holly
Concept drawing based on model - Holly
Layering, pulling, pushing - Holly
Stacking - Holly
Stacking - Holly
Atmosphere, light - Holly
Multiple towers - Holly
Possible designs for 8m installation - Holly

Knitting with electrical cable

Electrical cables are something that are usually hidden behind walls, however here the cable is being re-cast to become a structural element through the process of knitting. Electrical cables are very strong and we tried knitting with different kinds of electrical cable.
On a 1:1 scale knitted cable might be stacked or folded in order to become a "skyrise".

Knitted electrical cable
Knitted auxillary cable
Knitted cable
Knitted white electrical cable
Stacked structure
Wider stacking arrangement
Possibilities for the final 8m structure

The knitted cable is very strong in tension but can be stretched to a certain point - allowing for it to be pulled at.

Through our research we have also found other artists doing large-scale knitting projects:

Couch knitted from PVC tube by Kwangho Lee
The knitting machine by David Cole

We will also try knitting with other materials like clear PVC tubing and see where that takes us


El Lissitzky - "The story of the little red square"

Wool, thread and resin experiments

Moving on from the styrofoam and acetone processes we are now working with wool, thread and resin. We aim to take wool and thread which are usually hidden and provide no support and re-casting them using resin. This makes the wool/thread self-supporting when the resin dries and hardens.

Tangled wool & resin - wool becomes stiff and becomes a 3D form

Thin wire used to hold wool in place whilst drying
Resin & wool drying on cardboard frame
Wool & resin that has been wrapped around 3 points - creates a rigid triangular frame
Woven wool & resin - the wool holds its form and becomes very strong
In red: wool & resin left hanging - wool becomes very hard
In black: thread wrapped around a cardboard frame & resin - thread becomes solid and slightly porous
Crochet thread
Knitted wool & resin - wool becomes a strong structural component when knitted

From this conceptual work we have decided to use the simple process of knitting to create something complex. We will try knitting everyday items that tend to be hidden in structures such as electrical wire, hoses and hydraulic tubes. From this we will also bring through the idea of a flexible / soft material being used in a particular way so that it can be self-supporting and provide structure.

Shukhov Tower